-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
Summary | Discuss | Reviews | More Information | Read-Alikes
A Tale of Two Cities is one of Charles Dickens's most exciting novels. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, it tells the story of a family threatened by the terrible events of the past.
Dr Manette, wrongly imprisoned in the Bastille for eighteen years, is finally released and is reunited with his daughter Lucie, who despite her French ancestry has been brought up in London. Lucie falls in love with Charles Darnay, who has abandoned wealth and title in France because of his political convictions. When revolution breaks out in Paris, Darnay returns to the city to help an old family servant, but there he is arrested because of the crimes committed by his relations. Lucie, with their daughter and her father, follows him across the Channel, thus putting all their lives in danger.
Do you have a favorite quote from a book?
It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known. Charles Dickens, author; A Tale of Two Cities, speaker was Sydney Carton shortly before he chose to die in Charles Darnay's place.
-Kathryn_H
Which books did you read in high school English class?
That was a long, long time ago. I'm not sure I remember any titles we were assigned…possibly Romeo and Juliet…something by Charles Dickens. The Old Man and the Sea put me off Hemingway for the rest of my life. I also remember trying to read an abbreviated version of A Tale of Two Cities in French...
-Robin_G
If you were to start your own memory library, which would be the first book you choose, and why? Have you considered starting a memory library for someone else since reading the book?
Yes, I like the idea of a Memory Library. I built such a library for my niece, Kate with books I enjoyed I hoped she would enjoy as well. Although I spent countless hours reading books to Kate as did her great grandmother and grandmother, including countless visits to the Library, Kate did not be...
-Lloyde_Newman
Media reviews not yet available.
This information about A Tale of Two Cities was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Charles Dickens (1812-70) was an English writer, generally considered to be the greatest novelist of the Victorian period and responsible for some of English literature's most iconic novels and characters. He continues to be one of the best-known and most read of English authors, with multiple adaptations of his work frequently being produced.
If you liked A Tale of Two Cities, try these:
by Louise Penny
Published 2021
The 16th novel by #1 bestselling author Louise Penny finds Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Quebec investigating a sinister plot in the City of Light.
by Alex George
Published 2021
Told over the course of a single day in 1927, The Paris Hours takes four ordinary people whose stories, told together, are as extraordinary as the glorious city they inhabit.
by Jonathan Lethem
Published 2019
Jonathan Lethem's first detective novel since Motherless Brooklyn.
L.A. Women by Ella Berman
Two ambitious writers in 1960s LA face betrayal when one writes a novel based on the other's life.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
