Tale of Two Cities Update #3

(This is a part of the Tale of Two Cities  readalong that is hosted by An Armchair by the Sea!)

I actually finished The Tale of Two Cities on Monday, and haven't gotten around to writing about it until now.

Overall, I really did like the book. It was a fantastic story, full of suspense and twists, and ultimately every question was answered by the last page.
I don't know how Dickens did it, but every single one of the many story lines and mysteries ended up connected somehow to the main plot, and neatly tied up eventually.
Goodness, it was fantastic!

My favorite part - by far - was Madame Defarge's face off with Miss Pross. This scene is so serious, so threatening, and results in death - and yet, somehow, it has a certain tiny hint of comedy. Neither woman understands the other, each one insults the other in her own tongue:

"You might, from your appearance, be the wife of Lucifer," said Miss Pross, in her breathing. "Nevertheless, you shall not get the better of me. I am an Englishwoman...."

"Woman imbecile and pig-like!" said Madame Defarge, frowning. "I take no answer from you..."

:-)

Carton! He finally found a purpose, and committed the ultimate sacrifice. My heart went out to him.

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."

He, to me, is more of a hero than Darnay. Yes, Darnay is great and all, but Carton is the one who goes through the spectacular change through the course of the book. (Note: Lucie never does. She's rather flat, it seems to me.) And Carton goes through his plan with such a calm demeanor, never flinching or hesitating (at least not outwardly). He is quite the unexpected hero, in my opinion.

Oh well, this post is rather short, but that sums it up. Tale of Two Cities was a great read, and I'm glad to add another Dickens book to my completed-books list alongside Great Expectations!

~Sophia

Oh and if you're interested, here are my first three posts from the readalong:
The Difficulty of Dickens (intro post)
Update #1
Update #2