What a book.

This one is a slow burner but the payoff is so well done. I was liking the book but feeling lukewarm towards it until the setup started to payoff. Keep going if you struggle in the beginning and middle.

In the book we get a compare and contrast of both England and France, and in particular focus on the French Revolution. I had just learned a bit about it earlier this year which I think added to the experience. 

In many ways, the story’s end game can be predicted but the execution still left me with multiple surprises and twists that greatly enhanced my experience. It feels like Dickens wanted us know the ending early so that we could be filled with the dread and anticipation that was to come and it paid off with a really chilling, tense, and bittersweet moment.

Madame DeFarge

ranks among one of my favorite villains ever. Ruthless, cold-blooded, and ever-watching. 

Overall, this was my first Dickens and I’m impressed. I’ll probably need to dig into his other works after this fantastic first impression. I highly recommend it