A Tale of Two Cities

Book info: A Tale of Two Cities (Hardcover, 374 pages – BARNES & NOBLE CLASSICS, 1993) – BARNES & NOBLE CLASSICS, 1993. Language: Eng.

Condition: Good

A Tale of Two Cities is a larg canvas, filled as only the master storyteller Charles Dickens could, portraying both social upheaval and personal tragedy with the same careful attention to illuminating details and emotional truths. In the novel, Dickens re-creates the rage and terror of the French Revolution, contrasting it with the moral complacency of a dedicated social order in England. Against these dark backdrops, Dickens depicts the trials and tribulations of a coterie of memorable characters: Dr. Manette, whose eighteen years of unjust imprisonment has led him to the brink of insanity; Charles Darnay, the honorable son of corrupt French aristocrats who is persecuted in both England and France; Madame Defarge, the cruel, vengeful agent of the revolution who silently knits her intended victims' names; Sydney Carton, the failed, alcoholic lawyer who can still evince a love that is both tragic and beautiful; and Lucie Manette, an angelic beauty who inspires love from those around her. One of Dickens's most ambitious works, A Tale of Two Cities explores the dark and light sides of human character, as well as the nature of justice, religion, and politics in human society. This cautionary study of social revolution continues to carry emotional resonance today because of Dickens's focus on the consequences for his protagonists, who struggle amid the larger forces in which they are caught. (back cover)