Book # 2 - A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

This post is long delayed. I apologize.

I will be honest, this book was hard to read but it was rewarding at the end. One of the biggest challenge for me in reading this book was the language used. It was written in old 19th Century English where the sentence construction is totally different from what I am used to. Let me give you an example:
He is alive. Greatly changed, it is too probable; almost a wreck, it is possible; though we will hope the best. Still, alive. Your father has been taken to the house of an old servant in Paris, and we are going there: I, to identify him if I can: you, to restore him to life, love, duty, rest, comfort.
I found it hard reading these types of sentences, and the book was full of it. What I noticed is that the sentences made it hard for me to get a feel of the ideas flowing. I had to stop a few times and re-read some sentences to fully understand them. Maybe this was intentional to convey a sense of uncertainty as the story unfolded and as the characters fate became more and more uncertain. Despite my struggle the book did end in a very high note. The later part of the book tied everything together and the pace of the story picked-up.

This book had everything - finding a lost father, loosing a husband, a revolution and even a prisoner swap at the end.

There are 2 themes I found important to this book and why it should be in everyone's personal library. 

1. Resurrection and Transformation.

Dickens was very deliberate in making this theme central to the story. It showed the power of the human spirit to persevere and to transform itself. Dickens showed that society may use our past to define who we are today but our past cannot dictate who we will be tomorrow. The lives of Charles Darnay, Dr. Manette and Sydney Carton showed the power and importance of resurrection and transformation. Each character had a moment of resurrection and transformation in their own unique ways that elevated the theme in different levels. 

2. The violent tendency of revolutions when fueld by hatred and revenge.  

The revolution that took down the Bastille was fueld by hatred. Hatred for the rich and nobles. Hatred for their violence, their selfishness and their wealth. When the Bastille fell, the revolution could have used it to establish a system of government that would become a model for everyone else to follow. The revolution gave them a chance to establish a government of justice and equality but instead their hatred made them hungry for blood. Their pursuit for justice was overrun by their hunger for revenge and punishment. The revolution lost track of its importance and relevance and became blind to its blood lust.

These two themes still resonate today and the story that Charles Dickens tells in this novel should serve as a reminder to us all. This Tale of Two Cities has something to say about both the ruler and the ruled.



If you are interested in reading this book check-out this offer from Amazon. 

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