Glowing - and not so glowing, Reviews
BOOK REVIEW: A TALE OF TWO CITIES BY CHARLES DICKENS By Emily Chand
I enjoyed this review because it reflected many of my same views on the novel. The review discusses how it is, at first, a hard book to get into. It is slow to start and can be confusing. The review goes on to discuss the plot and how it interested the reader throughout. The review ends with stating what people would like and would not like the novel. Ending with a joke Chand says "You may not want to read this book if you think Madame Defarge may just ruin your love of knitting."
I enjoyed this review because it reflected many of my same views on the novel. The review discusses how it is, at first, a hard book to get into. It is slow to start and can be confusing. The review goes on to discuss the plot and how it interested the reader throughout. The review ends with stating what people would like and would not like the novel. Ending with a joke Chand says "You may not want to read this book if you think Madame Defarge may just ruin your love of knitting."
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Review (1935 Film)
I personally have never seen this movie, but I think I'd like to. 86% of viewers liked it, and it received a 100% on the tomatometer! The cinematography, characters, lighting, etc. were said to be phenomenal. Director Jack Conway is said to have epitomized the perfect adaptation of the novel.
I personally have never seen this movie, but I think I'd like to. 86% of viewers liked it, and it received a 100% on the tomatometer! The cinematography, characters, lighting, etc. were said to be phenomenal. Director Jack Conway is said to have epitomized the perfect adaptation of the novel.
New York Times Movie Review (1958 Film)
This review is quite the contrast from the 1935 Rotten Tomatoes review. The first film was a great adaptation; however, this adaptation was lacking in a lot of departments. The story is based in the French Revolution, and this adaptation lacks...a revolution. There isn't much blood, which is strange because it's one of the bloodiest wars. The stories of Sydney Carton, the Marquis St. Evremonde, and Madame Defarge are largely intact. It is lacking in history; however, cast members such as Cecil Parker gave deep performances.
Living on Literary Lane by Elizabeth Rose
I appreciated this glowing review of Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities because immediately, Ms. Rose discounts all the rumors about whether or not Charles Dickens wrote the full book. She, like myself, was enraptured and enamored by Dickens appropriate use of highfalutin vocabulary. He certainly "knows how to quicken your pulse", (Rose) in the words of Ms. Rose, and from his use of language and ability to paint the setting flawlessly, the reader can immerse themselves absolutely into the time period. The only fault she finds in Dickens' novel is with the static character, Lucie Manette. Ms. Rose finds Lucie to be an uninspiring, vapid female character created by the misogynist Dickens. However, like myself, Ms. Rose found the book to be a well-written classic.
This review is quite the contrast from the 1935 Rotten Tomatoes review. The first film was a great adaptation; however, this adaptation was lacking in a lot of departments. The story is based in the French Revolution, and this adaptation lacks...a revolution. There isn't much blood, which is strange because it's one of the bloodiest wars. The stories of Sydney Carton, the Marquis St. Evremonde, and Madame Defarge are largely intact. It is lacking in history; however, cast members such as Cecil Parker gave deep performances.
Living on Literary Lane by Elizabeth Rose
I appreciated this glowing review of Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities because immediately, Ms. Rose discounts all the rumors about whether or not Charles Dickens wrote the full book. She, like myself, was enraptured and enamored by Dickens appropriate use of highfalutin vocabulary. He certainly "knows how to quicken your pulse", (Rose) in the words of Ms. Rose, and from his use of language and ability to paint the setting flawlessly, the reader can immerse themselves absolutely into the time period. The only fault she finds in Dickens' novel is with the static character, Lucie Manette. Ms. Rose finds Lucie to be an uninspiring, vapid female character created by the misogynist Dickens. However, like myself, Ms. Rose found the book to be a well-written classic.