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A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics)
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$ 6.80
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| Retail Value |
$ 8.00 |
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$ 1.20 (15%) |
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| Item Number |
420666 |
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Item Description...
Set in London and Paris at the time of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities (1859) sees the causes and effects of that great social upheaval from an essentially private point of view. Dickens's characters are fictional, their responses individual, their political activity minimal, but all are caught up in a web woven by their own activities and responsibilities, and all are drawn to the Paris of the Terror.
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Item Specifications...
Pages 544
Dimensions: Length: 1" Width: 5" Height: 7.5"
Weight: 0.8 lbs.
Binding Softcover
Publisher Penguin Group USA
ISBN 0140437304
EAN 9780141439600
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Availability 242 units.
Availability accurate as of May 24, 2012 11:47.
Usually ships within one to two business days from Commerce GA.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | A Tale of Two Cities May 22, 2010 |
What a book! After reading this, I've come to appreciate Charles Dickens as so much more than 'that guy who wrote the Christmas Carol.'
One thing I love is his ability to create a perfect storyline. Seriously, everything in this book fits together in the end like a perfect, completed puzzle. Components that were thought to be gratuitous at first will come back in major ways at later points in the book. Maybe it's just me, but I adore authors who blatantly show that they know exactly where they're going with every sentence of the story. The ending packs a serious punch, too.
The characters in this book are exceptional, as well. My personal favorite was Madame Defarge. It's probably me and my general love for 'the bad guy' in stories, but I loved every scene she was in. I also like the fact the Dickens gave her a reason for hating the aristocracy so much, as compared to her husband. The wood-sawyer/roadmender was interesting, too, if only for entertainment value. But of course, I'm sure anyone going around screaming "My little guilltine! Off with her head! Off his his head! Hahahaha!' for no apparent reason except to please the majority might interest anybody.
This book was also a strong commentary regarding the Revolution. It was interesting to see the ironic way in which Dickens compares the aristocracy to the angry revolutionaries. The revolutionaries are mad for the aristocracy hurting and killing the innocent. Then, they turn right around and start killing plenty of innocent people for the sake of watching their heads roll.
I understand this book isn't for everyone. The plot is complex, there are plenty of characters to keep track of, and it takes a long time to get exciting. But, trust me, if you stick with it, it will pay off in the end. | | | | A Tale of Two Cities Apr 21, 2010 |
One can challenge himself and learn numerous things about the history of the French Revolution by reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. This novel challenges readers because in order to understand the deeper meanings of why Dickens incorporates certain symbols, allusions, and motifs, one must develop a strong analyzing ability. For example, Dickens incorporates the motif of footsteps to foreshadow the revolution; without the ability to understand this, one may not understand what occurs in the beginning of the novel and why violence arises in society. Although one may realize comprehending A Tale of Two Cities becomes difficult and tedious, learning about knowledgeable information regarding the French Revolution becomes motivating.
By reading A Tale of Two Cities, one can learn a lot of information about the history of the French Revolution. One can learn from this book because Dickens depicts the state of the peasants and the aristocracy with great detail. Also, one can directly understand the hardships in the time of the Revolution and feel the misery in the people. For instance, "some men kneeled down, made scoops of their two hands joined, and sipped, or tried to help women, who bent over their shoulders, to sip, before the wine had all run our between their fingers" ( Dickens 32). This quotation portrays Dickens's meaningful writing.
A Tale of Two Cities interests people who enjoy reading challenging and educational books. Dickens's influential writing attracts people's attention. If one reads the novel, one cannot easily lose concentration in reading. A Tale of Two Cities attracts people's attention and strengthens a reader's capability and knowledge. | | |  | Excellent book! Apr 21, 2010 |
| A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, contains endless motifs, literary devices, dynamic characters, and more. Dickens' use of connotative language creates a tone and atmosphere throughout the entire book that keeps the reader hooked. The beginning of the story starts out slow, but Dickens' careful use of foreshadowing hints to many dark events in the near future. As a light read, this book appears lengthy and dull. However, a deeper look into the story reveals layers upon layers of literary devices, each symbolizing and representing a different aspect of the book and the French Revolution. The vast amount of knowledge A Tale of Two Cities contains about the Revolution is astounding. Due to the fact that the book came out around 150 years ago, some of the language seems hard to understand, but still worth reading. A Tale of Two Cities holds exceptionally round and developed characters such as Sydney Carton. He ties the entire plot together and helps provide a shocking ending that leaves readers amazed. Lucie Manette and Charles Darnay also contribute to the plot and make the story a memorable one. Through the writing of this book, Charles Dickens creates a masterpiece that withstands the test of time. The various literary tools he uses in his writing all combine to make this book excellent. | | | | A Timeless Classic Apr 20, 2010 |
| In the text, A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens cleverly crafts the story of a family struggling through the grasp of the French Revolution. This tale makes the gruesome events of the Revolution approachable. The characters of Lucie and her family and friends all exhibit qualities that render them life-like. Lucie's undying love for her family, innocence, and her job of keeping her family intact contributes to the sympathy readers feel for her. The heartbreak of the Manette family at the persecution of Darnay gave readers insight to the conflicts of the Revolution at a personal level. Overall, the characters of the novel add a sense of connectivity to the novel. Dickens astoundingly, blends timeless feelings and emotions with an historic event, making A Tale of Two Cities relate to people of all ages and a book that is highly recommended. | | | | WOW!!! Absolutely amazing book that stands the test of time! Mar 24, 2010 |
Somehow I managed to get through Junior High, High School and even College (as an English major) without ever reading A Tale of Two Cities. Since I'm about to graduate, I figured it was time to read this classic and see what it's all about. I knew from a high level that it was about some of the dynamic between London and Paris at the time of the French Revolution, but not much beyond that.
I can honestly say that I wanted to give up a few times as I started. The famous opening lines were interesting ("It was the best of times it was the worst of times..."), but as the story went on, it was a balancing act. For the first 50 or 60 pages, I had to readjust myself to Dickens style. I had to try to care about a myriad of characters without knowing who was going to be important or what their importance would be. I was tossed around between a few locations and seemingly random stories. The writing was gorgeous, the characters were full and the situations were interesting, but the overall pacing of the story felt like it was crawling very slowly. I felt like I was turning page after page and gathering data that felt insignificant. I felt as though I had no clear understanding of the overall plot or the prospective arc of the story and thus I had no way of knowing how quickly (or if at all) I was progressing along that arc towards any type of intrigue, climax or conclusion.
Still, I loved the language and I was intrigued by the characters and wanted to find out how they would interact and where their paths would lead. So, I pushed through. As I passed into the 100+ page mark, I had a clearer idea of the relations of the characters and could start to guess at upcoming events. Halfway through the novel, the intensity really took off and for the last 150-200 pages, I had a hard time putting the book down because I was so invested in what was going on and truly NEEDED to know what was going to happen.
I felt that Dickens did a wonderful job creating vibrant characters that I could intimately invest myself in. I felt great compassion for Doctor Manette and Lucie. I had genuine concern for Charles. I literally shuddered as I got closer and closer to Madame Defarge. Even the peripheral characters and their more minor stories were engaging. I was worried about Cruncher and Miss Pross as they tried to escape Paris. It was interesting the way seemingly minor characters would wind in and out of the story taking on larger roles at times and even becoming highly pivotal characters.
In addition to the wonderful tension in the story and the amazingly vivid characters, I think one of the amazing aspects of this novel is the portrayal of the French Revolution itself. I'm not a historian by any stretch. My knowledge of the Revolution is largely limited to a brief history lesson in High School and reading and watching The Scarlet Pimpernel and Les Miserables. (I kept expecting the Pimpernel to swoop in and save the day...alas, he didn't)
So I have no idea how accurate Dickens portrayal is. But I did find that his descriptions of the buildup and eventual explosion of the Revolution is amazing. I loved that he showed some of the actions that led up to the hatred. As the book went on, the atrocities of the upper class became more and more heinous to the extent that I could relate and empathize with the Revolutionaries to some degree. But as the powder keg erupted into the absolute thirst for blood and vengeance, it became frightening how all-encompassing the hatred was. I really felt the sense of the flood that flowed through Paris and the absolute horror of the thing. While this is a work of fiction, I think this portrayal of the Revolution was absolutely amazing.
Now that I've finally read this novel, I feel really bad that it took me so long to get to it. I also feel like, now that I know the trajectory, the first ~50-100 pages would be more intriguing. I can truly understand why this book is considered a classic and is so open for discussions. It provides plenty of conversation about humanity and history. It also displays lots of intriguing literary techniques that are very cool.
I absolutely recommend that everyone makes time to read this book at least once in their life.
*****
5 out of 5 stars | | | Write your own review about A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics)
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