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A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

by Charles Dickens (Author), Richard Maxwell (Introduction) "It was the best of times,' it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it..." (more)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
RRP: £5.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 544 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Classics; Rev Ed edition (30 Jan 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0141439602
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141439600
  • Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 12.7 x 2.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 22,794 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #27 in  Books > Fiction > World > French
    #37 in  Books > Fiction > The Classics > Dickens, Charles

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Product Description

Product Description

After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille the aging Dr Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil lanes of London, they are all drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror and soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine.


About the Author

Charles Dickens (1812-70) was a political reporter and journalist whose popularity was established by the phenomenally successful Pickwick Papers (1836-7). His novels captured and held the public imagination over a period of more than thirty years. Richard Maxwell teaches in the Comparative Literature & English departments at Yale.
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
It was the best of times,' it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. Read the first page
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A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics)
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Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars 'Orderly Chaos' in A Tale of Two Cities, 2 Nov 2003
By Craig Thornton (Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" so Dickens says, but 'A Tale of Two Cities' is certainly the best of books. Moving between the public life and the personal life, Dicken's once again presents us with more unforgettable characters of which he seems to have an endless supply. The touching story of Dr Manette and his daughter Lucille is starkly juxtaposed against the horror of the French Revolution allowing Dickens to project his view on the society of the time. At times comic, at other times moving, 'A Tale Two Cities', as the title suggests, is full of contrasts and opposing ideas: the calm security of London with the terrifying uncertainty of revolutionary Paris; the two suitors Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton; and those of the aristocracy with those of the revolution, through which Dickens conveys a sense of 'orderly chaos'. This novel not only deserves to be recognised not only as one of Dickens' finest works, but also as one of the finest by any author; it is a grand yet intimate portrait of human suffering and redemption that repays many readings.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, 20 Nov 2006
In my opinion Dickens is the master craftsman of English literature. The ultimate storyteller, he didn't just write these tales he, as we know, acted the parts as well. Dickens has the exceptional ability to conjure up a feast of colourful characters, served on platters of sublime emotional intensity and gorged on by generations of readers. A Tale of Two Cities is just such a banquet. Its opening sentence being one of the most well known in English literature which, for me, conveys what it means to be human: striving for a life of peaceful security and happiness, but occasionally tainted by uncontrollable forces of darkness. And Dicken's historical context (the butchery and appalling vengeance of the French Revolution) acts as a dramatic contrast to his themes of love, friendship and loyalty. Parisian chaos and the implied serenity of London provide a captivating medium for the story's principle protagonists and their interweaving lives: the undying love of a daughter for a lost father; Ancien Regime injustice and abuse; the ever present danger of arrest and incarceration; and, ultimately, heroic self sacrifice. The `twin town' setting provides a remarkable mix of urban texture, filtering through the narrative and providing the reader with moments of humour, humanity and respite (Tellson's Bank, Mr Cruncher, a quite corner in Soho) from the hatred of the mob and the menace of the Guillotine. As with the opening the last sentence is sure to remain in the mind of the reader for a long time.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Work of Art, 23 April 2008
By Peter Gustafson (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is great art at its best, offering a profoundly moving spectacle even though you may disagree with the specific contents of the work. The slow, logical build-up brings you to the climax with such finality that it could not have ended otherwise, and Dickens' prose delivers unforgettable images. Never was the life of wastrel better portrayed, nor his final attempt to redeem himself. It seems indeed that the theme of the novel is redemption or justice, for Dickens portrays the horrors of The Terror as the unavoidable cleansing bloodbath French society had to go through in order to make good its former inequities. Here one must disagree, of course. Nevertheless, A Tale of Two Cities is a timeless piece of great art, whatever your own opinion on that matter may be.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic read, but let down by the terrible notes
An excellent book which kept me gripped until the very last page, but if you're going to buy a copy get a different edition. Read more
Published 11 days ago

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of Books...
One of only two Dickens novels to be given a historical setting, A Tale of Two Cities is perhaps best known today as one of only a handful of novels from which both the first line... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mandrake

5.0 out of 5 stars One of My Favourite Dickens Novels
I really really enjoyed this book. I read it years ago, and enjoyed it, and then read loads of other stuff, so by the time I read it again I'd forgotten most of it. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Lady Cordelia

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the best from Dickens
It cannot be argued that "A Tale of Two Cities" is one of Dickens's most well-known novels. I had read "Great Expectations" before it so, admittedly, my expectations were high... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Censuwine

2.0 out of 5 stars Had its moments but not for me
I found this a very difficult read.
Perhaps it was the subject matter, I must admit to never having had an interest in the french revolution and its consequences, but I... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Sibby the Cat

5.0 out of 5 stars The most unforgettable opening and closing sentences ever found in a book!
I will never, the rest of my life forget these two sentences. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.... Read more
Published on 1 Jul 2007 by Misfit

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the other 'slim' Dickens novels
Dealing with an international event of major significance (the French Revolution) rather than the usual Dickens subject matter, this is the worst of Dickens' 'slim' novels. Read more
Published on 30 Dec 2006 by Greshon

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