madameblogalot

I just finished reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I had never read this book before, and probably never would have, except that my fifteen year old son read it recently and told me I just had to read it! Well, what good mom could deny that request?

It took me some time to get into the story, and all the way through the book I thought Mr. Dickens a bit too wordy. But I continued, with my son’s encouragement. He assured me it was a good story, one that I was going to appreciate in the end.

I must say that he was right. My son made sure I was “getting” the story by explaining things as I read through the book. The imagery of blood and wine were very strong through the whole story. I was surprised by the graphic nature of the book, for its age. But then, it was a time filled with graphic images. The sacrifice at the end of the story was a surprise for me. One line at the end also caught me and reminded me of Animal Farm (another book my son read this year.) The line alluded to the fact that the oppressed had now become a new kind of oppressor, and I think this falls right in line with the end of Animal Farm, where you cannot tell who is a Man and who is a Pig. I have to say that I do like the story of Two Cities, and think that it could obviously serve as a story of more than just two cities. It is a lesson and warning to all that we need to be aware as we live through the best of times and the worst of times.