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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.8
EAN num: 9780141439600
ISBN number: 0141439602
Label: Penguin Classics
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 544
Printing Date: May 27, 2003
Publishing house: Penguin Classics
Release Date: May 27, 2003
Sale Popularity Level: 6472
Studio: Penguin Classics
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Richard Maxwell.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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It's no coincidence this is a classic. It's also no classic without quite a few coincidences. Charles Dickens plays freely with the laws of averages and chance, and expects his readers to buy into his premises. Once that is done--and for me, it was a simple decision to dive in with joy and dread--the book reads quickly, while still dealing with a cast of rich characters.
A Tale of Two Cities is the story of London and Paris (mostly the latter), on the eve of the French Revolution and leading into that turbulent period. There are prisoners with hidden secrets, nobles with hidden pasts, and scoundrels with hidden goodness. As the slow fuse burns, the chaos and horror of the Revolution approaches--mirroring in some ways the American Revolution that had preceded it, but with a much more violent nature--and then draws the key characters into its net of suspicion and danger. From Dr. Manette, a troubled soul, and his sweet daughter, to Charles Darnay and the steadfast accountants, housekeepers, and friends that surround them, this is a story of goodness in the face of great evil.
Despite that evil, Dickens has a keen eye and ear for the toils of the poor, and he makes the initial motives of his revolutionaries clear, without glorifying or completely demonizing them. This is a story that deals with oppression and class struggle, with elitism and common decency, and with the bravery that resides in even the most unlikely hearts.
Yes, the coincidences mount up at certain points, but I couldn't help but be swept away by Dickens' clear care for his characters, for the cities and times in which the story takes place, and for the English language as a means of entertaining, educating, and challenging his readers' minds. This is a classic for a reason, and I think it holds up strongly even today.
Rated by buyers -
I have to agree with Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities is an incredible book. I do not wish to ruin this story (and this would be quite the book to summarize), so I will not reveal much of its plot. I will merely say that it is set in both England and France during the time just before and then the beginning of the French Revolution. The political details are quite accurate, the characters (even secondary ones) are well developed, the narrative is amazing (uplifting, depressing, humorous, terrifying, and poetic), and the love story is pure and beautiful (i.e. marriage), not something obscene and disgusting.
'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...'
Those immortal words describe this book.
You will (probably) enjoy the best of times while reading this book.
You will miss out on one of the best of times, and thus almost suffer the worst of times, if you pass on this story.
Ryan Robledo
Author of the Aelnathan:
Rated by buyers -
Accustomed to reading Dickens for a good laugh and a great story, I read A Tale of Two Cities about a year ago. While waiting for the McCawbers to show up, I failed to appreciate what is now one of my favorite books. Dickens hints around a subject in a way infinitely more powerful than plainly stating it and evokes deepest emotions in plainly stated phrases. For anyone turned off by the intricate and meticulous way the story develops, a second read makes the importance of minor incidents clear and gives the writing its full force of Mystery and Faith.
Dickens's signature humour appears through Miss Pross, Mr. Stryver and Mr. Cruncher. I loved Miss Pross's beatification of her degenerate brother and Mr. Cruncher's imperiled vow to leave Mrs. Cruncher the superintendence of her own future "flopping."
However, the brilliant language must inevitably lead from the innocent drinking spilled wine off the dusty streets of Paris, to the Reign of Terror and, ultimately, La Guillotine. A sense of awe and foreboding lurks within every line and only the faith of Darnay and Carton can withstand the relentless grind of Revenge.
I try to read A Tale of Two Cities with the attitude of understanding a foreign language and ask myself what every word means in the sense here used. By this approach, although it's impossible for me to adequately describe what makes me shiver while reading Dickens, I can confidently state, that A Tale of Two Cities lives and teems with it.
Rated by buyers 
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this book is an abomination. i enjoy most classics, but dickens failed with this one. it is incredibly long, and not much happens. after a while i began attempting to discern what actually happened in terms of plot development after every chapter read. i realized that 80 percent of the book is long winded description of arbitrary characters and scenes.
honestly, i hate this book. it took me a lengthy amount of time to read it because i had to force myself to pick it up.
Rated by buyers -
It occurred to me that although I had been working my way through the classics, I had never read a "real version" of a Dickens novel. Oh sure, I had read the children's version of "Oliver Twist" and have been to see the play of "A Christmas Carol" probably 15 times... but I had never actually sat down and tried to read any real Dickens. Now I don't know if this is a good place to start or not... but this is where I started.
It took a while to really get into the book, the language was a bit overbearing at first, and the characters were a bit hard to keep sorted out in my mind. But then we get to the release of the good Doctor Mannette things pick up... I was trucking along, managing with the language and then in the middle I became bogged down with confusion... I struggled for a chapter or two and then hit the last quarter of the book... and let me tell you, all of the confusion was worth it if only for the last chapter.
Dickens main characters are actually rather flat and one-sided, however he makes up for it with the power and intrigue in his supporting cast. Some of the supporting characters in this novel are among the most interesting and either lovable or detestable that I have encountered. With the engrossing backdrop of the French Revolution, and heads being lopped of by Lady Guillotine every other moment... this book really focuses not on the revolution, but on the effects of the revolution on a select group of people. The Title implies that this will be a tale predominantly about London and Paris, but in reality the title is very misleading. The crux of the true story is about Paris, and our character's attempts to remove themselves from it.
I hate to say more, I went into this book knowing nothing about it, and because of that I was able to be shocked and almost brought to tears by the beauty and power of the ending. I highly recommend it, even though many will struggle through the middle, know that the ending is well worth the struggle. There is a reason this is listed one of the "1001 books to read before you die" there is a power to this story that will resound with you long after you close the book.
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