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A Tale of Two Cities

133 Ratings: 2.9
Charles Dickens' classic 1859 novel, which takes place before and during the French Revolution.

Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Richard Maxwell.

Author: Charles Dickens
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Classics
20 reviews about A Tale of Two Cities
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review by . July 01, 2009
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Dickens devoted considerable effort to naming his serials, and "Rolling Stones" was one of his possible titles for Two Cities. How different would this literary classic and the milieu it occupied have been had its famous title and its even more famous first line been different?    Its easy to say this is yet another Dickens classic as if to condemn it by faint praise. However, this book stands out as a first among equals for several reasons:    1. It was a …
review by . April 19, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
What an interesting thought.       If it was possible for Dickens to write something that was less Dickensian than the rest of his impressive body of work, "A Tale of Two Cities" would qualify as the least Dickensian of them all. An absorbing historical work, a sharply moving forward tempo, little if any comic relief and a minimum of florid prose (at least relative to his own characteristic standard of an abundance of unnecessary embellishment) make A Tale of Two Cities …
review by . November 16, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Excellent edition of Dickens' master work
A Tale of Two Cities is Charles Dickens' master work. It explores powerful issues of class, as played out against the backdrop of the French Revolution. Certain of the Dickens' characters in this novel have become emblematic of the times, such as Madam DeFarge, the probably insane working class woman who knits and cackles as she screams for others to be executed by guillotine. And Sydney Carton, the drunken wastrel whose bravery and self-sacrifice crown the story.      …
Quick Tip by . July 17, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Dickens is at his best in the description department with this book. Sydney is one of the greatest character of classic literature.
Quick Tip by . July 09, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Charles Dickens' heart-rending classic novel of life in London and Paris during the French Revolution deals with themes of love, loyalty, duty, honour and personal commitment to the rectification of past wrongs. The least Dickensian of all of Dickens' novels!
Quick Tip by . July 09, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
As required reading in my literature class in high school, It proved to be pretty good. It's a classic for a reason, but still not my favorite ever.
Quick Tip by . July 03, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Quite a dense read and can get confusing at times, but interesting once you get through it.
Quick Tip by . July 02, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Love the imagery and storyline of such an uncertain political time.
Quick Tip by . July 01, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Can classics become immortal?
Quick Tip by . June 29, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Enjoyed this in high school.
Quick Tip by . June 25, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
It can be tough to get through this one the first time through (especially if you're reading it in a high school class, like I did the first time) but it's well worth it once you reach the end. It provides an insightful look at human nature. Moreover, Sydney Carton remains one of my favorite literary characters to this day.
Quick Tip by . June 18, 2010
If you're a fan of British history or Victorian history, you will get more out of this book by reading something about the life and times of Victorian-era people who were coming to terms with the Industrial Revolution....
Quick Tip by . June 16, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
I always found this pretty insightful into human nature.
Quick Tip by . June 09, 2010
One of the best books ever written. Please read this one!
Quick Tip by . June 03, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Awesome!
Quick Tip by . June 02, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
UGH. Slow slow slow reading.
Quick Tip by . May 25, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
All Time Best Dickens'
Quick Tip by . May 21, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
I had to read in highschool. I liked it
review by . May 11, 2006
I was first introduced to this book when I was 14 years old in my 8th grade English class. I found it utterly overwhelming; in its cast, its plotlines, its settings, its themes and most of all, in the intricate web the various relationships create. I only understood three things about this book. First, the two cities are London and Paris. Second, France was convulsing itself with the French Revolution while England was undergoing changes that would prepare it to enter the Industrial Revolution. …
review by . April 27, 2005
The period from 1775 - the outbreak of the American Revolution - to 1789 - the storming of the Bastille - is the turbulent setting of this uncharacteristic Dickens novel. It is his only novel that lacks comic relief, is one of only two that are not set in nineteenth-century England and is also unusual in lacking a primary central character. London and Paris are the real protagonists in this tale, much as the cathedral was the 'hero' of Hugo's Notre Dame de Paris. Dickens was writing at a time of …
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