Catching up from being out of the country for three weeks, I haven't been able to do much reading in the last few days. And the Belarus schedule itself was so intense that I wasn't able to spend much time reading there either. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I did finish Richard Carvel somewhere over the Atlantic. And because, even when I'm exhausted I cannot sleep on airplanes, I immediately started a small paperback copy of A Tale of Two Cities I had brought along. That I did manage to finish a few days later.
Now, I've read this particular Charles Dickens book at least a couple of times previously and I again liked it very much this time around. However, I should probably admit that, unlike many of Dickens' fans, I do not place A Tale of Two Cities among my very favorites. It is a grand novel in many ways and I'm aware that Dickens himself considered it one of his finest works. Still, I can't shake off what I believe are a couple of real weaknesses in the novel.
1) I find the author's "graciousness" in his interpretation of the French Revolution surprisingly misinformed. Yes, Dickens gives us the remarkable villainess Madame LeFarge in this novel, but I find his general treatment of the motives and "ideals" of the Revolution much too sympathetic. Studying the Revolution as a historian and then evaluating its ethos as a Christian, I believe the French Revolution to be one of the most perverse, most counter-productive political movements in history. Dickens doesn't praise the Revolution, by any means, and yet he fails to capture its envy, its hatred of Christianity, and its sheerly vile lust for blood.
2) Also, I find myself almost unmoved even by the novel's famous climax (Sydney Carton's kindness towards the young girl and his final act of brave sacrifice -- "It is a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done before.") Of course, that's a powerful scene and it makes a effective close to the dramatic tension Dickens has created. But, after a whole life of dissipation and shallow self-centeredness, even Carton's performance at the guillotine doesn't quite win my admiration.
Therefore, when all is counted, I accept A Tale of Two Cities as a very, very good novel. But I find Bleak House, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations much more my cup of Dickens tea!
