Today's Featured Book:
A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens
Genre: Classic
Published: 1859
Page Count: 544 pages
Summary:
Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities portrays a world on fire, split between Paris and London during the brutal and bloody events of the French Revolution. After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille, the aging Dr Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There, two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil lanes of London, they are all drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror and soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine.
“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 epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, 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 so 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.”
THE FRIDAY 56 is hosted by Anne of Head Full of Books. To play, open a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on your e-reader). Find a sentence or two and post them, along with the book title and author. Then link up on Head Full of Books and visit others in the linky.
“It is very high; it is a little difficult. Better to begin slowly.” Thus, Monsieur Defarge, in a stern voice, to Mr. Lorry, as they began ascending the stairs.
“Is he alone?” the latter whispered.
“Alone! God help him, who should be with him!” said the other, in the same low voice.
“Is he always alone, then?”
“Yes.”
“Of his own desire?”
“Of his own necessity. As he was, when I first saw him after they found me and demanded to know if I would take him, and, at my peril be discreet—as he was then, so he is now.”
“He is greatly changed?”
“Changed!”
Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities (pp. 56). Kindle Edition.
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I cannot tell you how many times I've started and stopped reading this book.
This time I'm doing it as a buddy read with two friends, and I requested a couple of books from the library and bought a couple of books to assist me---I can only hope that these things will help me get through this book this time.
If you have read it and loved it, please share. I need all the help I can get.
The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.
April 25-May 1: Do you have enough shelves for all your books?
No.
Let's just leave it at that.
I didn't know this one myself! Found out that it's from The Jungle Book! Somehow missed that in my initial search! Lol.
ReplyDeleteHere's my BBH
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
Thanks, Jessica! I just looked it up. I now vaguely remember that each story in The Jungle Book begins and ends with a poem.
DeleteAnd I just realized this is last week's prompt!
DeleteA Tale of Two Cities is one of my most favorite Dickens book (Great Expectations being the other). The beginning is classic--it is evocative of many periods of history--including, even, the present time.
ReplyDeleteNope. I don't have enough shelves. Who does? And "A Tale of Two Cities" is my fave of the Dickens books so I'm glad you reminded me of that wonderful opening.
ReplyDeleteI remember well when I first read this book as a teenager. It blew me away! I do my reading on Kindle now - no more bookshelf problems.
ReplyDeleteYou may have seen the list of 29 books to read before you die and A Tale of Two Cities is on it. Not sure why this book was the one listed from all of Dickens' works. I am reading an abridged version of David Copperfield right now. Not abridged for kids but for adults so it is still over 500 pages long. I getting so impatient with LONG books. Keeping to your chapter-a-day practice you'll finish this one by summer? Dickens' chapters tend to be so short, I find that often I have to read two chapters to qualify for my 12 pages a day practice I am trying to establish. Some day, I don't know how soon, I will tackle this one with it's fabulous first line!
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of books and bookshelves. Last year I cleaned off my bookshelves and donated a bunch of gently used books to the local library.
ReplyDeleteIs there such a thing as enough bookshelves? I was supposed to read this book in high school but I hated Great Expectations so much I could never bring myself to read more by Dickens. I should give this another try because that is such an amazing first sentence!
ReplyDeleteThere aren't enough bookshelves.
ReplyDeleteI've never been able to finish this one, either. Maybe I need to try again.
I read A Tale of Two Cities when I was a sophomore in high school. I want to say that I loved it, but maybe I'm misremembering and thinking of The Grapes of Wrath. Either way, I've always considered reading it a second time. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteLove the photo, and applaud you giving up so many books. No, I don't have enough bookshelves, which is probably good so that I get rid of what I know I won't read again.