Book Cover of A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens

Its immortal opening lines, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." set the stage for a sweeping narrative that combines drama, glory, honor, history, romance, brutality, sacrifice and resurrection. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is one of the most widely read and famous works of historical fiction in the English language. Dickens had recently launched his magazine All the Year Round in 1859. In the same year, he began featuring A Tale of Two Cities in 31 weekly installments in his new magazine. The book was eventually combined into a single copy and split into three major sections as it is presented today. In this epic tale of love and tragedy set during the turbulent times of the French Revolution in 1789, the motif of two's appears constantly as opposing sides of the same coin. London and Paris are the two cities, Sidney Carton and Charles Darnay are the two heroes, Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge are the pure and evil women respectively, and these along with shadows and darkness, sacrifice and dishonor, brutality and spirituality form the recurring dual motifs in the novel. Sidney Carton, a young, debauched and dissolute English barrister defends a young French aristocrat Charles Darnay accused of treason in London. The two bear a striking resemblance to each other. Lucie Manette, a lovely young French girl and her father Dr. Manette, who had suffered under the atrocities of the nobility in France, now live a quiet life in London. Charles and Lucie are in love, but Sidney Carton also falls in love with her. Meanwhile in France, the storm of revolution is about to break. A wine store owner and Dr. Manette's former servant, Monsieur Defarge, leads the revolutionaries. His wife, Madame Defarge is a vicious woman who revels in cruelty. She too has suffered under the aristocratic regime and now seeks to destroy all those who persecuted her. Charles Darnay returns to Paris to rescue an old servant of his who has been captured by the revolutionaries. He is captured by the rebels and condemned to be executed by guillotine. The story then takes several dramatic twists and turns before reaching its final and most unexpected conclusion. As one of the most exciting and deeply moving stories penned by a brilliant and gifted story teller, A Tale of Two Cities is indeed a riveting and unforgettable experience for readers of all ages.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

English

Published In

1859

Authors

Charles Dickens image

Charles Dickens created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on 7 February 18...

Books by Charles Dickens

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Cover image

Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin by Elizabeth Robins Pennell

This biography of Mary Wollstonecraft by Elizabeth Robins Pennell offers a detailed account of the life of this pioneering feminist and author. Pennel...

French Revolution: A History. Volume 3: The Guillotine Cover image

French Revolution: A History. Volume 3: The Guillotine by Thomas Carlyle

Thomas Carlyle's third and final volume of his history of the French Revolution covers the period known as the Terror, a time of great violence and up...

French History for English Children Cover image

French History for English Children by Caroline Emelia Stephen

This book, aimed at young English readers, provides a concise overview of French history from its beginnings in ancient Gaul through the late 19th cen...

Royal Son and Mother Cover image

Royal Son and Mother by Pauline von Hugel

This biography tells the story of Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, a Russian aristocrat who renounced his privileged life to become a Catholic priest an...

Middlemarch Cover image

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life is a novel by the English author Mary Anne Evans, who wrote as George Eliot. It first appeared in eight instal...

French Revolution Cover image

French Revolution by Hilaire Belloc

This book is a historical analysis of the French Revolution by Hilaire Belloc. Belloc argues that the Revolution was a deliberate act of evil by the F...

French Revolution Volume 1 the Bastille Cover image

French Revolution Volume 1 the Bastille by Thomas Carlyle

Thomas Carlyle's "The French Revolution: A History" is a comprehensive three-volume work that chronicles the course of the French Revolution from 1789...

Saints and Heroes Since the Middle Ages Volume 2 Cover image

Saints and Heroes Since the Middle Ages Volume 2 by George Hodges

This book explores the lives of fourteen prominent figures in Christian history, ranging from the Reformation era to the 18th century. Each chapter fo...

Iracema Cover image

Iracema by Jose de Alencar

Iracema is a classic Brazilian novel that tells the story of a love affair between a Native American warrior woman, Iracema, and a Portuguese colonize...

The Crucifixion of Philip Strong Cover image

The Crucifixion of Philip Strong by Charles M. Sheldon

What would you do if you woke up one day and found yourself crucified? Philip Strong is a wealthy and successful businessman who has it all: money, p...

Reviews for A Tale of Two Cities

ALL REVIEWS: Really Favorable (2)

Melchizedek

Posted: 1 year ago

Recommended

Different Era

Thought provoking

Umer T.

Posted: 2 years ago

Recommended