Thursday, January 1, 2009

Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities published 150 years ago this year

First posted 6/26/2020; updated 7/6/2020.

A Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens

First Publication: 1859


Category: novel about classism


Sales: 200 million

Accolades (click on badges to see full lists):

About the Book:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” In that famous first line from A Tale of Two Cities, “Dickens exemplifies the dichotomous relationship that existed between the aristocracy and the lower classes of the time and the universal themes that would be depicted throughout the book.” AZ

“Dickens plunges the reader into one of history’s most explosive eras – the French Revolution. From the storming of the Bastille to the relentless drop of the guillotine, Dickens vividly captures the terror and upheaval of that tumultuous period.” BN

A Tale of Two Cities is set in London and Paris, the titular two cities, at the end of the 18th century, and principally concerns the lives of Dr. Alexandre Manette, his daughter Lucie, who marries a French nobleman, Charles Darnay, and their close family friend, barrister Sydney Carton.” AZ “Despite the union of Lucie and Darney, Carton confesses his love to Lucie, declaring to ‘embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you,’ a promise that he will uphold in dramatic fashion by the end of the novel” AZ “on the bloodstained streets of Paris.” BN

“Dickens considered…[this] to be the best novel that he had ever written. One of only two works of historical fiction that the author would compose; it is a sweeping narrative that explores the best and the worst of the human character and condition.” AZ It “is a stirring classic of love, revenge, and resurrection.” BN


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