A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

“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.” 

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Emotional roller coaster. This would become one of my all-time favorites. Incredibly strong book that would not leave you indifferent.

This is a love story of so many people. A story of two people who fell in love during dangerous times. It is a story of a lost soul, who found his light through love. It is a story of people who dreamed. They dreamed of better life, and this dream ended as a bloody ocean in which they stuck.

 

“I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. 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.” 

In times when a human’s life costs nothing this man, Sydney Carton, values it the most. His incredible gift to his love makes me wonder why life should be this cruel to someone who is lost. If you are lost it doesn’t mean you should not be found. It makes me sad that no one ever tried to really estimate him. 

“You have been the last dream of my soul.” 

The brilliance of Dickens’ narrating style is radiant. You can literally feel the terror of French Revolution on your skin. It is almost impossible to stay sane when hundreds of people die for nothing every single day. The tension is so high I could barely breathe while reading. I can’t even remember last time when a book gave me such chills. It is amazing. 

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