The setting was the French Revolution which is a terrible time in their history
584470
THe first few paragraphs were memorable. For the most part, though, I struggle to keep up with the story. I needed "cliff notes" to help me understand the story. The setting was the French Revolution which is a terrible time in their history, and Dickens captured this tragic time well as he developed the characters of Lucie Manette and Charles Darnay.
923519
If you are interested in the French revolution, this is a good book to read.
3703540
A fascinating story about a terrible period of history, and the complicated interplay of German and French lives!
A must read!
282269
The first book in the series was interesting. But with the second I find the permanent parallels to the french revolution intensely irritating; the first book was apparently intended as Napoleon in Egypt (but it was unobtrusive), here we have the french revolution, the storm of the Bastille, the
Estates-General, the Women's March on Versailles, the committee of public safety. He even names one character Danton. I wonder why the author does it; to me it feels like a game the author plays: how much french revolution parallels can he force into this book. I do not like this game, it makes for bad storytelling.
2962975
This historical novel with  detail to 18th century events of revolution and turmoil, set in England at the start of the French Revolution , 1789. The story unfolds in a first person, confessional mode ( which I do not care for) , told by an older Henrietta looking back,which sounded contrived and failed to put me on Henrietta's side. She being an orphan, the niece of Earl and Countess of Stavourley in England and  a lesser person in the household, she hopes for a marriage to a vicar or resign to be a companion to her dazzling, spoiled, daring, cousin Lady Catherine. This story line sounds so familiar?  Discord arises when Hetty falls in love with Lord Allenham, who is to marry Lady Catherine. She learns the truth of her parentage and when Lady Catherine dies she is suspected of murder. To top it all off ( you thought you have troubles) her father is arranged a marriage with a unattractive, wimpy, opportunist, vicar whom Hetty detests. She runs away . She is in for trouble when she runs into the world being too sweet, too trusting, and innocent. I wanted to shake some sense into her .Some of her friends feel the same way and try to warn her. She makes rash and reckless decisions that predictably bring disaster upon her. I found her whiny and too innocent she was responsible for her own misery. She chases after Alleham & is with him long enough to get pregnant. This Allenham is a philosophical dreamer who cannot marry her for financial reasons. Really? He is a Baron after all.  He disappears frequently with no explanation. I had this nagging suspicion that he was not going to be there for Henrietta. I couldn't see what she saw in him, ditching her when she desperately needed him. She follows him to London and gets roped into the courtesan life styles with two different "keepers". She ends up being an actress in School for Scandal. I am not sure she truly ended up in control of her life, the last I peeked in she was with that cad Allenham. I did love the cover art. I love cover art.
165525
I knew little of Napoleon III, or his family life, or the disastrous war in 1870 which ended in abject defeat, his capture by Bismarck and
the end of his reign in the Franco-Prussian War. What I did not realize is that the War started over the flimsiests of pretexts due to
the vacant Spanish throne, and Prussia's failure to re-assure the French that no Prussian would ever accept the Spanish throne.
If there ever was a poor excuse for a War , this was it, and France deserved to lose. Oddly, Napoleon III was not the hawkish
emperor that history has portrayed. He resisted War , but it was the French people themselves who demanded it. France gambled
and lost, and the world was shocked by the outcome.

Unfortunately, for Napoleon III, he was not the battlefield maven like his Uncle Napoleon I, and his generals were foolish and
prone to make one disastrous blunder after another, and handed victory after victory to the better prepared Prussians.

  For a view of the 18 year reign of Napoleon III, his illustriouis wife, and their son who spent the rest of his years to
personally overcome the shame of 1870,  Theo Anderson captures the times and the characters exceedingly well.
3951223
Historic event mixed with fiction which tells the story about orphans and paupers tough life in tough times. Though the writing is good I would have preferred this story in about a thousand words I was not in the mood for this cold and exhausting event and I am so sad about the horrid treatment of others here in the US  it left me feeling a sense of disgust and despair. I need to do something positive and hopeful before attempting sleep
150376
This book contains three novellas set in 14th century France. The first is about how Christine de Pizan, a major woman writer in the Middle Ages, broke tradition to become a writer. This novella was why I bought the book, and I wish the author's postscript had told how much she made up and how much was documented in old records.

The second tale is a dark one about a doctor who cannot shed his grief and guilt for some accidental deaths.

Ending the anthology is a Rube Goldbergesque, sometimes comic tale of several people involved in complex ways in a paper mill and with each other.

If you like reading about Medieval France, I think you would enjoy this book.
1075827
A depressing account of life during the turn of the century, in all it's gory detail of union bosses and abused labor. It's the sort of story you read if you are trying to understand how certain types of ideas could become popular enough to move the needle on political thought.

Poor immigrant Jurgis continues chasing the illusive American dream.  Each time, he gets close to achieving a stable happy life, fate deals him a nasty blow.

What is probably overlooked in this book, but an intriguingly well woven theme is the plight of women at the turn of the century. I've actually not heard of The Jungle being referred to as feminist literature, but clearly Sinclair is influenced by the movement of the time.  The terrible economic situations, the systemic pressures and inability to be self-sustaining depicted by Sinclair can be described as nothing short of brilliantly executed.
3610921
I read this as a primer for the French Revolution.  I found the book to be a bit dull but very informative.
3304050
NOTE:  I received a free review copy of this book from the author.

This mystery novel with historical undertones centers around husband and wife Jim and Eve Crenshaw.  The Crenshaws, who live on a farm in Michigan, decide to attend an "Antiques Roadshow"-like event in nearby Detroit.  Jim has something that his great, great grandfather brought back from World War I, and he is hoping to get it appraised.  Much to the shock of the couple, the item appears to be a priceless piece of French history.  This leads Jim and Eve on an adventure which takes them first to Montreal, Canada and then to Paris, France.  Eventually, their lives become threatened as they come to realize that they have gotten involved in something much larger.

I found the plot of this book intriguing, but the actual reading was rather plodding.  The first issue I had was that early in the novel, the reader is forced to shift between three different time frames:  the present time of the Crenshaws, the time of the French Revolution, and World War I.  This makes for a disjointed, choppy start to the book.  Secondly, author Gaudreau has a habit of sharing long passages of narrative information with the reader--e.g., explaining French history--that don't specifically revolve around the characters, which I found tedious.  He also used extremely colloquial dialogue between Jim and Eve; I believe that he was trying to capture how a husband and wife speak to each other, but it just did not read well, especially if the reader is apparently supposed to accept this couple as extraordinarily intelligent and competent.  Finally, I admit that I am easily turned off by editing errors, and I found many here, particularly misused apostrophes.

This novel might be worth a read for someone who is particularly interested in French history, particularly from the period of the Revolution.  But true mystery lovers may find that the "mystery" is fairly obvious early on and that a little too much suspension of belief is needed to fully enjoy this book.
46832
Petrograd, the city of trouble...
By merial Buchanan

This book begins as a lively account of a vital part of history, but it degenerates into a vicious, scurrilous attack on the Bolshevik Revolution and on the Russian people. This account is the source for much of the recent book called "Caught in the Revolution" by Helen Rappaport. So the vilifying of the Russian Revolution continues unabated from generation to generation.

This is an interesting account of the tense, eventful months leading to the Revolution. The author was the young daughter of the British ambassador, an official whose chief duty was to keep Russia in a war that the Tzar never wanted and which he entered only to please England and America.

As the war became a disaster for Russia, the author witnessed many of the harrowing scenes in St. Petersburg, often viewing them from the windows of the Embassy facing the river and bridges where so many of the most important events were  played out.

It is almost amusing to see her change of attitude as events unfolded. The Russian soldiers, the wounded in the hospital, the crowds on the street where public speakers held forth -- to her, all were upstanding and sympathetic depending on their attitude toward Bolshevism. If they favored Bolshevism, she calls them surly and disreputable.

The author speaks of the Russian masses in the same way that foreigners always have. In her eyes, they were almost simple-minded -- admirable when they were subservient, docile, and humble, but savage when they wanted freedom from the iron grip of tyranny and capitalism.

When they fought the Germans, she acknowledges that they fought bravely even though they lacked every essential for fighting, but when they were thrown back by the enemy and flooded into St. Petersburg, in her eyes they became slovenly, lazy, dirty.

The author cannot find vitriol enough to satisfy her hatred of the revolution and its people. I think I have never read such venomous language used about any other revolution, about any other people seeking to be free.

Following the French Revolution, everybody grew to love the French. But a century after the Russian Revolution, one dare not voice a favorable word about its heroes.  Of course, France became a capitalist paradise, so all's well with the world.

This book is well worth reading. It demonstrates how diplomats managed, though with difficulty and with the help of many servants, to keep up a privileged existence in a city in the grip of dire circumstances, a city torn apart by events of world-shaking consequence.

It also reveals how the moneyed classes regard the strata below them, the people that have no savings, no estates, no superior education, no foreign tours, no wealthy connections.

In short, it demonstrates first-hand, though inadvertently, why the Russian Revolution was an historic necessity.

This book requires patience because there are so many typographical errors, many more than I have ever found before. Because of this, I could only give it four stars. But  otherwise, the writing flows easily and interestingly.
2785530
Set during the French Revolution "A Tale of Two Cities" is a story told through the perspective of different groups of individuals caught in the turmoil and violence of the "Reign of Terror". Having been imprisoned in the Bastille for the last 18 years, Doctor Mannete is at last reunited with his 17 year old daughter, Lucie, who helps her father to recuperate from his fragile state of mind. Five years after returning to London, Doctor Mannete and his daughter get acquainted with Sidney Carton, a lawyer of  little repute, and Charles Darnay who later becomes his son-in-law. In a twisted turn of events Doctor Mannete along with his daughter are forced to return to France, a place, Dr. Mannete never thought he would return, where they all are sucked into the unrest and violence prevalent during that time in France.

Before reading this book the only thing I knew about the French Revolution was from my History book and the "Reign of Terror" was described only briefly in it. French Revolution was a time when all the citizens of the France were supposed to free and equal. Instead, it turned out to be a time which was dominated by death and violence. This is what was depicted by the book. While the book mostly deals with the ruthlessness of the common people of France during that time, it does not give just a one-sided view. No matter how much I tried I couldn't actually hate the Defarges though they were at times compassion-less. After knowing their stories I too sometimes wonder,  what would I have done if I was in their place. The "Reign of Terror" was born from the accumulated anger of the French people who had been suffering for years under the oppression of higher classes.

Though the book can get a bit boring and confusing at first but as more and more facts are revealed the story gets both interesting and exciting. What really makes this book one of my favourites would be its shocking and unexpected ending. My favourite characters would be Sidney Carter and Madame Defarge. Carter though a creditable lawyer has little or no respect among his fellow collegues. Even though he is thought to be selfish and useless, the sacrifices he makes for his love, Lucie, shows a nature quite contrary to the popular assumptions about him. Madame Defarge is quite the opposite of the other female lead of the book, Lucie, who is frail and weak. She is the driving force behind her husband and her pain of losing a son makes her stronger. Her nature is a queer mixture of caring and cruel.

A Tale Of Two is one of those books which could be read again and again. This book does not only have a good story, it is accompanied by excellent writing by the author which enables the reader to connect to the story and the characters. This is Dickens at his best!

Favourite Quotes:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the period was far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

"A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be profound secret and mystery to every other."

"Death may beget life, but oppression can beget nothing other than itself."

Overall:
A beautiful, touching and memorable tale of love, sacrifice and ruthlessness of people during the French Revolution

Recommended?
Yes, to all those  love Charles Dickens and to those who are fascinated by the French Revolution.
451629
I have mixed feelings about this book.  It's set some time in the future, the planet has had major changes due to climate change, there was a large upheaval and collapse of modern society, at the time of the book people have reached some stability.  It makes sense if you don't think about it too much, but really the postulated resultant organization of people doesn't make sense.  It's set in the former USA, most people live unorganized, they're very poor, very little in the way of material goods, medical care, etc. Some lucky few live in towns where they produce something valuable, the narrator's town produces fish. Then there are the Charter people, who are fabulously wealthy, they basically live like today's upper class.  There's no security or military enforcing this order, everyone just accepts it.  The poor masses never come and try to take food from the rich, they aren't supposed to come to those towns, so they just starve.

The language is beautiful.  The travels and travails of the protagonist are interesting and dramatic enough to make for a good read.  As for the end of the tale, I suppose the author was going for poignant, but I found it unsatisfying.
2267804
Novel by Charles Dickens, published both serially and in book form in 1859. The story is set in the late 18th century against the background of the French Revolution. Although Dickens borrowed from Thomas Carlyle's history, The French Revolution, for his sprawling tale of London and revolutionary Paris, the novel offers more drama than accuracy. The scenes of large-scale mob violence are especially vivid, if superficial in historical understanding. The complex plot involves Sydney Carton's sacrifice of his own life on behalf of his friends Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette. While political events drive the story, Dickens takes a decidedly antipolitical tone, lambasting both aristocratic tyranny and revolutionary excess--the latter memorably caricatured in Madame Defarge, who knits beside the guillotine. The book is perhaps best known for its opening lines, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," and for Carton's last speech, in which he says of his replacing Darnay in a prison
876059
A great classic story with historic background of the French Revolution. The author condemns equally the bloodthirsty Reign of Terror and the callous cruelty of the nobility that engendered it, combining suspense with both humor and pathos. The writing style of the 18th century and of Charles Sickens is verbose and to the modern reader cumbersome. For this reason I ordered the audio accompaniment which was excellent through most of the book, a mature male reader who made the pages come alive with his expressive rendition of each character. Inexplicably, near the end his rendition was replaced by a lifeless female voice. Very disappointing, and I will not be buying any more audio.
2358904
There are lots of errors about life in Paris during the war and this story is not believable in the least.