Transition from one novel to the other

Monday was our transitional day from "Hard Times" to "A Tale of Two Cities".As a " parting shot" to our discussions of "Hard Times" and specifically our discussion of adaptation of Dickens, we analyzed the pros and cons of Tobin Atkinson's one actor play of the novel. I felt that the play had some humor associated with the travails of the artiste maintaining the integrity of the  original in the face of the blockbuster mentality of Broadway producers. While in the minority, I felt the play could be used as an introduction to the novel. Some commentary on the play was its choppiness, the inappropriate use of some props(for students- although this could be modified) characterizations, and other issues from where the play departs from the novel.

The rest of our session was devoted to the historical context of our next work. This is Dickens 2nd work of what could be labeled historical fiction( Barnaby Rudge being the first. The French Revolution is a complex  and an impactful event in World History. Dickens chose his setting during the "worst of times" of this epoch- the Reign of Terror. Issues discussed included : what precipitated this event? ( unfair distribution of wealth and power, class strife, burdensome debt bad harvests.
What was Carlyle's influence on Dickens work? (Quite a lot) Was the revolution successful? ( in the very short term yes  and no -monarchy removed but then Napoleon declares himself Emperor in the early years of the 19th century) After other revolutions (1830, 1848) and a military defeat at the hands of Prussia in 1871) the Republican ideal begins to take hold.

Dickens seemingly anxiety ridden that Revolution could come to Britain.