Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities: Book III, Chapters 14 and 15 (pages 335-352)

The last two chapters of this book are quite predictable, and maybe the biggest surprise was that Mrs. Pross killed Mrs. Defarge. I wouldn't have expected Mrs. Pross to protect Lucie that much.

Sidney Carton dies honorable for Charles Darnay, who succeeds to escape from Paris with Lucie and their child. Mrs. Pross and Jerry Cruncher leave from Paris too after she has killed Mrs. Defarge. It seems like that Mrs. Pross doesn't mind that she lost her hearing when she killed Mrs. Defarge because she did it for Lucie.

I liked reading this book even though I sometimes felt that there was too many "loose ends" in the book, but after I had finished the book, I noticed that the those "loose ends" weren't loose anymore.

Compared to what I thought about Charles Dickens as a writer before I started reading this book, I have completely changed my mind. I don't know why I thought that books that are written by Dickens, are booring and difficult to understand. Now I know that it might be interesting to read more books that are written by him.

Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities: Book III Chapters 9-13 (pages 285-335)

Charles Darnay has been arrested again and this time he is sentenced to death. Therefore Sydney Carlton makes up a plan to release Darnay. Carton shows much of fearlessnes because the plan is to go to Darnay's cell and change clothes with him so that Darnay could walk away from the prison wearing Carton's clothes and Carton would be killed instead of Darnay. The pland works and Darnay changes places with Carton.

When Charles Darnay has escaped from the prison, he escapes from Paris with Lucie, little Lucie, Dr. Manette and Mr. Lorry. They are afraid that the escape will not work but there is problems at the check point in Paris where they show their travel documets. Darnay uses Carton's documents and doesn't get caught.

I don't know if Carlton will really be executed in the Guillotine but I think that he can not escape. Carton is sure that he is doing a right thing for Lucie and doesn't care that it kills him.

I don't know why I still have a feeling that something bad will happen to Lucie or Charles before the end of the book. And I wonder what has happened to Mrs. Pross because she is not in the same coach with Lucie and the others when they leave from Paris. Does she stay in Paris with her brother or has she already left from Paris?

Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities: Book III Chapters 3-8 (pages 246-284)

Charles Darnay has spent almost 16 months in the prison before he is asked to come to his trial.
During his time in prison, he writes letters to Lucie and he even sees Lucie from a distance when she stands at a certain place in fornt of the prison. Lucie comes every day to the place because she wants that Charles can see her.

The trial seems to be only a cold comfort for him because many people have been convicted to death without any proper reason. However, Darnay is found to be not guilty-mostly because of the help he gets from Dr. Manette and Mr. Gabelle.

Charles cann't enjoy his freedom for very long time because he is arrested again because he is denounced by Mr. and Mrs. Defarge and someone else whose name is not revealed.
After Charles has been arrested for the second time, it is found out that Solomon (who is brother to Mrs. Pross) is same person as Mr. Barsad.

I wonder what Sydney Carton wants to speak to Mr. Barsad when he says him: "Come into the dark room here, and let us have one final word alone."

Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities: Book II Chapters 22-24, Book III Chapters 1-2 (pages 204-246)

Mr. Lorry travels to Tellson's office in Paris and he takes Jerry with him. Also Charles Darnay decides to go France because he has received a letter from Mr. Gabelle who is imprisioned in France. Darnay (who is the new Marquis) thinks that he could go travel without any danger. He also has make a decission to give his possessions in France to the people because he wants to clear the name of his family. It is also found out that Dr. Manette was in the prison because of Darnay's family (the Evremonde family).

When Darnay leaves from London to Paris, he doesn't tell Lucie or Dr. Manette that he is leaving-but he writes a letter to both of them. Darnay doesn't know that he is thought to be as cruel man as the previous Marquis was, and he doesn't know that he is on Defarges' list of the people who the revolutioners have planned to take revenge on.

When Darnay arrives Paris, he is imprisioned. When he asks reason for his imprisionment, Mr. Defarge answers: "We have new laws, Evremonde, and new offences, since you were here." Darnay seems to be in big trouble and his astonished when Defarge about the "sharp female newly-born, and called La Guillotine." Lucie, her father and child, and Miss Pross travel to Paris too and inform Mr. Lorry what has happened to Darnay.

Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities: Book II Chapters 16-21 (pages 161-204)

The book is getting more and more interesting, because Mr. and Mrs. Defarge are interested in Charles Darnay (or D'Aulnais as his mother's name was) and they might have a plan to kill him because Mr. Defarge says to his wife: "... her [miss Manette's] husban's name should be proscribed under your hand at this moment, by the side of that infernal dog's [Marquis] who just has left us". Later, when the Revolution of French has begun, they and the other rebellers-the Jaqueses-intrude on the Bastille and go to Mr. Manette's cell, release seven prisoners, kill guards, and marched the governor (who tried to defend the Bastille) to the city hall for judgement.

In the meanwhile Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette have got married. They live a normal family life with Mr. Manette and miss Pross. Shortly after Lucie and Charles Darnay's wedding, Mr. Manette starts again act like a shoemaker. He keeps doing it for nine days and then he suddenly becomes normal. The others hides that from Lucie and she doesn't find out that her father was doing the shoemaking. I don't understand what the significance of the shoe-making is. Is it just a sign that he is stressed because Lucie has got married or is there some other reason?

Lucie and Charles have a child, because when Mr. Lorry comes to visit Lucie and Charles in July 1789, he asks Lucy: "The precious child is safe in bed?" and Lucy answers: "And sleeping soundly."

Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities: Book II Chapters 9-15 (pages 118-161)

The book has become even more interesting to read because I have a noticed that the characters have many secrets and I can't wait to find out what those secrets are. For example Mr. Darnay tries to tell something about himself to Doctor Manette but Manette doesn't want to hear it and therefore say: "Tell me when I ask you, not now". I wonder what Darnay was about to say but maybe I will find it out later.

Mr. Darnay tells Dr. Manette that he is in love with Lucie but hasn't told her about his love. Darnay and Dr. Manette have a conversation about the subject and Dr. Manette approves Darnay to be his son-in-law. But Darnay is not the only one who wants to marry Lucie. Mr. Styver tells Mr. Lorry that he wants to marry Lucie and Mr. Styver thinks that he won't have any problems to marry Lucie.

Young Jerry Cruncher decides to find out where his father goes in the night time and follows his father. Young Jerry finds out that his father and some other men go to a grave yard and they dig up a coffin. I don't know what is inside the coffin but evidently the contents doesn't please Jerry's father because Mr. Cruncher claims that her wife has prayed against him and therefore he batters his wife.

In Paris, the Mender of the roads who had seen "the man" (apparently the killer of the Marquis) underneath Monsieur the Marqui's carriage is having a discussion with the five men who are called Jaques. They seem to be interested in knowing what has happened to "the man". I don't know why they are interested in the man but I think that it will become clear later.

I still wonder why Mr. Cruncher thinks that his wife prays against him. If I have understood right, the wife prays for him.

Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities: Book II Chapters 6-9 (pages 82-118)

Dr. Manette and his daughter, Lucie, are living with Miss Pross in London. Miss Pross hasn't appeared in the book before even thought Lucie has been living with her since Lucie was ten-year-old girl. I think that Ms. Pross has become very attached to Lucie during the years they have spent together and that is why Ms. Pross calls Lucie "Ladybird".

Another new character who is introduced is Monsieur the Marquis. He is rich and poverful man who also proves to be very arrogant person. When his carriage run over a child and the child dies, he doesn't even feel sorry for the child or the parents of the child. He just say:" One or the other of you is forever in the way. How do I know what injury you have done to my horses?"

I was surprised when I found out that Charles Darnay is the nephew of the Marquis because they don't seem to resemble each other. I couldn't figure out who Jacques is. He must have hated the Marquis for some reason.

Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities: Book I Chapters 1-6, Book II Chapters 1-5 (pages 1-82)

I had always thought that books written by Charles Dickens are booring and difficult to understand. After I had read the two first two chapters of this book I still thought that the book will be as booring and difficult to understand as I had thought but after the third chapter I realized that I had been wrong. Now I think that the book is interesting to read because of its historical aspect. I have noticed there are a lot of words in this book that I have not seen anywhere else before and therefore it takes me long time to read the book because I have to check so many words on my dictionary.

The beginning of A Tale of Two Cities takes place in year 1775. The first part of the book (or Book the first) basically tells about Mr. Lorry's and mademoiselle Manette's journey to France. Mr. Lorry works for Tellson's Bank and the reason for the journey is to take mademoiselle Manette's father - Doctor Manette - back to England. Doctor Manette has been released from prison (or "recalled to life") only a short time earlier after he had spend 18 years in prison in France even though he was innocent . Because Ms. Manette was very young when he was sentenced to prison, she doesn't remember much about her father. When Mr. Lorry and Ms. Manette arrive Paris, they find Doctor Manette who is not in very good condition but they still take him with them and travel back to England.

The second part of the book (book the second) takes place five years later so there is a gap in the story and I don't know what has happened during those five years. The second part of the book beginns by a depiction of a trial. A man called Charles Darney is accused for treason. Miss Manette and her father who feels much better now are witnesses and they tell that they had seen the accused on the ship in year 1775 when they came back from France to England. The man is found not guilty and at least miss Manette thinks that it is right.

I'm wondering if it is revealed who is the first person narrator at the beginning of chapter 3 on page 9 . I couldn't figure out who the narrator is and I have a feeling that I may have missed (or skipped) something.

George Orwell: 1984, Chapters 3:III-3:VI (pages 260-297)

Winston is still prisoner at the Ministry of Love and the interrogations are making his body weaker and he even wants that they would shoot him. Nevertheless, he is gradually starting to understand the ideas of the Party and O'Brien even reveals Winston that: "The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We [the Inner Party] are not intersted in the good of others; we are interested solely in power".

Finally the interrogators have tortured Winston so much that he is ready to do anything to prevent them to continue the torture and he even tells them:"Do it to Julia! Not me!". I think that those words indicates that Winston loves Big Brother more than he loves Julia and therefore O'Brien decides to let Winston go.

After Winston has been released he gets an easy job with a good salary. He spends lots of time playing chess and trinking Victory Gin at the Chestnut Tree Cafe. Winston has become a person who loves the Big Brother and believes everything the Party tells him. He still has memories but he thinks that they are not real.

The denouement of the book is different than what I expected. I hoped that the denouement would have been the collapse of the Party and a beginning of a new, democratic era in Oceania. Even though, I still think that 1984 is one of the best books I've ever read because it made me think about the significance of freedom. 1984 also made me feel happy that I don't live in a country like Oceania but I also feel sad at the same time when I think that there still are political prisioners in countries like China and North Korea.

And one more thing: Now I understand where the name of the TV program Big Brother comes from. I didn't know that the name refers to this book until I read the book.

George Orwell: 1984, Chapters 3:I-3:II (pages 225-260)

Winston is arested in the building of the Ministry of Love and he understands that O'Brien refered to the cell when he told about "the place with no darkness" because the light are always bright in his cell. In the cell he meets Ampleforth who is arrested of thought crime because his young daughter has reported to the Thought Police that Ampleforth has said "Down with Big Brother" while he was sleeping. I think that Amplefort's daughter never heard him saying those words but reported him because she wanted to be a good citizen.

Winston wants to kill himself and he hopes that O'Brien would keep his promise and bring Winston a razor blade, because the Thought Police interrogates him in a brutal and merciless way. The interrogators even make him to confess crimes he has not committed. When O'Brien arrives to Winston's cell Winston hopes that he would get the razor blade but he finds out that O'Brien is one of the Thought Polices.

O'Brien tries to make Winston believe that Winston is insane and all the lies the Party has told are true. Winston refuses to believe O'Brien even though his attetude makes O'Brien to torture Winston more. At the end of the torture O'Brien allows Winston to ask questions and Winston asks: "Does he [Big Brother] exist in the same way as I exist?". O'Brien answers: "You do not exist". I think that O'Brien meant that Big Brother exists only because people believe that he exists. Maybe he is just a fictional character, created by the Inner Party.

George Orwell: 1984, Chapters 2:IX-2:X (pages 179-224)

Winston has worked hard for the Hate Week and finally after six days he has enough time to go to his hiding place and start reading the book he got from the Brotherhood. The book is written by Emmanuel Goldstein, "the number one enemy of Oceania". Winston has only a limited time to read the book until he has to return it to the Brotherhood and that is why he wants to read the book fast. He feels excited and starts to read the book before Julia arrives to the hiding place. He still thinks that the place is safe and even "stopped reading, chiefly in order to appriciate the fact that he was reading, in comfort and safety".

When Julia arrives, she is does not show much interest in reading the book and asks Winston to read the book aloud. The chapters of the Goldstein's book are basically named after the slogans of the Party. For example the third chapter is "War is peace" and the chapter tells about the wars of Oceania. Winston is a bit disappointed because the book doesn't tell him anything that he does not already know.

Winston fells asleep and when he and Julia wake up they think that they are still in safe. Soon they experience a nasty surprise when they discover that there is a telescreen in the room, behind the picture. The Thought Police comes and arrests Winston and Julia. It is found out that Mr. Charrington works for the Thought Police and evidently the Thouht Police had observed Winston since he had bought the diary.

I think that Julia is a Thought Police because she asked Winston to read the book aloud. Even the Brotherhood can be just a trap to catch Party members who don't like the Party and its actions. But why has the Thought Police organized such a long and complicated trap to get him? I don't know what will happen to Winston but his situation seems to be hopeless.

George Orwell: 1984, Chapters 2:VI-2:VIII

Winston has heard about a secret organization called the Brotherhood and thinks that O'Brien is its member. The organization is against the Party and that is why Winston wants to join it. He has been waiting for a signal from O'Brien and at last O'Brien gives his address to Winston. Winston goes with Julia to O'Brien's home and finds out that O'Brien really is a member of the Brotherhood. During the short visit Winston and Julia make a commitment to become members of the organization. Again, Winston thinks that the place where they meet is safe because O'Brien has turned the telescreen off. I just wonder, isn't there any other surveillance means in addition to the telescreen in the room.

Before Julia and Winston make their visit to O'Brien, Winston confesses Julia that he had believed he had murdered his mother. When Julia asks why he had done it, his reply is: "I didn't murder her. Not physically". Then he tells her about the day when his mother and sister disappered. He tells that he was young and living with his mother and sister, who was sick. There had been a new chocolate ration and Winston wanted to eat also his sister's and mother's amounts of chocolate because he was hungry. He didn't get permission to eat the chocolate from his mother but he still took all the chocolate and run away from home. When he came back few hours later, his mother and sister had disappeared. Julia say to Winston: "I expect you were a beastly little swine in those days. All children are". Winston replies: "Yes, but the real point of the story-" but he never finishes the sentence. I think he should because I don't understand what the point of the story is. I tried to find its meaning-and didn't succeed.

I think that Winston makes a significent observation when he says to Julia: "The proles are human beings. We are not human". It made me think, is the Big Brother a real human being or is he some kind of robot or machine.

George Orwell: 1984, Chapters 2:II-2:V

Winston and Julia manage to meet at the secret place and he really seems to be in love with her. Winston feels that the secret place is safe and there is not a high risk to be watched by the Party. They even have the courage to make love and they don't regret it afterwards-in fact Winston wants more sex with Julia. The only hindrance is that it is not safe to use the same place too often or too many times. Winston is so seriously in love with Julia that he even wants to live the rest of his life together with her. Unfortunately that is not possible in Oceania where love shouldn't exist or as Winston puts it: "in reality there was no escape".

At last Winston gets the idea to use the room above Mr. Charringtn's shop (the same shop where Winston had bought the paper weight) as their private hiding place where they could make love safely. Winston still trusts that there is no telescreen in the shop and he thinks that the room would be safe place to be with Julia. Julia accepts Winston's idea and the room becomes their hiding place.

Julia insists Winston that she is not Thought Police and that she actually doesn't like the ideas of the Party but if I were Winston, I wouldn't trust her. I think that she has too good connections to the Inner Party because she got real coffee, sugar, tea, milk and a set of makeup. At this point I am not assured that Julia wouldn't be a part of some set-up plan to get Winston caught for thaught crimes.

I still don't understand why I got the feeling that the proles have better life than the Party members. Another thing that I don't understand is that why the Party would drop rocket bombs "just to keep people frightened".

George Orwell: 1984, Chapters VII-2:I (pages 81-117)

I have read the book to page 117 and I hardly can wait to read more. It just is so interesting to read what kind of place this world could be - but I hope that there will be no country like Oceania in the real world.

When I was reading about Winston's visit to the area where the proles live, I thought if Winston wanted to be a prole instead of being a Party member. Anyway, he goes to a prole's pub and meets there an old man. Winston pays the old man's beer and asks him questions about the life about 50 years ago, because Winston wants to know if the life was more miserable at that time. Winston had read about the topic but he can't trust anything he has read because the Party may have made history books a part of their propaganda. The old man can't answer the questions Winston has asked and Winston is disappointed.

Winston continues his visit in the area of proles and he goes back to the shop where he had bought the diary. This time he buy glass paperweight and when he comes out of the shop and is walking back to his home he sees a girl and he thinks that she is an thought police who is following him. He is afraid and thinks if he should kill the girl. When he sees the girl later she gives him seacretly a paper with text "I love you." Winston wants to meet the girl again but it is hard to arrange because the Party thinks that love should no exist but finally they can meet again.

I still don't understand what is the reason why the Party thinks that love is harmful. Is it just because the Party wants to control everything?

1984: Chapters 4-7

I have now read the first 81 pages of this book and I find the book still interesting. I try to be quick when I write this blog post because I'm now on a cruise ship and it is very expensive to use the Internet.

When I was reading the book, I noticed that Winston really sees how artificial his country is. Many of the people who live in Oceania believe almost everything the Party wants them to believe. For example when the chocolate ration was reduced people believed that the ration was raised. I just wonder if people would believe that in real life or would they see the lie.

The Newspeak is a thing that I don't understand. It is the language that has less words year by year. The Party wants to prevent people committing a thoughtcrime by making a new language but I wonder, how people could communicate if they don't have a language. Doesn't it make things harder for Big Bother and the Party if there is no proper language?

George Orwell: 1984, Chapters 1-3

All I knew about this book before I started to read it was based on the short introduction on the book's back cover. Because I found the introduction boring I thought that the book would be boring too. When I had read the first ten pages of the book I realized that 1984 might be one of the most interesting books I've ever read.

The book tells about Winston Smith who lives in a society where every citizen is keeped an eye on. The citizens know that "Big Brother is watching" and it means that they understand that anything they do might be supervised.

At the first chapter of 1984 it is told how Winston Smith buy a diary and is scared that the Thought Police would find out about it - especially because he has written on the book words "Down with Big Brother" . The Thought Police has very scary reputation because people who are attacked by Thought Police are simply disappered.

I couldn't avoid thinking that many things in this book are similar to what happened in Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union. For example it was common in Nazi Grmany that people reported to the police if they heard that some of their neigbors or relatives had said something negative about the government. In this book is mentioned how "child heroes "denounced their parents to Thaught Police. In the book is used word "comrade" instead of "mr." or "mrs" - just like in the Soviet Union.

I hope that I'm not interpreting too much but at this point of my reading I think that this book is trying to say me that people should have their own privacy and the government should not have too much power.