A Tale of Two Cities

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Description

A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris, and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. In the Introduction to the Encyclopedia of Adventure Fiction, critic Don D'Ammassa argues that it is an adventure novel because the protagonists are in constant danger of being imprisoned or killed. As Dickens's best-known work of historical fiction, A Tale of Two Cities is said to be one of the best-selling novels of all time. In 2003, the novel was ranked 63rd on the BBC's The Big Read poll. The novel has been adapted for film, television, radio, and the stage, and has continued to influence popular culture.

First Sentence

DEPENDING ON WHO you listened to, it was either the best of times, or it was the worst of times.

Description

The storming of the Bastille...the death carts with their doomed human cargo...the swift drop of the guillotine blade - this is the French Revolution that Charles Dickens vividly captures in his famous work, A Tale of Two Cities. With dramatic eloquence, he brings to life a time of terror and treason, a starving people rising in frenzy and hate to overthrow a corrupt and decadent regime. With insight and compassion, he casts his novel of unforgettable scenes with unforgettable characters: the sinister Madame Defarge, knitting her patterns of death; the gentle Lucie Manette, unswerving in her devotion to her broken father ; the heroic Sydney Carton, who gives his life for the love of a girl who would never be his. (back cover)

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Other Editions

• A Tale of Two Cities, eBook - 1859 - Feedbooks, No place, unknown, or undetermined
• Shuang cheng ji: Zai ban - 1948 - Luo tuo shu dian, Shanghai, China
• A tale of two cities. - 1969 - F. Watts, New York, New York (State)
• Tale of Two Cities - 1981 - Penguin Canada
• A Tale of Two Cities (Unabridged Classics for High School and Adults): MP3 edition, Audio CD - 2003-12-01 - In Audio
• Tale of Two Cities - 2017 - Blurb
• Tale of Two Cities - 2020 - Independently Published
• Tale of Two Cities - 2020 - Independently Published
• Tale of Two Cities (Annotated) - 2020 - Sastrugi Press
• Tale of Two Cities Annotated - 2021 - Independently Published
• Tale of Two Cities Illustrated - 2021 - Independently Published
• Tale of Two Cities - 2021 - Independently Published
• Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - 2021 - Independently Published
• A Tale of Two Cities: Version 5, Audiobook - 2021-04-11 - LibriVox
• Tale of Two Cities Illustrated - 2022 - Independently Published
• 1817 other editions not shown