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Scenes From Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" in Today's Fiction - Page 2


© Lynda Ochsner
Page 2

Though it is clear that Cavanaugh, in his American Revolution story, had A Tale of Two Cities in mind, the author's imitation is not very convincing. The situation somehow does not seem as desperate as Dickens' French revolution scene, leaving the reader to consider that maybe both men could have escaped alive. The characters throughout the book are simply not very likeable. Though grown men past age 30, they behave as immature teenagers (this story might have worked better if the characters were younger, as they are in Cavanaugh's other books). Even to the end, Esau's reason for dying is not any great love for his brother, but the idea that his brother will be able to continue the family line and have a male son (neither has any children yet) along with a vague idea of going to heaven for doing a good deed. Furthermore, unlike Sydney Carton and Angela Elwell Hunt's character Daniel, Esau does have a "worthy" and "decent" life, with people who do care about him, including a close girlfriend with whom marriage is very possible.

Angela Elwell Hunt, on the other hand, shows great literary skill in how she borrows material from a classic story yet creates a variation on the original idea. Her scene fits the story and does justice to the original idea.

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages

5.   Jul 8, 2001 7:43 PM
Welcome to the Suite, Lynda. Very nice article. The use of a life-swapping altruistic twin brother as a plot device is, I'm afraid, a bit overdone. Knowing that two people being such lookalikes that t ...

-- posted by BuckyRea


4.   Jun 28, 2001 11:45 AM
I love this book.I practically know the last chapter by heart.And the little seamstress makes more of an impact in her four pages than most characters can in a hundred.Who but Dickens could break your ...

-- posted by CherylElliot


3.   Jun 27, 2001 7:47 PM
Your first article was very well written. I enjoyed reading it. May you have great success with your topic!

-- posted by swest


2.   Jun 27, 2001 3:05 PM
on writing a historical fiction novel, so I find your timing to my liking!

Welcome to the Suite. Interesting first article (you may want to fix your title). I'll be back for more.

Jerri ...


-- posted by jerrib


1.   Jun 27, 2001 2:06 PM
Lynda,

This is very interesting and extremely well-written. Thanks.


-- posted by cmborris





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