C is for — Sidney Carton — from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.
I first read this story many years ago. Amidst the horror of the French Revolution, the characters sprang to life for me, their struggles so vivid they still haunt me. Lucie Manette, the loving innocent; her husband Charles Darnay, the French aristocrat who denies his birthright and tries to make good on his own; Madame Defarge, the Revolution personified; and Sydney Carton, the drunken lawyer who feels himself worthless. Carton falls in love with Lucie, and his noble feelings for her allow him to transcend what he considers a wasted life and give the ultimate sacrifice. The triumph and sorrow of the Tale’s ending stayed with me for days.
At the time, my own novel was still in its early stages, and I had no idea where my characters’ adventures would take them. There were a few characters I didn’t know very well, yet — one important character, in particular. But after reading A Tale of Two Cities, I had a sudden epiphany. I could see quite clearly in my mind the path this character was meant to follow. And as my story progressed through Book I : Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble, and later, Book II: Trouble By Any Other Name, he grew to be one of my favorites, and he did indeed follow the foreseen path to a hopeful and tragic and fitting end.
Ronald Colman as Sydney Carton
A Tale of Two Cities, 1935
Photo Credit: imdb.com
Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams 
It’s funny how rea a very good book ding in getting to know the characters can give us an epiphany on our own. I enjoyed your post.
Deb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com
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Thanks, and thanks for stopping by!
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I have a complete set if Dickens at home which used to be my Mum’s. I must reinvestigate this one, not read any for years.
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A complete set — wow, that’s great! I really enjoy his works.
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I’ve never read it, but I know the story! One of those classics.
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Well worth reading if you ever get the chance!
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Another beloved character from a book with one of the most memorable closing lines. Can’t wait to see who you will write about tomorrow 🙂
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Memorable and haunting and poignant… sigh.
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This is great! I will admit this, to you, and to the Internet at large, though I would hate for it to go any further (hmm…): I have never read A Tale of Two Cities. My knowledge of Dickens is restricted to Hard Times (which I read for a class, and did not much like) and good old Pickwick (which I read for fun, and loved). However, this did not prevent me from appreciating your post; I loved especially the thing about your reading informing your writing; that is the best argument I’ve come across yet for why writers should be readers, too.
Thanks!
Melanie Atherton Allen
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I haven’t read Hard TImes. I own Pickwick Papers but I haven’t read that one, either. It’s near the top of my to-read list. 🙂
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I can’t remember reading this story.
I think I need to draw up a list of classics that I want/need to read…
And I must be the only person on this earth who hasn’t read The Hobbit…
Writer In Transit
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I have quite a few classics in my bucket list of must-read books. Someday I’ll get to them.
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I don’t think I ever read this one, but the effect it had on your own writing and characters is inspiring! This is a great post 🙂
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Thanks! It’s funny how things can hit you in unexpected ways.
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