Dickensblog

Nice article here by Luanne Austin, who nearly ditched Dickens for good after reading The Old Curiosity Shop twenty years ago, but was won back over by A Tale of Two Cities (note: article contains spoilers):

“Tale” has such
relevance for today, about how corrupt governments can so oppress and
impoverish a people as to drive them to desperate acts of violence.

Dickens does not romanticize the people who led the French
Revolution, though. It is a sordid tale of how the oppressed so often —
personally and politically — become the oppressors.

Against the backdrop of this human misery and murder, the tale of
Sydney Carton shines. He too is oppressed and impoverished, corrupted
in the deepest places of his heart. Unlike the rebels, though, he has
no thirst for vengeance but a hunger for righteousness, restoration and
redemption.

I'm very happy to have been one of those who helped talk Luanne into giving Dickens another try, over at Arts and Faith. Welcome to the world of Dickens fans, Luanne!