For Wessa, I have read this novel.
ONLY FOR WESSA.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,”

With the iconic opening lines in “The Tale of Two Cities” we begin a story of love, sacrifice, and honour set against a period in French history that brought with it so much change and uncertainty in a revolution that raged for almost 10 years.

A true classic, a masterpiece in storytelling and a novel that was so perfectly balanced in all its themes that I had to sit back and admire the sheer genius of the author and this work of art. One of my favourites classics.

The Plot

The book begins with the release of the French Doctor Manette, who was imprisoned in the Bastille in Paris, and after 18 years is released to live in London with his daughter Lucie who he has never met. The book then alternates between two cities; Paris and London, and between two men, Charles Dranay and Sydney Carton and their love Lucie.

1780. Charles Darnay stands accused of treason against the English crown and is acquitted by the argument presented by Carton that he himself bears an uncanny resemblance to the defendant, and therefore we can not be sure of the identity of the culprit. Darnay on his acquittal returns to Paris to live with his uncle but after seeing the treatment of his country people, returns to England and asks, Manette, for permission to marry Lucie.

Meanwhile, Carton also pledges his love to Lucie, admitting that, though his life is worthless, she has helped him dream of a better, more valuable existence. Remembering that “this is a desperate time, when desperate games are played for desperate stakes”, we continue through a web of deceit, honour, and love as one “… man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you.” And this is an important line but to reveal more would spoil the element of surprise as identities remain hidden.

Review and Comments

A Tale of Two Cities written in 1858, was believed to have propelled Dickens into the high ranks of great Romance novelists of the period, combine that with a book that is described as his best work of historical fiction, and we have a true classic. However, for me it was neither, but what it did bring was a beautiful and perfectly balanced story that weaves the threads of romance, revolution, tragedy, sacrifice, love, and honour so well that not one thread is allowed to dominate, unlike many of his other works and therefore one of my favourites. That said don’t pick up a Charles Dickens novel if you do not want your heart broken by something in the story, because where we have Dickens, tragedy is sure to follow and lurk somewhere in the coming pages.

A Tale of Two Cities is not a slumber read and a level of concentration is needed. The language does not roll off the tongue, although grammatically perfect and underlying themes and vital pieces in the story are often subtly nuanced so can be easily overlooked. If I can offer this, I read a number of books by Charles Dickens in the last 6 months, and I have to confess connecting with the earlier books and style took effort, however, by the time I read this novel I was more accustomed to the style and knew the subtleties to watch for, and what a difference it made because I loved it. What do they say about practice!!!

Another brilliant story with excellent characterisation and poignant themes that draws on the historical background of the period to create the perfect atmosphere for a towering classic like this. Stunning, dramatic, captivating and mesmerising, and now I will end with a favourite quote from
a book that offers so many!!!

“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.”