Reading
A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
[2008-06-16]
Oh a classic novel! I actually remember distinctly trying to read this book in 5th grade. Unfortunately, I was biting off more than I could chew. I remember reading the first couple of chapters, but I quickly lost interest because the language was not easily grasped.
But now I’m older and (hopefully) more mature in my ability to read older English. So far, the book has been more interesting this time around.
Book 1: Recalled To Life
The novel starts off in 1775 following a group of men riding a mail carriage to France. Among them is Jarvis Lorry, an employee of Tellson’s Bank, who is going to retrieve a Dr. Alexander Manette. On the way, he meets up with Lucie Manette, Dr. Alexander Manette’s daughter, whom he tells that her father is not dead as she’s believed for many years.
They eventually reach their destination in France where they meet up with Monsieur and Madame Defarge, owners of a wine shop. These characters are interesting in that they are housing a prisoner as well as the leaders of an underground group of revolutionaries. I didn’t realize it at the time that I read it, but it becomes more clear later on. They go with Monsieur Defarge to Dr. Manette, who is holed up in a tower because he is still under the impression that he’s imprisoned. He has not been released because they think that his mental state could not handle it. Dr. Manette does not recognize them (even though he should know all ofthem) at first, but eventually something about Lucie’s hair triggers his memory.
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