A review by angelayoung
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Many people know the first and last lines of this classic: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ... and ... It is a far far better thing that I do ... . But I had no idea how funny Dickens could be. He's an acute observer of human nature, his readers know this, but his humour-in-observation was a revelation. For instance, at the trial of Charles Darnay, near the beginning, the Attorney-General informs the jury that the prisoner before them, Though young in years, was old in the treasonable practices which claimed the forfeit of his life. Many instances of the prisoner's treasonable practices are noted, including: That ... the prisoner had ... been in the habit of passing and repassing between France and England on secret business of which he could give no honest account.

But then, according to the Attorney-General, the person testifying against Darnay can show proof that: 

The prisoner [was] already engaged in these pernicious missions within a few weeks before the date of the very first action fought between the British troops and the Americans. That, for these reasons the jury, being a loyal jury (as he [the AG] knew they were), and being a responsible jury (as they knew they were), must positively find the prisoner guilty, and make an end of him, whether they liked it or not. That they never could lay their heads upon their pillows; that they never could tolerate the idea of their wives laying their heads upon their pillows; that they could never endure the notion of their children laying their heads upon their pillows; in short, that there never more could be, for them or theirs, any laying of heads upon pillows at all, unless the prisoner's head was taken off.