A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics)

A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics)
by Charles Dickens

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Book Summary Information

Author: Charles Dickens
Editor: Richard Maxwell
Edition: Paperback
Published: 2003-05-27
ISBN: 0141439602
Number of pages: 544
Publisher: Penguin Classics

Book Reviews of A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics)

Book Review: Rewarding
Summary: 5 Stars

Some honest disclosures. My strongest academic credentials relevant to literary criticism are that I minored in English. I have never been a "student" of Dickens. I enjoy Shakespeare plays in the same manner that I enjoy analyzing baseball games: I always get the point and relish in the general purpose of the production, but there are finer nuances that are beyond me and most of the people watching probably have a more sophisticated appreciation than I do. All of that stated, I dove into this classic Dickens title (actually, reading it aloud to my pre-teen kids) and was pleasantly surprised to find that I throughly enjoyed the experience.
As practically every review on this page will tell you, or as could be digested from Wikipedia or Cliff Notes, this novel is set in the circumstances of the French Revolution. What Dickens provided is a human tale from the perspective of the coming (and elapsed) revolution on the lives within one extended family based in Paris and London. Make no mistake: this book is long and plodding, and the language is sufficiently "Dickensesque" to discourage any modern American reader, but the investment of time and attention is rewarding. Dickens is wonderful, and it is a delight to read the words of someone whose universal messages can still reach across the centuries and cultures that separate us (like Twain, Shakespeare, and, what the heck, the Apostle Paul).
I am not expert enough in English literature or French history to provided more of an endorsement than this: this is a great read and is surprisingly accessable. The themes of violence, greed, rebellion, hatred, love, charity, mercy, and sacrifice are clear enough for anyone to appreciate. And my children, as young as eight-years, eagerly settled down for a chapter night after night. Another big shout goes out for Dickens.

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Summary of A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics)

Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Richard Maxwell.

Dickens, Charles Books

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