Nothing like the Title at all...
It occurred to me that although I had been working my way through the classics, I had never read a "real version" of a Dickens novel. Oh sure, I had read the children's version of "Oliver Twist" and have been to see the play of "A Christmas Carol" probably 15 times... but I had never actually sat down and tried to read any real Dickens. Now I don't know if this is a good place to start or not... but this is where I started.

It took a while to really get into the book, the language was a bit overbearing at first, and the characters were a bit hard to keep sorted out in my mind. But then we get to the release of the good Doctor Mannette things pick up... I was trucking along, managing with the language and then in the middle I became bogged down with confusion... I struggled for a chapter or two and then hit the last quarter of the book... and let me tell you, all of the confusion was worth it if only for the last chapter.

Dickens main characters are actually rather flat and one-sided, however he makes up for it with the power and intrigue in his supporting cast. Some of the supporting characters in this novel are among the most interesting and either lovable or detestable that I have encountered. With the engrossing backdrop of the French Revolution, and heads being lopped of by Lady Guillotine every other moment... this book really focuses not on the revolution, but on the effects of the revolution on a select group of people. The Title implies that this will be a tale predominantly about London and Paris, but in reality the title is very misleading. The crux of the true story is about Paris, and our character's attempts to remove themselves from it.

I hate to say more, I went into this book knowing nothing about it, and because of that I was able to be shocked and almost brought to tears by the beauty and power of the ending. I highly recommend it, even though many will struggle through the middle, know that the ending is well worth the struggle. There is a reason this is listed one of the "1001 books to read before you die" there is a power to this story that will resound with you long after you close the book.

`It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...'
I first read this novel almost 40 years ago. I've just finished rereading: it remains my favourite Charles Dickens novel. `A Tale of Two Cities' was initially published in weekly instalments over 31 weeks in 1859: it is historical fiction, encompassing the period from 1775 to 1792.

The novel is divided into three separate sections (books) dealing with different events in the lives of Dr Alexandre Manette, his daughter Lucie, French emigrant Charles Darnay and his family, as well as a number of other people and events in France and England. I believe that the novel will be easier to follow for a reader broadly familiar with the history leading to and consequences of the French Revolution in 1789.

On my first read, I was most interested in the French aspects of the novel: the images of Madame Defarge knitting, and Vengeance, together with the guillotine, have remained in my mind. This time, I was more focussed on identifying some of the themes that run through the novel. Those themes are resurrection, relationships, retribution and redemption.

The sufferings of Dr Manette, and later of Charles Darnay; the relationships between Dr Manette, Lucie, Mr Lorry, and others; the role of the DeFarges, and Vengeance, in both sustaining relationships and seeking retribution; and the redemption of Sydney Carton: combine in a way which illustrates much of what can be good and bad about humanity.

`Repression is the only lasting philosophy. The dark deference of fear and slavery, my friend,' observed the Marquis, `will keep the dogs obedient to the whip as long as this roof,' looking up to it, `shuts out the sky'.

To write more about the story may spoil its impact for those yet to read it. It is both a fine example of English literature and an interesting work of historical fiction. This is a novel where both the journey and the destination matter.

`It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.'

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Paid by the Word
This is the worst classic I've ever read. I had to read it for high school English and my mother had to keep waking me up because I was so excruciatingly bored that I fell asleep every few pages. I could not care about the plot or about even one single character, although I sympathize with Dickens' social observations, I usually devour anything in print and I love 19th century novels as a rule. My high school class discussions did not bring me around in the least on this book. Dickens' female characters are either crones or ingenues, and he really does write as though he's being paid by the word. He was capable of better: "Great Expectations" is actually worth the paper its printed on; he actually seemed to give that one some care rather than just churning out word after word after word. Unfortunately out of all his books I've read, only "Great Expectations" lived up to his potential. If I want an English Victorian novelist, I'll take Thomas Hardy or Wilkie Collins (even at his most outlandish) any day, but spare me Charles Dickens.

Rewarding
Some honest disclosures. My strongest academic credentials relevant to literary criticism are that I minored in English. I have never been a "student" of Dickens. I enjoy Shakespeare plays in the same manner that I enjoy analyzing baseball games: I always get the point and relish in the general purpose of the production, but there are finer nuances that are beyond me and most of the people watching probably have a more sophisticated appreciation than I do. All of that stated, I dove into this classic Dickens title (actually, reading it aloud to my pre-teen kids) and was pleasantly surprised to find that I throughly enjoyed the experience.
As practically every review on this page will tell you, or as could be digested from Wikipedia or Cliff Notes, this novel is set in the circumstances of the French Revolution. What Dickens provided is a human tale from the perspective of the coming (and elapsed) revolution on the lives within one extended family based in Paris and London. Make no mistake: this book is long and plodding, and the language is sufficiently "Dickensesque" to discourage any modern American reader, but the investment of time and attention is rewarding. Dickens is wonderful, and it is a delight to read the words of someone whose universal messages can still reach across the centuries and cultures that separate us (like Twain, Shakespeare, and, what the heck, the Apostle Paul).
I am not expert enough in English literature or French history to provided more of an endorsement than this: this is a great read and is surprisingly accessable. The themes of violence, greed, rebellion, hatred, love, charity, mercy, and sacrifice are clear enough for anyone to appreciate. And my children, as young as eight-years, eagerly settled down for a chapter night after night. Another big shout goes out for Dickens.

A Tale for our time...if you have the patience.
Tale Of Two Cities represents a change for Dickens. Considering the story a short exposition on the French Revolution, Dickens avoids much explanation or background on a multitude of characters that are trapped in the world pre-french Revolution and yes this is a problem.
The tale opens up with the rescue of Dr. Manette. It's hard to care for Dr. Manette as he comes across as both eccentric and quirky and nothing else. We also don't know his past or his motivations or even why he got locked up in a French prison. His daughter Lucie comes across as a one dimensional soap opera character and Mr. Lorry is a cardboard cutout completing the triangle. Such is the start of the adventure. To be honest, you may struggle since Dickens demands a proper stage to be set introducing character after character without so much as an explanation why we are meeting them and it can seem frustrating. Dickens does this for a reason which is to provide a great deal of twists and turns at the conclusion (all is not what it seems).
Once the conflict kicks in -- Charles Darney (Lucie's husband) must go to France and now the Revolution has kicked in and it becomes a gripping page turner. Dickens is a master writer and creates mood over action and it works. As already mentioned, the plot twists do kick in and there is an obvious feeling of 'forced and contrived' in some instances but the emotions are real, the situations are frightening, and no other book I have read captures the French Revolution in such a personal level as this book. I just finished it tonight and I'm still processing it. If you chose to read it, try to not focus so much on character but situations and the times they are set in and you will more appreciate how wonderful this story really is even to today's modern audiences.