“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.”― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
The opening sentence of this book is one of the most well known in history, “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.” With such an auspicious beginning, it is no wonder it went on to become one of the best selling novels of all time.
This story, set during the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, is one of tragedy, love, sacrifice, and redemption, It revolves around a French physician, Dr. Manette who was sentenced to 18 years in prison and his daughter, Lucie; Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a depressed and cynical English barrister. Their lives are intertwined by love and friendship that culminate in an ultimate sacrifice.
A Tale of Two Cities is a powerful and beautiful novel whose timeless themes remain relevant today.
Content Advisory: Violence, death, sexual assault, murder