2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

Pages: 489 pages

Length: 1 month (May)

Participants: Beth, Rachael

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

Here are some questions to help get the conversation started! Feel free to look up discussion questions specific to this book or come up with your own. Just make sure any questions that contain spoilers are under spoiler tags.
Discussion questions are not required but may be a fun way to talk about the book and get to know each other!

Prior to starting:
What prompted you to join this buddy read?
Have you read this author before? What do you think of their other books?

Mid-read:
What character or ideas do you relate to the most and why?
Do you have any favorite quotes or scenes?

After reading:
What was enjoyable or not-so-enjoyable about this book?
Did this book change your perception about anything, either within the book (character development) or in real life?

I am about to start reading this. I joined in with this buddy read because it's been on my TBR for ages. I have read a couple of other Dickens books and liked them even if they were a bit wordy.

This is one of my favourite books by Dickens, at least it became that once I finished the entire book, but I can't give any spoilers.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" < I think everyone knows this first line. I actually don't know much more about this book so I'm quite enjoying going into it blind so to speak. I've already read a few chapters

I'm planning to start this next week. I have a bunch of library books due I need to finish first!

Starting today! I'm using a digital copy and an audiobook narrated by Simon Vance.

I've watched the 1935 classic film version starring Ronald Coleman multiple times (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027075/); it is one of my favorites. This is the first time I'll be reading the book.

Finished today. I have to say, I didn't enjoy the book nearly as much as I enjoyed the movie. Maybe the movie is just too imprinted on my brain, but I thought the screenplay was a much stronger story (for example, there were fewer overly long speeches). Also, Ronald Coleman as both Carlton and Darnay is so so good. And the woman who plays Miss Priss is *chef's kiss*.

Certainly the opening and closing sentences must be some of the most known passages in English literature!

Carlton is an amazing character.

I'm very glad I read this; it definitely been on my radar for a very long time.

Beth wrote: "Finished today. I have to say, I didn't enjoy the book nearly as much as I enjoyed the movie. Maybe the movie is just too imprinted on my brain, but I thought the screenplay was a much stronger sto..."

That's too bad. I'm glad I hadn't seen the film before reading it, because the ending is a huge spoiler.