Khoury, Lorees 

December 14, 2016 

English, Period 4

A Tale of Two Cities 

Charles Dickens  

Historical fiction 

372 pages 

no award  

                                

             The novel, A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens takes place before and during the French Revolution. 1775, Mr. Jarvis Lorry is traveling to Dover, England to meet young Lucie Manette. 

Mr. Lorry soon tells her that she isn't an orphan and that her father is alive so he traveled to Paris with her to meet her father, who, recently, has been released from the Bastille, a French prison. Doctor Manette is living in the Defarges' wine-shop and has lost his reason, or state of mind, but eventually regains it when he sees his daughter and he gets transported back to London. Five years later, Charles Darnay is tried in London of treason for giving English secrets to the French and the Americans. The dramatic appearance of Sydney Carton who uncannily looks him,  precludes positive identification which allows Darnay to be charged not guilty. Now Darnay, Mr. Carton, and Mr. Stryver fall in love with Lucie, who was a tearful, and an unwilling witness for the prosecution. They all make an attempt to woo her, and she eventually favors Charles Darnay and marries him, Carton knowing Lucie won't return his love, he would do anything for her or for anyone she loves. Darnay hinted to Doctor Manette of his secret identity and reveals to him on the morning of wedding that he is a French nobleman who renounced his title. John Barsad drops into the Defarges' wine-shop to gather evidence of them being revolutionaries or not. They reveal nothing but, Madame Defarge is knitting a list of whom other revolutionaries and her intend to kill. Doctor Manette, Miss Pross - a non governess to Lucie- Lucie and her small child, Little Lucie follow Darnay to Paris, here the Doctor uses his power among the revolutionaries as a former prisoner to secure Darnay's release. Once again Darnay is denounced by the Defarges and is brought back to prison and is sentenced to death. Carton also traveled to Paris because of the sefless love Lucie has inspired in him. He comes to the solution to sacrifice himself to save the life of her husband. Forcing the of John Basard for having recognizing him as Solomon Pross the brother of Miss Pross and Carton also overhears the Defarges 

speaking of a plan to kill Lucie and her child. Carton arranged for the Manettes to leave immediately uses his influence on Barsad to get into Darnay's cell. He drugged Darnay and exchanged places with him while having Basard carry Darnay out from the prison and to safety. Madame Defarge comes to arrest Lucie but the Mantes have already fled to safety but is instead confronted by a protective Miss 

Pross. Madame Defarge accidentally shoots herself and made Miss Pross permanently deaf. Carton dies in Darnay's place, satiated with the knowledge of his good deed. 

       A Tale of Two Cities is a amazing book. I've read books where they talk about this book and it honestly has a meaning to it that relates to the other books I read. The fact that Sydney Carton a lazy alcoholic just waiting for death met and fell in love with Lucie. The book had unrequited love Carton loved Lucie even though she didn't return the feelings but he was willing to do anything for her because of selfless love and that being able to do that is just unbelievable. Instead of letting Darnay die Carton gave his life away just so Lucie could be happy. "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." Were Carton's last words, knowing with the knowledge that he did a good deed to make Lucie happy.In the beginning of the book it says ,"It was the best of, it was the worst of times," it seems the best in the beginning but later on classic love, revenge, and resurrection come in that keep you wanting more. I would recommend this book to serious readers, people who genuinely love reading should read the classics, this is one. Or those who love Historical Fiction.