jenniferlee Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 What an amazing book. A few of the plot "coincidences" were a little hard to swallow, but the story, the language, the heart - I just could not put it down! I would love for my dh to read it, but I know he just won't. So I was thinking movie version. We've watched two other dickens novels dramatized and loved both of them. (little dorrit and bleak house). Is there a good version of this one? I'd hate to be horribly disappointed. Thanks! And read this book if you haven't! Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I love that book, too! There is a BBC version that's good; Charles/Sidney has really long hair in it. I was in a community theatre production of TOTC earlier this year, and loved every minute of it! Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I remember reading it in high school and loving it. I'll have to read it again some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 LOVE that book. I think it's Dickens' strongest book. Can't help with a movie rec, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 You're a better woman than I. I tried reading it when I was all grown up, figuring it would be different since I was reading it because I wanted to not because I had to. No. I just wanted to poke my eye out with a burning stick. Maybe someday I'll try it again...or not... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 It took me 3 tries to get past the first 50 pages. Then I read it all the way through. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 You're a better woman than I. I tried reading it when I was all grown up, figuring it would be different since I was reading it because I wanted to not because I had to. No. I just wanted to poke my eye out with a burning stick. Maybe someday I'll try it again...or not... I hear ya, sister. One of my dds LOVES this book. I read it and and think that it could have been edited down to about 125 pages. Dickens just goes on and on and on. Makes me nuts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenniferlee Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 It is hard to get through the first couple of chapters. After that - watch out! And he does get a little crazy with descriptions, but honestly, it's part of what I love. the language is so rich. I just get lost in it, like a big beautiful sunset or something. OK - enough about the book. I need movie recs.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I'm not a fan of Dickens' writing style [ducks from tomatoes], but that story is amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 This version is superb. We LOVED it and are huge Dickens fans. This is one of my dh's favorite books and he really liked this movie and he's quite picky. I call him a movie elitist snob :D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I love that book, it is one of my favorites. You do have to grind your way through the first 30-50 pages but after that it is really good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 There is only one book I dislike more. :tongue_smilie: Wendy, please, please share. :lol: :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 It might surprise some people, but I absolutely loathe (with every fiber of my being) The Great Gatsby. In part I was just severely unlucky and ended up in several college courses where it was required reading (and I read it in junior high and high school). So I'm really DONE with that book. Hmm. I loved Tale of Two Cities but didn't care for Gatsby. I can understand being done with Gatsby - once was enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choirfarm Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 This is my favorite version as well!! I made sure to read the first two chapters of the book out loud to my boys so I could explain in and so they wouldn't give up on the book. Then I let them read the rest themselves. They loved the book as much as I do. I always tell people that are reading it on their own to just skim the first two chapters and to give it 5 chapters before they give up on it. Christine This version is superb. We LOVED it and are huge Dickens fans. This is one of my dh's favorite books and he really liked this movie and he's quite picky. I call him a movie elitist snob :D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Hmm. I loved Tale of Two Cities but didn't care for Gatsby. I can understand being done with Gatsby - once was enough. :iagree:I adore Tale! Detested Gatsby. Everyone got exactly what they deserved in that one. And I rejoiced. There is only one book I hated more than that one..... Anna Karenina. *shudder* I stood up and cheered at the end of that one. Because if anyone deserved to be thrown under a train......:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I absolutely loathe (with every fiber of my being) The Great Gatsby. Wendy, I tried so hard to read this book for pleasure a few years ago. It definitely failed my 10% Rule :lol:. I always tell people that are reading it on their own to just skim the first two chapters and to give it 5 chapters before they give up on it. :iagree: In this case, and in the case of The Dragon Tattoo books, my 10% Rule does not apply. :D There is only one book I hated more than that one..... Anna Karenina. *shudder* I stood up and cheered at the end of that one. Because if anyone deserved to be thrown under a train......:lol: :lol: Diane, I have to say, at first I thought that you were also doing a Wendy and not going to tell us which book you hated :D. Then I scrolled down. I hated Anna Karenina also. I cannot stand Russian literature :tongue_smilie:. Dh read it. I couldn't get very far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deniseibase Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 A few of the plot "coincidences" were a little hard to swallow, but the story, the language, the heart - I just could not put it down! BTW, as far as the 'coincidences' - at that time, the ability to come up with a really crazy coincidence was considered one of the marks of a GOOD storyteller, much like the literary fashion NOW is to avoid such things. The coincidences that we tend to dismiss as unrealistic were often eagerly anticipated by the popular reader of the time. I think if you are going to read much Dickens or anything else from that period, it helps to know that novel reading was rarely a solitary activity like it is now - books were MEANT to be read aloud in the parlor in the evenings. Those horrible paragraph-long descriptive sentences that modern readers tend to slide right over actually can sound pretty good if you read them aloud and orate a little - because that's what the writer probably had in mind in the first place. There's an interesting little books called The Victorians and Their Reading, long out of print, that is all about popular fiction (not literary fiction, although there was less of a difference then) of that time, and she spends the whole first chapter explaining the cultural setting of the Victorian novel - gaslight was JUST becoming available to most, so for the first time, common people were starting to DO things in the evenings rather than just going to bed when it got dark. Add in that publishing had JUST gotten cheap enough that common people could buy cheap editions of books, and there were even cheaper magazines with serialized stories (remember Dickens was originally published in this manner), AND there were public lending libraries (for a small fee). For the first time there was a large audience of Victorian novel readers (or really, novel listeners) who weren't that sophisticated, PLUS when you read aloud the children hear everything too. So just like in the 1940's when pulp paperback fiction came on the scene, there was a huge explosion of books that tended towards the dramatic rather than the literary. Dickens was part of that & in fact was often looked down on as not 'real' literature in his day. Once I read that book & understood a lot of this stuff, I've found those old books a LOT more interesting!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Fascinating! A Tale of Two Cities is one of my favorite books-loved it so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it OP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 It was the best of novels, it was the worse of novels. Hee Hee. I found the first part difficult too, but it is really an interesting Dickens novel - it is actually a little different from most of his novels. I think modern readers judge novel by if they 'enjoy' reading them, which is find if you are reading for pleasure. If you are reading to learn about literature, you have to understand what was being published at the time and see the novel/novelist in the historical/literary context. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 You're a better woman than I. I tried reading it when I was all grown up, figuring it would be different since I was reading it because I wanted to not because I had to. No. I just wanted to poke my eye out with a burning stick. Maybe someday I'll try it again...or not... I had the same experience with The Turning of the Screw. Thought it was just my literary immaturity when I suffered through only part of it in highschool... Nope, Henry James is every bit as insufferable as an adult. It's a shame, really; the plot summary and Cliffs Notes make it seem like a really neat story. I may have to give TOTC another go, though. Sorry, OP, for the hijack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 It might surprise some people, but I absolutely loathe (with every fiber of my being) The Great Gatsby. In part I was just severely unlucky and ended up in several college courses where it was required reading (and I read it in junior high and high school). So I'm really DONE with that book. poor girl! :lol: at least gatsby is a fast read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Thank you! I will have to take a look. I too am a huge Dicken's fan. I read most of his better known works as a teen and loved them. Dawn This version is superb. We LOVED it and are huge Dickens fans. This is one of my dh's favorite books and he really liked this movie and he's quite picky. I call him a movie elitist snob :D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeannpal Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 This version is superb. We LOVED it and are huge Dickens fans. This is one of my dh's favorite books and he really liked this movie and he's quite picky. I call him a movie elitist snob :D. I agree that this movie is awesome! Dickens is my favorite author, and Tale of Two Cities is one of the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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