For me this was a reread, having read this classic decades ago, (and forgotten most of the details). It is set in Paris and London, before and during the French Revolution of 1789-99, and is to be discussed at an upcoming book club meeting.
The intricate plot with dozens of characters is loaded with tragedy, loss, and violence and the writing is flawless and smooth although wordy.
I had difficulty keeping the characters and the time line straight. The 45 named chapters in three parts are not dated.
It would be very inappropriate and arrogant for me to suggest improvements to Mr. Dickens, but for producers of modern editions, I would suggest two things. Rather than a long introduction and an equally long afterword, a chronology line with major political events on one side and major character events on the other would be helpful. Second, a list of major characters that readers could refer to would also reduce the confusion. I doubt that 18th century readers were less prone to confuse characters than 20th century ones. But I am willing to consider that most readers may be better able to keep characters and time lines straight than I am with my addled aging brain.
3.5/5
The Passionate Reader 