"Dickens, Charles - A Tale of Two Cities" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickens Charles)

Finally, a reference perhaps familiar from your history classes: the
"congress of British subjects in America" describes the Continental
Congress, which sent a petition of grievances to the British
Parliament in January 1775.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES: CHAPTER 2

We meet Jarvis Lorry, employee of Tellson's Bank in London, traveling
by mail coach from London to Dover. This is only the first of many
fateful journeys--the story also ends with one. Dark, cold, and mist
surround the heavy mail coach. The atmosphere is gloomy,
foreshadowing more gloom to come and setting us up for the
contrasting theme of dark and light.

The atmosphere among passengers, guard, and coachman matches the
weather--all fear an assault by highwaymen, and so mistrust each
other. Their apprehension quickens at the sudden arrival of a
messenger. The messenger is Jerry Cruncher, sent from Tellson's with
instructions for Lorry: "Wait at Dover for Mam'selle." Lorry's
prompt reply, RECALLED TO LIFE, surprises Cruncher as much as his
fellow travelers.

Left alone in thickening mist and darkness, Cruncher hoarsely
exclaims that he'd be "in a Blazing bad way, if recalling to life was
to come into fashion...!" Here is Dickens' first mention of
resurrection, and first of many strong signals of Cruncher's hidden
occupation. Though the action so far seems bathed in secrecy,
Dickens doesn't write for the sake of confusing us. He's constantly
and skillfully divulging plot, themes, and moral point of view; we
have only to look out for them.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES: CHAPTER 3

Heading back to London, Jerry Cruncher stops at alehouses on the way,
made uneasy by the night shadows and Lorry's strange message. The
mail coach meanwhile bumps on to Dover, as Lorry dozes on and off
through his own disturbing dreams. His present errand for Tellson's
strikes him as digging someone out of a grave, and it inspires
nightmare dialogues with a white-haired spectre.

"I hope you care to live?" Lorry twice asks his spectre. The answer:
"I can't say."

The rising sun jolts the bank clerk awake, dispersing the night's bad
dreams. Yet a seed has been planted in Jarvis Lorry's mind: being
recalled to life, or resurrected, may not be an entirely blessed
event. Still, the opposite of life is dismaying, as the beautiful
sunlight reminds Lorry: "Eighteen years!" he cries. "To be buried
alive for eighteen years!"