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| A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics) | 
 enlarge | Author: Charles Dickens
Creator: Richard Maxwell
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Category: Book
List Price: £5.99
Buy New: £1.92
You Save: £4.07 (68%)
New (53) Collectible (1) from £1.92
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 7005
Media: Paperback
Edition: Rev Ed
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 544
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5 x 1
ISBN: 0141439602
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.8
EAN: 9780141439600
ASIN: 0141439602
Publication Date: January 30, 2003
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW - ***Delivery usually * 2 - 3 * working days - From Aphrohead of SOUTHPORT, Lancs, UK *** . Priority Airmail used Worldwide on International orders. Thanks from all at Aphrohead.
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-8 of 8 | | « PREV | | |
 Not as good as the other 'slim' Dickens novels December 30, 2006
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
Dealing with an international event of major significance (the French Revolution) rather than the usual Dickens subject matter, this is the worst of Dickens' 'slim' novels. The neatness of the coincidences grate here more than elsewhere, and the dense, flowery prose is at its least easy to read. Despite its smallness, it is slow-moving, too. Sub-standard for Dickens, however, is still superior to most of what other authors turn out. It's just that there are better ones out there. For better 'quick Dickens reads', I would recommend Oliver Twist or the sublime Great Expectations.
 Awesome November 20, 2006
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
In my opinion Dickens is the master craftsman of English literature. The ultimate storyteller, he didn't just write these tales he, as we know, acted the parts as well. Dickens has the exceptional ability to conjure up a feast of colourful characters, served on platters of sublime emotional intensity and gorged on by generations of readers. A Tale of Two Cities is just such a banquet. Its opening sentence being one of the most well known in English literature which, for me, conveys what it means to be human: striving for a life of peaceful security and happiness, but occasionally tainted by uncontrollable forces of darkness. And Dicken's historical context (the butchery and appalling vengeance of the French Revolution) acts as a dramatic contrast to his themes of love, friendship and loyalty. Parisian chaos and the implied serenity of London provide a captivating medium for the story's principle protagonists and their interweaving lives: the undying love of a daughter for a lost father; Ancien Regime injustice and abuse; the ever present danger of arrest and incarceration; and, ultimately, heroic self sacrifice. The `twin town' setting provides a remarkable mix of urban texture, filtering through the narrative and providing the reader with moments of humour, humanity and respite (Tellson's Bank, Mr Cruncher, a quite corner in Soho) from the hatred of the mob and the menace of the Guillotine. As with the opening the last sentence is sure to remain in the mind of the reader for a long time.
'Orderly Chaos' in A Tale of Two Cities November 2, 2003
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" so Dickens says, but 'A Tale of Two Cities' is certainly the best of books. Moving between the public life and the personal life, Dicken's once again presents us with more unforgettable characters of which he seems to have an endless supply. The touching story of Dr Manette and his daughter Lucille is starkly juxtaposed against the horror of the French Revolution allowing Dickens to project his view on the society of the time. At times comic, at other times moving, 'A Tale Two Cities', as the title suggests, is full of contrasts and opposing ideas: the calm security of London with the terrifying uncertainty of revolutionary Paris; the two suitors Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton; and those of the aristocracy with those of the revolution, through which Dickens conveys a sense of 'orderly chaos'. This novel not only deserves to be recognised not only as one of Dickens' finest works, but also as one of the finest by any author; it is a grand yet intimate portrait of human suffering and redemption that repays many readings.
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