Reading and history

Have you ever thought of how much history you learn simply by reading classic literature?

Well, until recently I hadn't really considered it. But just think of it.

I love history and I'll admit I found my history teaching lacking at points and oddly repetitive at other points, but let's not dwell on that.
My point is that all my knowledge of several time periods and historic events I have solely from the fiction I  read that takes place in that time.

Let me take an example.. French history was something I didn't learn a thing about in school, so I depended completely on books set in France, to help me learn anything. And here is what they taught me:

The Hunchback of Notre Dame taught me of medieval Paris, and Louis the XI.

The three Musketeers taught me of Louis the 13. and the 15. century France.

A Tale of two Cities and The Scarlet Pimpernel taught me about the French Revolution.

Desiree taught me about the Napoleonic times.

Les Miserables taught me of the restoration, and that there has been more than one revolution in France (it would have taught me even more, if I had read the unabridged version, but sadly I couldn't get my hands on one)

That was just one example, and I'm sure I could go on for long if I listed all the books I've read through the years.
So thanks to all those authors who unwittingly taught me all what school didn't.

A tale of two cities

This spring I had a "historical french literature"-theme, starting with The three Musketeers, going on to Les Miserables, and then the entire Scarlet Pimpernel-series.

After having read so much about the time around the French Revolution, I thought, "why not have a good and nice wrap-up to this theme, by reading A tale of two Cities?"

So I did... and it left me rather traumatised...

Don't get me wrong, it was a good book,with a plot full of twists and surprises, and probably gave the most accurate picture of the French Revolution, of all the books I have read, regarding that period of time.

And that was the traumatising part...

I guess I had a rather romantic view on the period, due to the 8 Scarlet Pimpernel-books I'd just read (and also because in Les Miserables, the main characters all loved the French Revolution), but there's nothing of that in Charles Dickens' writing -  it is all painfully realistic.

The following will contain a lot of spoilers, so if you intend to read the book, don't read this.

First of all I found the book a little confusing, due to the changes of narrators and all the characters you are introduced to, who don't seem to be connected at all. However I liked that you see some of the pre-revolution-France, it made me understand the reasons people had for rebelling more clearly. And I actually liked the revolutionaries - that is, until all the violence started.

At first I had a hard time discovering who was actually the main character - but I admit after being introduced to Sidney Carton, there wasn't any doubt. He is definitely my favourite character - and also the most pitiable character. I felt so sorry for him during the entire book, where he never got what he wanted. And then the ending. I think that was what traumatised me the most (I just don't like deaths in books/movies).

The last pages of the books I constantly hoped he would find an escape, and when he didn't I was just thinking, "WHY? WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE?`"
By the way was I the only one thinking "where is the scarlet pimpernel when you need him" during the entire execution scene?

I was mostly shocked by the ending, because I was under the impression the Charles Dickens wrote happy endings. And yes, upon analysing the ending, I can see that in some way it was a happy ending for Sidney - he finally found a purpose with his life (even if was dying), and he saved the happiness of the woman he loved, but still... a happy ending in my opinion is no deaths whatsoever.

And another thing that irritated me to no ends, was that his sacrifice wouldn't even have been necessary if Charles Darnay hadn't been so stupid to go to France. I mean wasn't that rule no 1 for french aristocrats who valued their life? - "Don't go to France in the middle of a revolution, whose main purpose is to kill all of your kind."

So, yeah, after reading that book I swore never to read anything about the French revolution again ( I actually also swore I would never read Charles Dickens again, but I guess I can't blame him for writing realistically about a terrible time period)

So now I'm moving on to non-french authors and stories with a happier theme.