A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Book Review

Here are my personal thoughts and feelings on this classic work of historical fiction about the French Revolution. There are some mild spoilers in my discussion, but I tried to keep it as non-specific as possible for everyone. I apologize if the subtitles are difficult to read. I tried various colors and fonts to make the words show up better against my patterned shirt, and this is what worked best. Oh, and apparently I haven't done a mini review of the 1958 adaptation after all. :o Enjoy the video!
Links:
comments on the 1935 adaptation in this video: • My 5 Favorite Ronald C...
comments on the 1980 adaptation in this video: • Video

[@josedeluna2245]

Every Saturday, I always look forward to Jeromes videos! Especially when she reviews books or movies!

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Aw, thanks for that!

[@josedeluna2245]

@@JeromeWeiselberry my pleasure always Jerome!

[@sedumplant]

Perhaps your 8th grade teacher has seen this, your presentation? She would be impressed I am sure, of how you have used your talents! I re-read this a few years ago, after many, many , years from having been required to read it in school! Missed the value all those years ago, but appreciate it today for sure.

[@Wisconsinmom82]

Excellent video! You are quite right in pointing out how very TIMELY this book still is. Required reading in my book!

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Thanks!

[@DavidJLevi]

Brilliant review! I've just finished reading the novel and your understanding of it is perfect. I couldn't agree more with what you say.

[@adelaaire8861]

Having read this book recently (after watching ALL available adaptations )thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this story ! Suffice to say my thoughts while reading this book from :"hmm interesting food for thought" to "ahhh Carton noooooo!".Especially since, for reasons I won't get into I identify heavily with both Sidney Carton and Dr Mannett. P.S. keep up the fantastic work and look forward to whatever you have in store for us next week!😁

[@caomhan84]

Barnes & Noble Classics? Wow...brings back memories. Oh, and don't worry...I come to this channel to get AWAY from the constant barrage of politics. It's like an oasis every saturday night. Nothing but classic movies and books and nostalgia. It's such a stress reliever, honestly!

[@quatermasss]

Over the course of nearly 35 years, I have read all of Chuck Dickens' novels, from Pickwick to Ed Drood. This is hardly an original observation, but I found they read best once you are aware of their serialization breaks. His novels are structured around these monthly (or in the case of Tale of 2 Cites, weekly) installments, rather than the text as a whole.

[@BryanRTerry]

Awesome job Jerome!!! I so glad that you talked yourself into posting this review. I really enjoyed the way you stuck to the facts of the book and provided your thoughts and comments in a way that still fully allows the viewer to keep their own :)

[@marianotorrespico2975]

Thank you, for the usual pithy analyses and substantive opinions; your new video essays always are a pleasure.

[@kurtlarson6678]

Thank you for another thought provoking review. I did not realize over 10,000 people had been executed as a result of the revolution. The desire for revenge only leads to more bloodshed. Thank you for sharing your insights.

[@kaylanash3588]

I have never read the book, but I saw the musical a few months ago. My mom and dad's alma mater, Bob Jones University, staged a production of it. Because of Covid restrictions, there was no live audience. Instead it was taped and put on their website for a limited time only. My dad knows how much I like musicals and told me I had to see it. I enjoyed it well enough. Since I had never read the book I had to scan through wikipedia while I was watching the musical so I could keep up with the plot. It is in no way, shape, or form my favorite musical ever, but I'm glad I saw it because I wouldn't know anything about A Tale of Two Cities otherwise. One interesting thing I discovered while researching the musical is James Barbour (the actor who played Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre the Musical) also played Sydney Carton in the 2008 Broadway cast. I saw clips of his performance on KZbin and it was fascinating to watch.

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Oh, I heard about that! I didn't get to see it, though. I'm not very familiar with that musical. I watched a couple clips of songs from it back around the time that it first came out (maybe some of the same clips you saw), but I never ended up giving the whole thing a listen. I should sometime. Yes, James Barbour is the one most associated with the male lead in both musicals. Pretty funny, right? He joined the cast of A Tale of Two Cities in its pre-Broadway days, and that was only a few years after Jane Eyre closed.

[@wbradleyUtube]

I recently found your channel and have to say that I really enjoy your reviews and the thoughts that you share. You are both easy on the eyes and the ears. Thanks for sharing.

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

I'm so glad you're enjoying the videos! :)

[@MsBackstager]

I luv your excellent review -- you really out did yourself, I also read the book eons ago and must revisit. As well, recently, I youtubed the movie versions -- all wonderful and classic.

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Thanks!

[@somethingwolfish1872]

I am so glad I found your channel. You are so good at covering the classics! Have you ever considered reviewing The Pickwick Papers? It's a hefty read but it is a hilarious and touching story.

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Aw, thanks! I'm glad you're here. :) I read The Pickwick Papers ages ago (possibly before I read A Tale of Two Cities?) and I thought it was great fun. I was actually going through an old quotation journal of mine recently (filmed it, might post it) and there were several quotes from PP. I ought to read it again sometime!

[@rkgrkg]

Excellent comments, especially about the relevancy. And I also love Sydney. Redemption arcs are one of my favourites.

[@jamescarbonaro596]

Love your review and passion on this...:)

[@winterburden]

You do the best book reviews, thank you! 🙆‍♀️

[@sumo0172]

Very impassioned commentary in this video. Bravo! Thank you for sharing.

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Thank you very much!

[@Pb-ij4ip]

It’s been so long since I’ve read this that I confess I’m left with impressions rather than memories. 1) Carton’s early courtroom drama was full on Perry Mason/Matlock (well before T.V. was a thing), and then near the end of the tale he uses the knowledge he gained during that trial to save the “hero” (an amazing twist). 2) Lucie is a formulaic character as regards Dickens. 3) Carton was a good man with no hope. I can’t help but wonder if his final act was “an honorable way out” rather than a sacrifice. He’s still the character I love best. I guess I should read it again and see if my impressions change. Have you read “Lonesome Dove”?

[@jameslichtenberger9789]

Great job! I love the 1980 made for tv version. I’m excited to see the others from earlier.

[@jiinx1048]

Love the channel,keep up the great work😀

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Thank you! :)

[@bartolomeuomacduibheamhnad6855]

Fantastic review of a great book. ~ Thank you Ms Weiselberry ~

[@psychologixselfmastery]

Back when I was a kid in the 1970's and 80's there were always a bunch of Dickens books in the house, along with other works of literature. This was a hango ovoer of an ealrier age when people used to read literature as a hobby. The interesting thing when you read DIckens is that people back in the 19th Century realy had a good vocabulary! Back in the 19th Centiry far less people could read and write but those who could read where relally into it! Of course they had no internet, TV or radio, so if you could read you would read a lot. I feel our literacy level today is far lower than those of the 19th Century!

[@christopherstilley7756]

Alexandre Dumas' entertaining 1845 Le Chevalier de Maison-Rouge ,has plot devices that later turn up in A Tale of Two Cities and The Scarlet Pimpernel..

[@bwk2235]

Like your videos. You should do a comparison the three Pimpernel adaptations.

[@SJHFoto]

"Jerome", I wanted to mention this before, but I've been VERY busy with work and couldn't do much youtube commenting: Have you ever read Ride with Me Napoleonic

[@williamblakehall5566]

I believe the character you call "Stryker" is in fact Stryver. Apart from a passing detail like that -- bravo! You manage the neat trick of an analysis which is simultaneously passionate and measured, and after all these years you successfully renew my interest in Sydney Carton, as well as the prospect of catching Colman or Bogarde in the role. You are doing great work, Rome. Owl be seeing you.

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Did I say Stryker?? Oh wow. I guess I was so preoccupied with getting the French names and terms right that that weird slip happened. Thanks! Glad that didn't ruin the video for you. :)

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

And Stryver is such a perfect name for the character too! My goodness...

[@chalanecasdorphwride8785]

Masterfully done! Thank you! You've got a new subscriber!

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Thank you!

[@oliverhiggs9876]

A great video. I read the book recently and was really taken with it. I noticed you mentioned the scarlet pimpernel film, really enjoyable! Have you read the book?

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

I read it several years ago. I've been meaning to give it another go (I wasn't crazy about it, since it differed so much from my expectations) and then read a couple of the sequels. Hopefully that'll happen this year. :) Thanks!

[@oliverhiggs9876]

@@JeromeWeiselberryahh right that's fair enough. I kind of imagined it as The Shadow or The Batman of its day lol. I've watched the Richard E. Grant series and it was brilliant. So I didn't know whether the book was gonna be on the same level. Thank you for the reply back.

[@scottjo63]

No politics here, just love for a weekly series though...Jerome Weiselberry reads A Tale Of Two Cities. I'd definitely LOVE to listen to that. I'm reading something myself actually. The book, The Sand Pebbles by Richard McKenna. A movie was made from this book, starring Steve McQueen, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen, Richard Attenborough, and Mako in which I have recommended for you to watch. The book, not so much as it does have some, not much, but little "colorful", language. Also there some mechanical stuff as well like how a gunboat runs, the engine, the parts, fixing a problem the engine has etc. Still excellent stuff though if your interested, (you still read and reviewed Moby Dick so...). Thank you for the review. I'm not a teacher but you get an A+ for your video. I'm sure you got an A in school by the way.

[@Navigator87110]

I was hoping for a reading of "Three Men In a Boat" -- she mentioned reading the first few chapters to Mom.

[@Hi-jw7oq]

I was wondering if you’d like to do a countdown of your favorite Hitchcock films? Also did you see wandavision? What were your thoughts?

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Hm, I've considered doing a top 10 Hitchcock list. I'd probably wait until I've reviewed all of the contenders, though, just to be fair, and I've still got a ways to go. No, the last MCU thing I saw was Thor: Ragnarok, so I don't have anything to offer on that topic. :)

[@scottjo63]

@@JeromeWeiselberry good on Wander or rather Wandavision, there are enough reviewers and reactors for that.

[@Hi-jw7oq]

Fair enough. I just figured she might have a different take on it because she watches a lot of classic movies and television. But I think you make a good point

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

@@Hi-jw7oq To clarify, I do keep tabs on what's going on and I even watched some reviews and fanedit/compilation videos. The episodic sitcoms-through-the-decades concept is original and the execution looks good. But since I am so out of touch with the MCU storyline at this point (though I've heard significant spoilers), and I don't really know the characters, that's about all I can offer! If I'd kept up with the franchise, though, I certainly would share my take on it with anyone who cared to listen. :)

[@charliedavidarnott1537]

Thanks for another great book review! How long would you say it takes you to read a book in general? It seems to take me a bit longer than most people I know because my OCD can make it more difficult to concentrate.

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Glad you liked it! It depends. I'm a pretty fast reader, but I don't always make time to read, so it can get stretched out. I finished this one three weeks after starting it, but in that third week I barely touched it for five days and then read the last hundred pages in about thirty-six hours, so... It varies.

[@charliedavidarnott1537]

@@JeromeWeiselberry There doesn't seem enough time to read these days, does there? I used to be able to sit from 2 - 3 am reading a great book when I was a kid. Can't do that anymore now that I'm pushing 30! Haha :)

[@kevinrussell1144]

Good review, but a correction. "A Tale..." was not second (next) to the last of the Dickens novels. He completed both Great Expectations (his greatest) and Our Mutual Friend after A Tale of Two Cities, and left Edwin Drood as a partial.

[@Paladin12572]

And that, I do believe, is the best online book review I have ever watched. Bravo! I have never read this book, for a couple of reasons. I'm not a particularly big fan of Dickens to begin with--other than A CHRISTMAS CAROL, which is one of my all-time favorite tales--and moreover I have somewhat mixed feelings about the French Revolution (in particular my abject horror at the holocaust that was the Terror as well as the inherently anti-religious agenda of many of its instigators) and I didn't know how the author might deal with some of this subject matter. Your review gives me hope that for the most part the novel provides a balanced and suitably sober narrative to what is a chaotic and highly nuanced time of social upheaval. I may or may not ever read the book, and if I do I still don't know what I'll think of it, but I do know your amazing review has at least given me good reason to consider it. God bless you and I will as always look forward to your next review.

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Wow, thank you! This was one of the most challenging book reviews I've done, not just because of the heftiness of the topic but because I was anxious about how my comments would be received, so I greatly appreciate your response. Based on what you say, I do think you might approve of how the French Revolution is handled here, so I'd encourage you, if you have any inkling at all, to give the book a try. Thanks again!

[@glennsmusic]

Great review! I had no idea the story was set in the French revolution. Which movie do you think is closest to the book?

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Thanks! That's tough to say. All three of the ones I've seen were pretty good as far as faithfulness goes, though not perfect.

[@glennsmusic]

@@JeromeWeiselberry I found the Dirk Bogarde version 1958 to watch tonight. There's also two audio books, one at about 5 hours and one at 13 hours.

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

I'm gonna guess the 5 hour one is abridged...

[@glennsmusic]

@@JeromeWeiselberry Just finished the movie. So sad! Still it is a far far better thing I do than I have ever done. It's nice to see such a great movie through without knowing the outcome in advance. Good to see Leo McKern, Christopher Lee and Donald Pleasance in early roles.

[@CharlesHess]

I read it in my early 20s just after I graduated with my BA. A year when I read 22 classics.

[@moonrun2]

Read Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution by Simon Schama. Thanks for this upload.

[@emadhadadi4002]

Why does your videos feels like it's been recorded in the late 90s it's???? Love your channel btw from iran

[@caomhan84]

She's talked about it before...it's just her computer's webcam resolution. I think it adds to the charm and personality of the channel. If she doesn't want to record with the latest 4K HDR, she doesn't have to :)

[@emadhadadi4002]

@@caomhan84 thanks for the info...and yes I agree it's a pretty smart move to film your self like that. That's why it caught my interest the first time i saw her channel

[@caimbus]

I am not a classic story type of guy but we had to read this in school and I enjoyed it.Don't ask me to read it again though LOL!

[@harrymarshall]

,, when you look into the light,, I realise the true blue of your eyes,, as your outfit conjoins with the Delft of your owl,, you appear as a porcelain Staffordshire treasure,, 💎🦉💎 ,, As a light-hearted aside to yr phenomenal review, have you ever seen the episode of 90s UK sitcom Blackadder that mentions the revolution and the scarlet pimpernel,, it's from series 3 or Blackadder the third, as it's called,, episode 3 entitled,,, 'nob and nobility' ,, Also, I wondered if you have ever read the Hitchcockian mystery novel that features references to Jacobean theatre by Thomas Pynchon,, the crying of lot 49 😏 ,, Thank you again for the joy of your company, that you are,, it has indeed been a rare dream 😏💐 x

[@donaldgrappo4526]

Enjoy your reviews and commentary. Articulate, deep, thorough and thought provoking. Yes, there are erie similarities of present goings on in relation to the French revolution. Good vs evil and the evil being on powerful steroids. I hope the present day version can be peaceful. Greed and want of power are dangerous. Blessed that we still have some free speech. Watch out for the creeping thought police.

[@franco426]

Such a great review! She is my top choice for book and movie reviews. I know no politics but on an interesting side note the term "Left wing" and "Right Wing" on the political spectrum come from the French Revolution.

[@guythecat490]

Shakespeare is sim in terms of density. So glad peeps like u are still into classics.

[@harmanx.]

Shakespeer wus da pinnakul uv grate Englush litertur. Yay peeps

[@davidcrowley1951]

Very thoughtful young lady

[@kennethmcdonald9736]

I was shocked by the psychological depth of the book "Crime and Punishment" by Dostoyevsky. I wonder what your reaction is to The Book of Revelation in the bible. The key to unlock it is the Book of Daniel. I think this is the generation it will mostly be fulfilled in. How to Win Friends and Influence people was a stunning book to me too.

[@analysisofscifi6051]

I like to say this I'm also worried about a new Reign of Terror happening and I feel it's a wrong thing to persecute people based on race, religion or whatever but people will come to their senses again history has shown that no matter if it's what stage of history when the nation goes totalitarian it doesn't last for long and in comparison to Greater goodness

[@eimanshmaun]

thanks alot you are best ,,,hi from iraq but live in sweden

[@petermetcalfe6722]

It's amazing how you can talk for so long without a script. I'm a public speaker but I always need a script.

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

Oh, I do have a script! My videos would be borderline incoherent rambles if I didn't prepare what I wanted to say beforehand. I do go off-script every now and then, but I don't stray for too long. I wish I could speak like this extemporaneously. That would save a lot of time!

[@petermetcalfe6722]

@@JeromeWeiselberry You don't look like you're reading and that's what made me think you didn't.

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

I'm actually memorizing chunks of the script as I go. If I'm on camera, I'm not reading. I've predetermined where most of the cuts will be, making manageable sections that I can get through without looking at my notes (though I do have to sneak a glance sometimes). The only time I'm reading is when I switch to voiceover, but my hope is that I sound exactly the same and no one's saying, "Oh, she put her reading voice on!" It can be tedious, especially when I have to go over and over a certain chunk to get a good take, and book reviews are especially tough. That's partly why it took me two hours to film this 32-minute video!

[@petermetcalfe6722]

@@JeromeWeiselberry You do an excellent job of it I must say.

[@JeromeWeiselberry]

@@petermetcalfe6722 Thanks!

[@lastunicorn7533]

I think Dickens would have agreed with you on the French revolution and the reign of terror. It's pretty telling how his sympathies shift dramatically from squarely with the French peasants and downtrodden pre-Revolution to the terrible plight of the aristocracy.

[@Col_Fragg]

I always say, "Where's a man like Robespierre when you need him?"

[@CharlesHess]

Gruesome though it is, he reign of terror did happen for a reason. At this point it should be seen in a sociological context. It could happen again.