"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens: The French Revolution wasn't a real good time. After years of abuse and neglect, the French peasants and working class rose up to smite the aristocracy, filling the streets with their noble blood. Thousands of heads literally rolled courtesy of the dreaded guillotine, as anyone accused of hindering the republic paid with their lives. Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death! Which, oddly enough, was also the motto of my kindergarten class. We were very progressive. Although, nap time was nerve-racking.

Against this murderous backdrop, Charles Dickens set "A Tale of Two Cities," an epic romance exploring such themes as vengeance, guilt, and redemption. Once again, not unlike my kindergarten class, except we had more graham crackers.

London and Paris are the two cities of the title, with the staid, reserved London serving as a counterpoint to the fiery, passionate Paris. Likewise, the book's two main characters, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, are mirror images of each other, sharing a physical resemblance but owning vastly different lives.

Darnay's real name is actually Evremonde, and he was born a French aristocrat, but he surrendered his nobility and moved to London in protest of the cruel French social system. But due to his ties to France, he is accused of being a spy and is put on trial for his life. It will be a recurring theme. Good ol' Darnay spends more time in court than Judge Wapner.

Carton is an alcoholic, apathetic English lawyer with few pursuits in life beyond getting drunk. It's like I have a twin. But when his associate Mr. Stryver has difficulty defending Darnay, Carton comes to the rescue, using his own physical similarities to Darnay to convince the jury of the accused's possible innocence. Why, they're so much alike, I bet they could even pull the ol' switcheroo if they wanted. Not that I'm saying they will or anything. I mean, why would they want to pull the switcheroo? That's just silly. Forget I ever mentioned it.

Once free, Darnay eventually marries the beautiful Lucie Manette, who fell in love with him while serving as a reluctant witness for the prosecution during the trial. Years earlier, Lucie and Jarvis Lorry, a banker and trusted family friend, traveled to Paris to rescue Lucie's father, Dr. Manette, who was long thought dead only to emerge after 18 years in the Bastille. Nefarious aristocrats abducted and imprisoned the innocent doctor to guard the secret of their hideous crimes. The ordeal drove Dr. Manette insane, and only the love of his daughter is enough to pull him from the abyss. But when the Manettes and Mr. Lorry were sailing back to England, they shared passage with Darnay. That's how they got roped into his trial. And that's how Lucie and Darnay fell in love.

Carton can't help but notice Lucie's compassion during the trial, and the bitter barrister becomes enamored with the innocent lass. But being such a dissipated soul, he can't bring himself to profess his true feelings, longingly watching from a distance as she weds Darnay.

The married couple has a daughter, and, along with Lucie's father, they're all one big happy family until the past comes calling. Darnay's uncle was one of the most evil, vile aristocrats in all of France, so when the revolution came, he was one of the first to hang. Gabelle, the friendly old caretaker who watched the family estate during Darnay's absence, is imprisoned. When Gabelle writes seeking assistance, Darnay secretly leaves his tranquil English life behind to return to France in hopes of helping his troubled friend. The act is as foolish as it is courageous, with Darnay's aristocratic blood all but ensuring his death in the vengeful republic. Unless, of course, Carton can once again save the day.

Dickens originally published "A Tale of Two Cities" in his own magazine called All the Year Round. The serialized installments ran from April to November of 1859. While it has proven to be one of his most famous works, many scholars differ on its literary merit. Personally, I rather liked it. Don't get me wrong, it's far from perfect. I thought some of the characters were stiff, particularly the two leads, but many members of the supporting cast were golden. Dr. Manette is tremendous. He'll stick with ya.

The plot itself is intensely intricate, full of meaningful digressions and surprising twists. Some of the secret revelations seem a bit absurd, straining the very bounds of coincidence and fate, perhaps forcing the many strands into too neat a bow.

For me, the saving grace was the historical component. I learned most of my history through old "Sherman and Mr. Peabody" cartoons, so reading about the shocking horrors of the French Revolution was disturbing to say the least. Dickens used Thomas Carlyle's "The French Revolution" as his main historical source, trying to keep things as accurate as possible. And he does a magnificent job rendering the gruesome details, using gory images of death and depravity to depict justice gone awry.

So, while the more prominent characters are flat and a few of the surprise reveals are somewhat hackneyed and hard to believe, I'm still going to give "A Tale of Two Cities" four shots. What can I say? It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done.

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