A Tale of Two Cities

A Book Review of "A Tale of Two Cities"

Usually when people find out that I was an English major they ask who my favorite author is. I hem and haw and name a few safe bets like Dostoevsky, Hemingway or O’Conner, because really, I don’t have a favorite. It’s like asking who is your favorite friend or which sibling do you like more - I can’t pick just one. Then the next question is usually, “what about Charles Dickens?” My typical response is “I don’t care for him much; his economy of words is rather superfluous.” Which is a pedantic way of saying that he is too wordy for me.

That position has changed since reading a Tale of Two Cities. He is still wordy - that has not changed - but the story makes the verbosity bearable. My wife read it a year ago and really enjoyed it. Another friend who has pretty good taste in books told me it was her favorite and even now after having read it several times she still cries at certain parts of the book. With those two recommendations in mind I decided to approach it with an open mind.

The fun thing about reading a classic like Tale of Two Cities is that despite it being written 150 years ago, it is still a page turner and tugs on the heart strings. I found my heart beating in suspense several times throughout and a couple of times I felt that odd lump in my throat that I think causes people to cry.

The story - like all good stories - is one of loss, redemption, triumph, defeat and the testing of one’s character in such situations. If it were published now it would probably be accused of being filled with cliches and unrealistic dialogue. Yet, those are defining characteristics of the Romantic and Victorian Periods, hence it was a hit in it’s heyday.

Dickens uses the cities Paris and London and the main characters Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton as a juxtaposition to form the base from which the story lines unfold. Paris is the volatile hornets’ nest before, during and after the French Revolution. London is the peaceful yet sometimes oppressive contradiction. Darnay is the French nobleman who has renounced his position to live modestly in England while Carton is the brilliant yet self-destructive English barrister. 

The story unfolds over the course of many years and minor characters who seemed an oddity at the beginning come back to make all the difference in the world later on. Dickens plots the story like the master story-teller he is known for. What begins in whispers crescendos to clamor. Shifty characters met in dark alleys and noblemen presented regally swirl together then drift apart then again together like leaves tumbling down a river. 

What I enjoyed most was his use of light and darkness to change tones in the story and his use of scripture to anchor the final act. The verse quoted is probably one of a few that the character knows, yet he clings to it with his life. As he marches through the final chapters the quoting of scripture grows louder, stronger, more confident in the character’s voice and it becomes clear what he is planning. I won’t give it away by quoting it. However, Dickens’s use of scripture and application to the character helped me to turn the experience of reading the story from one of entertainment to one of worship. Dickens’s tale became for me a dim reflection of the beautiful thing God did for his people. 

If you are looking for a classic that will entertain and bring you back to a different time and a different world I fully recommend a Tale of Two Cities. Sure, Dickens is wordy and a bit preachy, but that’s part of the experience of reading something from that era. The excitement, triumph and humanity of his story is what is timeless. This should definitely be on your list of books to read before you die.