![Book Cover of A Tale of Two Cities](/image/book/a-tale-of-two-cities.webp)
A Tale of Two Cities
'A Tale of Two Cities' Summary
The year is 1775, and social ills plague both France and England. Jerry Cruncher, an odd-job man who works for Tellson’s Bank, stops the Dover mail-coach with an urgent message for Jarvis Lorry. The message instructs Lorry to wait at Dover for a young woman, and Lorry responds with the cryptic words, “Recalled to Life.” At Dover, Lorry is met by Lucie Manette, a young orphan whose father, a once-eminent doctor whom she supposed dead, has been discovered in France. Lorry escorts Lucie to Paris, where they meet Defarge, a former servant of Doctor Manette, who has kept Manette safe in a garret. Driven mad by eighteen years in the Bastille, Manette spends all of his time making shoes, a hobby he learned while in prison. Lorry assures Lucie that her love and devotion can recall her father to life, and indeed they do.
The year is now 1780. Charles Darnay stands accused of treason against the English crown. A bombastic lawyer named Stryver pleads Darnay’s case, but it is not until his drunk, good-for-nothing colleague, Sydney Carton, assists him that the court acquits Darnay. Carton clinches his argument by pointing out that he himself bears an uncanny resemblance to the defendant, which undermines the prosecution’s case for unmistakably identifying Darnay as the spy the authorities spotted. Lucie and Doctor Manette watched the court proceedings, and that night, Carton escorts Darnay to a tavern and asks how it feels to receive the sympathy of a woman like Lucie. Carton despises and resents Darnay because he reminds him of all that he himself has given up and might have been.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1859Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Author
![Charles Dickens image](/thumbs/image/author/charles-dickens.webp)
Charles Dickens
England
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...
More on Charles DickensDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
Related books
![El juguete rabioso Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/el-juguete-rabioso.webp)
El juguete rabioso by Roberto Arlt
"Adéntrate en las calles crudas de Buenos Aires y embárcate en un salvaje viaje a través de la mente turbulenta de un joven desilusionado en la cauti...
![Inside the Lines Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/inside-the-lines.webp)
Inside the Lines by Earl Derr Biggers
A young woman finds herself trapped in a dangerous game of espionage on the eve of World War I. Inside the Lines is a thrilling spy novel by Earl Der...
![The Grandfathers' War Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/the-grandfathers-war.webp)
The Grandfathers' War by Murray Leinster
In a time-bending tale that defies the boundaries of space and generations, "The Grandfathers' War" by Murray Leinster immerses readers in a thrilling...
![I Will Repay Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/i-will-repay.webp)
I Will Repay by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
I Will Repay was written by Baroness Emmuska Orczy and originally published in 1906, this is a sequel novel to the Scarlet Pimpernel. The second Pimpe...
![Damon and Delia Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/damon-and-delia.webp)
Damon and Delia by William Godwin
In a world where love is often dictated by social status and wealth, Damon and Delia by William Godwin dares to defy convention and explore the depths...
![The Story of Avis Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/the-story-of-avis.webp)
The Story of Avis by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
This is the story of a woman who possesses the talent and the discipline to become a great artist, but who loses the opportunity when she finally agre...
![The Iron Heel Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/the-iron-heel.webp)
The Iron Heel by Jack London
The Iron Heel is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack London, first published in 1908.
![The Sleeper Awakes Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/the-sleeper-awakes.webp)
The Sleeper Awakes by H. G. Wells
The Sleeper Awakes is a dystopian science fiction novel by English writer H. G. Wells, about a man who sleeps for two hundred and three years, waking...
![Doctor Luttrell's First Patient Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/doctor-luttrells-first-patient.webp)
Doctor Luttrell's First Patient by Rosa Nouchette Carey
In the heart of Victorian London, a young and ambitious doctor's life takes an unexpected turn when he encounters a mysterious patient with a secret t...
![A Poor Wise Man Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/a-poor-wise-man.webp)
A Poor Wise Man by Mary Roberts Rinehart
A Poor Wise Man is a timeless classic that takes readers on a captivating journey through the challenges of life, the pursuit of justice, and the powe...
Reviews for A Tale of Two Cities
Thought provoking