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

Popular History of France from the Earliest Times vol 5 Cover image

Popular History of France from the Earliest Times vol 5 by François Pierre Guillaume Guizot

François Pierre Guillaume Guizot's "Popular History of France" is a comprehensive account of French history from its earliest beginnings to the 19th c...

Sämtliche Schriften 1911-1921, Teil 6 Cover image

Sämtliche Schriften 1911-1921, Teil 6 by Carl von Ossietzky

This volume, part of a larger collection of Carl von Ossietzky's writings, focuses on his work from 1911 to 1921. It contains articles, essays, and cr...

Ninety-Three Cover image

Ninety-Three by Victor Hugo

It follows the lives of three men from different sides of the conflict. The novel is a powerful exploration of the human condition and the moral dile...

Unterhaltungen deutscher Ausgewanderten Cover image

Unterhaltungen deutscher Ausgewanderten by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Unterhaltungen deutscher Ausgewanderten is a collection of stories by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, published in 1795. The novel's frame story, inspired...

Home Cover image

Home by Anne Brontë

Home is a passionate story of love, sacrifice, faith, and redemption set against the backdrop of a bleak Yorkshire landscape. The novel explores the t...

Victory Cover image

Victory by Lester Del Rey

In the gripping science fiction novel "Victory" by Lester del Rey, humanity's survival hangs in the balance as a desperate battle unfolds on an alien...

Bible (KJV) 13: 1 Chronicles Cover image

Bible (KJV) 13: 1 Chronicles by King James Version

1 Chronicles, part of the Old Testament, details the history of Israel from the time of King David's ascent to the throne. It focuses on the reign of...

Trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda Cover image

Trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Los Trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda sigue las aventuras de dos amantes, Periandro y Sigismunda, separados por el destino. Tras una serie de infortun...

Friend of Marie-Antoinette (Lady Atkyns) Cover image

Friend of Marie-Antoinette (Lady Atkyns) by Frédéric Barbey

Charlotte Atkyns, a woman of extraordinary courage and resourcefulness, played a pivotal role in the tumultuous events of the French Revolution. As an...

Liliecrona's Home Cover image

Liliecrona's Home by Selma Lagerlof

This novel tells the story of Maia Lisa, a young woman who is tormented by her wicked stepmother. Despite the abuse she endures, Maia Lisa remains str...

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