“A multitude of people and yet a solitude.”
December's choice for #classiclitbookclub was A Tale of Two Cities, and I have to be honest—having finished it, I don't think Dickens and I click! 😬 This was tough, slow-going, and, quite frankly, boring. I tried to mix it up: I read some, but listened to most of it—let's be honest, it was the only way I was going to get through it! 🎧 That's fifteen hours of my life I'm never getting back. ⏳
I don't know whether it was the subject—the French Revolution 🇫🇷—or the writing, maybe some of both. I know people who love Dickens, so I’ll give others a go at some point, but this one will never be on my list again—sorry, not sorry! 😅
While I didn't enjoy most of the book, I did have a soft spot for Dr. Manette and his daughter Lucie ❤️, who comes to his rescue after many years of imprisonment in France and helps him regain relatively stable mental health. But yep, that was about it.
The only other Dickens novel I’ve read is A Christmas Carol 🎄, which I did enjoy—but now I’m thinking that was mostly because I already knew the story. 🤔
About the Book
A Tale of Two Cities is Charles Dickens’s historical novel set against the turbulent backdrop of London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The story follows the intersecting lives of Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat who renounces his family’s oppressive legacy; Lucie Manette, whose compassion and devotion inspire loyalty and love; and Sydney Carton, a dissolute English lawyer burdened by wasted potential and self-contempt. Central to the narrative is Dr. Alexandre Manette, Lucie’s father, whose long and unjust imprisonment in the Bastille embodies the cruelty of institutional tyranny.
As revolutionary fervor escalates into violence, Dickens explores themes of injustice, fate, resurrection, and personal sacrifice. The novel contrasts the social order of England with the chaos and vengeance of revolutionary France, illustrating how both systems can fail the vulnerable. Culminating in a powerful act of self-sacrifice, A Tale of Two Cities remains a profound meditation on redemption and the capacity for human goodness amid historical upheaval.
Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was a prominent English novelist and social critic, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of the Victorian era. Born in Portsmouth, England, Dickens experienced financial hardship early in life when his father was imprisoned for debt, forcing the young Dickens to work in a factory. These experiences deeply influenced his writing and fueled his lifelong concern for social injustice, poverty, and the treatment of children.
Dickens rose to fame with the publication of The Pickwick Papers and went on to write many enduring novels, including Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, and A Tale of Two Cities. His works are known for vivid characters, sharp social commentary, and a blend of humor and moral seriousness. Hugely popular during his lifetime, Dickens also gave public readings of his work, further cementing his celebrity. He died in 1870, leaving a lasting legacy as a writer who brought the struggles of ordinary people to the center of English literature.
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