Carlyle's idiosyncratic, verbose prose, rich with metaphor and symbolism is not for everyone, including myself. But if it is, you will no doubt enjoy this "history" of the French Revolution.

I knew nothing about the Revolution before reading this book, and so I had to frequently consult a timeline of the major events and Wikipedia whilst reading, as Carlyle makes reference to dates only infrequently. Having said that, I got what I wanted out of this work which is a basic understanding of the major events.

Of course, if unlike me, you have a prior knowledge of the Revolution, you will get a lot more out of this book, as you would understand the multitude of allusions and references Carlyle makes throughout the work.

I am glad that I read this, if for nothing other than to see an alternative way to write history, and I would recommend this to others who are curious of Carlyle's historical style in this classic work. ( )