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 of them) at first, but eventually something about Lucie’s hair triggers his memory.

Book 2: The Golden Thread

[2008-08-06]
I finished this book today. I haven’t been all that great about writing my notes as I’ve been reading (yeah yeah, what else is new?). In all, I definitely feel like I’ve learned a lot more about the French Revolution. Prior to reading A Tale Of Two Cities, all I really knew is that many heads rolled, and the guillotine was the cause of it.

So I’m not going to write an extensive synopsis, but here is a summary of the last “book” of the novel.

Book 3: The Track Of A Storm

Darnay is denounced for leaving France, imprisoned with all of the other prisoners, and put on trial. While almost all of the prisoners end up being beheaded by the guillotine, they are still put through a trial as if to show that due process was carried out.

Dr. Manette uses his standing as a reputable doctor in the community as well as a former political prisoner to influence the outcome. Thus his son-in-law, Darnay, is freed.

Unfortunately the very next day he is rearrested, and this time it looks as if he will surely be done for. Everyone prepares themselves for what is to happen, but in a surprise event Carton comes into the prison and switches places with Darnay. And thus Carton is executed, but he also does the most worthwhile thing of his life (i.e., give up of himself for someone else). He does all of this as a result of seeing how he could have been a man to love Lucie.