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  • A Tale of Two Cities

  • Written by: Charles Dickens
  • Narrated by: Simon Prebble
  • Length: 14 hrs and 42 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (30 ratings)

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A Tale of Two Cities

Written by: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Simon Prebble
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Publisher's Summary

Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities is a sprawling tale of London and revolutionary Paris with a complex plot portraying the results of terror and treason, love and supreme sacrifice.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”—opening line of A Tale of Two Cities

It was the time of the French Revolution, a time of great change and great danger. It was a time when injustice was met by a lust for vengeance, and rarely was a distinction made between the innocent and the guilty. Against this tumultuous historical backdrop, Dickens’ dramatic story of adventure and courage unfolds.

Unjustly imprisoned for 18 years in the Bastille, Dr. Alexandre Manette is reunited with his daughter, the gentle Lucie Manette, and safely transported from France to England. It would seem that they could now take up the threads of their lives in peace. As fate would have it, however, the two are summoned to the Old Bailey to testify against a young Frenchman, Charles Darnay, falsely accused of treason. Strangely enough, Darnay bears an uncanny resemblance to another man in the courtroom: Sydney Carton, a dissolute barrister. It is a coincidence that saves Darnay from certain doom more than once, as the two men’s fates become intertwined with that of the Revolution.

And there is Madame Defarge, a female revolutionary who has an implacable grudge against the aristocratic Evrémonde dynasty and who knits as she watches the beheadings.

The storming of the Bastille, the death carts with their doomed human cargo, the swift drop of the blade of La Guillotine—this is the French Revolution that Charles Dickens vividly captures. Brilliantly plotted, the novel is rich in drama, romance, and heroics that culminate in a daring prison escape in the shadow of the guillotine.
Public Domain (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Classics
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What the critics say

“Beginning and ending with some of English literature’s most famous lines, Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities thrives on tension and conflict, all set against a bloody backdrop of the French Revolution…Through the senses, Dickens transports us deeper and deeper into another era with each turn of the page. Smell the acidity of red wine as it spills on the streets and ominously stains the faces, hands, and feet of peasants who lap it up in desperation; feel the competing emotions of heartache and hope as one of Lucie’s suitors stands trial; hear the cries of the raging mob and the clangs of their weapons as they storm the Bastille; see the glint of the guillotine as it falls swiftly to its victim below. The novel’s sense of urgency and intimacy will draw you in and propel you through one of the most tumultuous times in history.” (Oprah’s Book Club)

What listeners say about A Tale of Two Cities

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Profile Image for Stephen Glass

Superb performance of great classic

I am amazed at the rich voices and personalities that were brought alive in this performance of this great classic!

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Profile Image for Francis X Coughlan

Magnificent grand novel, beautifully read

Beautifully makes the case for the value of the individual and decency in the context of violent social upheaval.

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Profile Image for ATHU

best voice I heard

it is the best voice I heard , fulfilling the classic literature of classic literature.

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Profile Image for IsabelleD

Dated

Oompf. 2 minutes into my listening I was already thinking "this is exactly the kind of book school made us read that I hated so much". I still don't like this kind of book to this day, so not my kind of storytelling. Super long sentences that mean next to nothing, no feelings, no excitement, and the narrator made it soooo painfull. Not that he did a bad job, in my opinion he did an excellent job, but his voice matched the characters (old men, for the most part) and era so much that it was... painfull, I have no other words for it. The story itself reminded me of Les Misérables, except if I had to choose between the two, Les Misérables is the incontestable winner. This is but a pale immitation. So... urgh. Nope. It didn't do it for me.

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