A Tale of Two Cities was written by Charles Dickens and first published in 1859. As per its title, the novel is set in the two cities of London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. It details the plight of the French peasantry under the demoralization of the French aristocracy in the years leading up to the revolution, the corresponding brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former aristocrats in the early years of the revolution, and a number of unflattering social parallels with life in London during the same time period. The novel tracks the lives of several lead characters during this period, including Charles Darnay, a former French aristocrat who falls victim to the wrath of the revolution despite his virtuous nature, and Sydney Carton, a British barrister who attempts to redeem his ill-spent life out of love for Darnay's wife, Lucie Manette. A Tale of Two Cities is truly a classic, being one of the most famous works of fiction ever printed. This publication of A Tale of Two Cities is part of the Qualitas Classics Fireside Series, where pure, ageless classics are presented in clean, easy to read reprints. For a complete list of titles, see: http://www.qualitaspublishing.com
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Overrated "classic":
Sure, the story has some twists at the end, but I find the language arcane as well as archaic. The story-telling is cumbersome and sometime confusing; there are large chunks of narratives about irrelevant details (such as the chapter "The lion and the jackal", it does little to advance the plot). The dialogues are pretentious and unnatural -- the characters speak with a lot of parenthesized texts. The actions of the people are also to some extent unexplained and unexplainable: why does Carton sacrifice... more info
Never read this in high school or college:
I don't think I can say anything about this book that hasn't been said. I thought the characters, the plot and the historical backdrop were terrific. I'm not sure why I never read this in school, even as an English major. This is the kind of book that will stay with me forever. Having said that, I don't think most high schoolers could ever fully appreciate this book. I read this at the same time as my 10th grader, who did not enjoy it. I think it's a struggle for most younger readers to understand the... more info
Histoical Sentimental Trivia:
This novel was published in weekly installments. I think Dickens was a bit absentminded in the first two books, because the plot is quite weak and flickering. In book three the intensity grows and resembles more a normal novel. The content of this novel is the most commonplace sentimental trivia. But apparently it has met the tastes of the audience at the time. Dickens is supposed to be a great writer, right? It's quite amazing that he could pour out this kitchy sentimental romantic trivia. Was he just... more info
A Lifetime:
"A Tale of Two Cities" is a novel many have read and others have claimed to have read, but is completely appreciated by few. A work of historical fiction, this may be Dickens' best known work and most often quoted work. Where "Great Expectations" lacks realism, "A Tale of Two Cities" follows a record of historical events. Being so well crafted, it is remarkable the novel was written under the duress of constant deadlines. Following the deadlines of a serial, it would seem easy to digress into fluff.more info
