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Marshmallow reviews A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Marshmallow has been reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens at school and so thought it would be a good idea to review it for the blog. Below are her thoughts on this classic from 1859.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like historical fiction, famous books about the French Revolution, family, and fate, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Set during the years 1775-1792 in London and Paris, this really is a tale of two cities. The book travels between London and Paris, with the French Revolution developing throughout and playing a major role in the storyline.

The book begins with the introduction of both places and the presentation of the plot: Lucie Manette, a seventeen year old French girl living in London, learns from a banker named Mr. Jarvis Lorry that her father Dr. Manette is alive after being imprisoned for eighteen years in the Bastille. She believed him to be dead, but after this shocking revelation, sets out with Mr. Lorry to Paris to find him. They discover that, upon his release, Dr. Manette was taken in by his old servant Monsieur Defarge and his wife Madame Defarge. We learn that Dr. Manette has been driven insane by his time in the Bastille, obsessively making shoes to cope. But Lucie’s love and faithful devotion begins to heal him back to himself. They all travel back to London, and he recovers over the next five years.

Then, in 1780 in London, another character named Charles Darnay is put on trial for treason against England (being a spy). Lucie and her father are called to testify against him. Two witnesses (both English spies) testify against him as well, but Lucie’s pity for Charles begins to sway the jury in his favor. After Sydney Carton, one of Charles’ defense lawyers, points out the striking resemblance between himself and his client, the verdict of not guilty is declared and Charles Darnay and both of his defense lawyers become close family friends of the Manettes and Mr. Lorry.

Sydney Carton is a drunken, unstable man who is subservient to the other defense lawyer. For reasons unknown, he seems to have given up on himself and his potential, wasting away his talents, believing that he is worthless and lacks any ability to be good. The other defense lawyer is Mr. Stryver, an overly-ambitious man whose only goal is furthering his own status in the world.

Mr. Stryver, Carton, and Charles Darnay all begin to fall in love with Lucie, but all in different ways and for different reasons. Mr. Stryver believes that she fulfills his social expectations for a wife and would be beneficial for his life goals, while Carton loves her for being the only person who believes that he has the possibility of good within him (when he himself doesn’t believe so). Mr. Stryver plans to propose, but decides not to after Mr. Lorry (in a very passive-aggressive fashion) tells him that he would be rejected. Carton confesses his love to Lucie (who cares for him in a motherly way), but tells her that he knows she cannot and should not love a man like him who has given up on everything: life, love, himself, and the world; he swears to protect her and everyone she loves when the time comes. But in the end, it is Charles Darnay who wins Lucie’s hand in marriage. He fell for her because of her compassion for him while on trial, her deep love and dedication to her father, and her beauty. After getting her father’s blessing, the two get married.

Charles wants to tell Dr. Manette his real last name before the marriage, but is told by Dr. Manette himself to wait till the wedding day. On that day, Charles in true honesty informs Dr. Manette that he is an Evrémonde, an aristocratic family from France. As a result, Dr. Manette relapses back into his old insanity right after the couple leaves for their honeymoon. Mr. Lorry helps Dr. Manette return to himself before the couple return and the breakdown is kept secret from Lucie.

In 1789, in France, the Defarges lead the famous Storming of the Bastille, and Monsieur Defarge finds a note written by Dr. Manette hidden in his old cell. The French Revolution is becoming increasingly bloody and aristocrats like Marquis St. Evrémonde (Charles’ uncle) are being slaughtered for their past insensitivity and cruelty towards the impoverished. One of the Marquis’ servants is put on trial and sends a letter to Charles (in London), asking for his help. After leaving letters of explanation, Charles secretly leaves his family in London to return to France. He is captured and put on trial, essentially for being an aristocrat, despite the fact that he denounced his family’s immoral behavior and fled from France to London to escape his name Evrémonde.

Mr. Lorry, on business in Paris, unexpectedly meets Lucie and Dr. Manette who came to France right when they read Charles’ letters. Dr. Manette, a former Bastille prisoner and thus a hero of the Revolution, uses his influence to get Charles a trial. But with the revolutionary bloodlust unquenchable, nothing can save Charles from La Guillotine, except for an act of true love.

Marshmallow is reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. — Marshmallow is reading *A Tale of Two Cities* by Charles Dickens.

Marshmallow’s Review: A Tale of Two Cities is an amazing book. It’s really hard to read in the beginning, but after the first couple of chapters, it gets pretty easy to understand. Dickens uses a lot of old language so it is difficult by today’s standards. But I’ve never read a book that has completely changed my view of the world to such an extent.

This book is amazingly written because its plot is touching and exciting, but it also shows the development and the impacts of the French Revolution, a chilling period of human history. Dickens shows us our fragility, through Dr. Manette’s insanity, and the violence that we create when others have wronged us. But Dickens also shows our graces: Lucie’s never-ending compassion, faith, love, kindness, and devotion to others.

I chose to read this book for an English unit, and I’m so glad I did because this book is absolutely beautiful; it is truly a masterpiece. The world the author shows us immerses you as you read and shows you glimmers of a past far behind. However, the past is sometimes the clearest mirror. Throughout this book, the most poignant message I uncovered was this: when destiny mercilessly takes what one loves, those who were hurt can lose their mercy too. This is how the frenzied violence of the French Revolution occurred: the horrific treatment of the lower classes by the elites made the Revolutionaries utterly empty of empathy for the aristocrats when La Guillotine (as they referred to it) descended. The world’s harshness hardens humanity which turns into (perhaps righteous) hatred, something we still see today.

This disturbing reality of human nature is so profoundly portrayed by Dickens that this story is uniquely compelling in a way like no other. A Tale of Two Cities really made me reflect on us and our society as a whole. When we break one another, the broken become capable of breaking others without feeling empathy and perhaps it’s not completely their fault. But if humanity is to become better, if we are to avoid another bloodbath like the French Revolution, if our world is to become brighter and more prosperous for all, we need to learn to fix each other’s humanity, not break one another apart till we become capable of inhumanity. I might just be a bunny, but this book makes it obvious for all.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 110%.

Marshmallow rates A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 110%. — Marshmallow rates *A Tale of Two Cities* by Charles Dickens 110%.

Marshmallow reviews Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman

Today Marshmallow reviews the first volume of Maus: A Survival Tale, Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel first published in 1986. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Marshmallow reviews Maus: A Survivor's Tale - I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman. — Marshmallow reviews *Maus: A Survivor’s Tale – I: My Father Bleeds History* by Art Spiegelman.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, you chose to talk about a classic graphic novel today.

Marshmallow: Yes, we are talking about Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. This is in fact the first of two volumes, and Art Spiegelman published the second volume in 1991.

S: Okay, thanks for that important note. Wikipedia tells us that this is the first graphic novel that won a Pulitzer Prize. So I am glad you have read it and will talk with me about it.

M: I can see why it would get such an important prize. It is a very important book and it has a very important message.

S: Okay, so maybe it is about time to tell our readers what this book is about. They have already seen your photos with it, and they must be wondering.

M: Yes, sure. The book is about the Holocaust, and the imagery in the front cover is basically describing the main metaphorical device used in the story.

S: How so?

M: This is a graphic novel, as we said before, and all characters are animals. There are mice, and those are supposed to be the Jews, and then there are cats. Those are the Nazi Germans. Then there are pigs, who are supposed to be the non-Jewish Poles. And as I said before, the story takes place around the time of the Second World War.

S: I see. When you tell me all this, I am thinking of how sometimes a cat could be playing with a mouse just to have fun and even kill it with no remorse even when it does not need to eat it. I can see how the cat-mouse-pig metaphor could work.

M: Yes. The story is basically about Vladek who is the author’s father, and his experiences before and during the war. Vladek lived in Poland before the war, and when Germany invaded Poland, he and his family continued to live there. For a while they try to survive but eventually they are sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp.

S: That sounds intense!

M: It is. There is also a second story line, which is more or less the present day, or rather around the time this book was first published. The main story is basically the author’s father’s story, and the second story line is about the author as a grownup trying to connect with his father.

Marshmallow is reading Maus: A Survivor's Tale - I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman. — Marshmallow is reading *Maus: A Survivor’s Tale – I: My Father Bleeds History* by Art Spiegelman.

S: Okay, so now we know the main plot lines and so on, but tell me Marshmallow, how was it like reading such a tough story in graphic novel form?

M: I thought it worked really well. It was very easy to visualize things, even though the characters are mice and cats and so on, because they had already been visualized for you. The book and its visual nature show the undeniably horrific nature of the Holocaust. You fully feel the pain of the mice, and knowing that these events actually happened to people, it makes the whole book even more impactful.

S: I wonder if the harshness of the realities the book is depicting can be related to why some people want to ban this book from school libraries. Some people want us to forget and never talk about these historical events, I am not talking about those people. But even those who believe we should teach this history might think that these stories are too hard to share with young people.

M: I understand why you want us to emphasize that the themes and imagery of the book might be disturbing to very young readers. There is violence in the book. But I also think it is very important for young bunnies to know what happened. And this book does a very good job in telling exactly what happened. And maybe ironically, the use of animal characters allows you to end up seeing the humanity of the victims of the Holocaust very clearly.

S: You make a very good point Marshmallow.

M: Thank you. I also wanted to say the book reminded me of Animal Farm a bit because it shows the worst aspects of humanity under the guise of animals. The animal characters allow us to look at ourselves and see how terrible we truly are or can be. Since we are not seeing humans, we can see things more objectively.

S: That makes sense to me, too, Marshmallow. Okay, this is already a pretty long post. Before we wrap things up, can you tell me how you would rate this book?

M: I’d rate it 100%. It is a striking and impactful book. And I recommend it strongly. It is important for bunnies to understand the magnitude and the impact of these events.

S: Okay, thank you Marshmallow. So last words?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates Maus: A Survivor's Tale - I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Maus: A Survivor’s Tale – I: My Father Bleeds History* by Art Spiegelman 100%.

Marshmallow reviews The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Today Marshmallow reviews The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, first published in 1970. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, you always start your book reviews with what you call a quick overview. Can you give us one for this book, too?

Marshmallow: If you want to read about three young black girls growing up after the Great Depression and amidst internalized and externalized racism, then this is the book for you.

S: Okay, I think that is a good start. So tell us a bit more. Who are the three girls?

M: The main character is eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove, and she is a foster sister to the other two girls, Claudia and Frieda MacTeer, who are nine and ten, and live with their parents. Pecola and Claudia are close, and a lot of the book is told from Claudia’s perspective. But we also have flashbacks and so on to events in Pecola’s life that Claudia could not have witnessed.

S: Okay, so tell me more. Why is the title The Bluest Eye?

M: Because Pecola wants to have the bluest eyes in the world. She thinks that she is ugly because a lot of people tell her she is, and she thinks that if she had blue eyes, she would be beautiful too.

S: I see. That must be very hard for a young girl of course.

M: That is not all that is hard in her life though. Her parents are both alive but they are not able to take good care of her. Her father is abusive and violent. Her mother does not support and protect her. The MacTeers on the other hand are a more supportive family for their children and Pecola, too, at least most of the time.

Marshmallow is reading The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. — Marshmallow is reading *The Bluest Eye* by Toni Morrison.

S: I know this book has been banned in some school districts. Do you know why?

M: I think it is mainly because of two very sexually explicit scenes, which are also violent and abusive. And there are other parts where children are sexualized, and so on.

S: Hmm, I can see how those types of scenes would make a lot of people concerned about a book, especially for younger folks. How did you handle them?

M: I think the book is really hard to read, emotionally. When I was reading the book, I had to put it down several times. That is why it took me a really long time to read the book even though it is not very long and the author’s voice is fluid and captivating.

S: And yet you persisted and finished the book.

M: Yes, because I know it is an important book, and I know the author is trying to tell us something important.

S: What do you think she is trying to tell us?

M: I think she is trying to portray the chaos and the evil that results from racism. She says: “I felt compelled to write this mostly because in the 1960s, black male authors published powerful, aggressive, revolutionary fiction or nonfiction, and they had positive racially uplifting rhetoric with them that were stimulating and I thought they would skip over something and thought no one would remember that it wasn’t always beautiful.” So even though black people survived and often thrived despite the terrible oppression of racism they had to face, there were also people who did not survive, who were broken, and Toni Morrison wanted to make sure that we would not forget that.

S: I can see why you persevered Marshmallow. Sometimes we need to read difficult and heart-wrenching text to make sure we do not forget. But from what I am hearing you say, this book is probably not appropriate for young bunnies even though the main characters are young themselves.

M: Yes, definitely. I don’t think Caramel should read it yet for example. But for bunnies who are older and a bit more mature, it might be more appropriate.

S: You have read and reviewed Chains, Forge, and Ashes, the three books of the Seeds of America series, which were also about racism, or maybe more accurately, slavery. I think those books were also hard to read in some ways, but this one seems like it was a lot more challenging.

M: Yes. Possibly because in those books, even though there is a lot of pain and heartbreak, the main characters eventually overcome some of their challenges, and there is some sense of triumph, kind of like the writings Toni Morrison is referring to in the quote above. But in The Bluest Eye, both the life and the identity of Pecola are shattered. She does not survive her challenges. There is no redemption, only pain. Okay, there is some beauty too, in the book; there is solid love and affection, in the lives of Claudia and her family. But what happens to Pecola is traumatizing, and she does not survive the trauma.

S: I get that Marshmallow. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this book. So do you have some last words to say about it?

M: I think this could be a good book to read for bunnies who are willing to face the full ugliness of racism and how it hurts people’s self-worth.

S: Thank you. So let us wrap this up then. What do you want to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow appreciated reading The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, though she thinks that it might be appropriate for only older bunnies. — Marshmallow appreciated reading *The Bluest Eye* by Toni Morrison, though she thinks that it might be appropriate for only older bunnies.

Caramel reviews Homer Price by Robert McCloskey

Today Caramel reviews Homer Price, a book by Robert McCloskey first published in 1943. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, tell me about this book.

Caramel: This book is about a kid named Homer Price. Homer does many different things, like helping his uncle in the lunch room, which I think is essentially a restaurant, and building radios. This one is actually cool.

S: So Homer is a curious kid, and the book is about his adventures?

C: Yes. Or you could say his misadventures. A lot of unfortunate things happen. But in the end, he always comes out on top.

S: So you must like that, right? You like happy-ending books.

C: Yep. And Homer is a good kid. He is lucky but also pretty clever. And he likes to help other people.

S: Sounds a bit like you, Caramel.

C: Well, I don’t know how to build radios.

S: I bet you would like to give it a try.

C: Yes, I think I would.

S: Well, the summer is here, and school will be out soon, so maybe we can look into that.

C: I’d like that!

Caramel is reading Homer Price by Robert McCloskey. — Caramel is reading *Homer Price* by Robert McCloskey.

S: Okay, so tell me a bit more about the book.

C: There are six chapters in the book. Homer has a different adventure in each. The chapter titles are “The Case of the Sensational Scent”, “The Case of the Cosmic Comic”, “The Doughnuts”, “Mystery Yarn”, “Nothing New Under the Sun (Hardly)”, and “Wheels of Progress”. I think I like “The Doughnuts” the most.

S: Tell me more.

C: I think it is the funniest part of the book. There is this machine that makes doughnuts, and something goes wrong, and it does not stop, so it keeps making doughnuts nonstop.

S: So there is an unending supply of doughnuts? That does not seem like a terrible situation!

C: I like donuts too, but I guess you could have too many doughnuts. Anyways eventually it stops, so they have to figure out a way to sell all the doughnuts.

S: What was funny about the chapter?

C: How they panic about the unstopping doughnut machine! That was very funny. And there are pictures here and there in the book. The ones in this chapter are pretty funny. And you can see the doughnuts all over the place!

S: I see. I thought you might also enjoy the Cosmic Comic one.

C: Yes, I did. In that chapter, Homer and his friend Freddy go to meet Freddy’s favorite comic book superhero. And hilarity ensues.

S: That is a funny way of saying things Caramel! But so the book sounds like it is light and light-hearted.

C: Yes.

S: You know that this book was written quite a while ago, right? Does it show its age?

C: Not really. I mean there are no computers and cell phones around but otherwise the stories just sound like they could happen today too. Though a $100-award back then would probably be much bigger than it is today. That is from “The Doughnuts”.

S: I see. Okay, so if you were to describe this book in three to five words …

C: Hilarious, timeless adventures of a clever little boy.

S: That will do! So let us wrap this up then. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Homer Price by Robert McCloskey and learning about Homer's quirky adventures. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Homer Price* by Robert McCloskey and learning about Homer’s quirky adventures.