A Tale of Two Cities
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A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel written by English author Charles Dickens and published in 1859. The two cities named in the title are London and Paris. The story is set before and during the French Revolution.
In its original publication, the book was serialized in seven parts in All the Year Round, a periodical of which Dickens was the editor. The novel is divided into three books, each containing short numbered chapters.
Plot and characters
The story centers on Dr. Alexandre Manette, who was imprisoned in the Bastille in Paris for many years, and his daughter Lucie. She becomes involved with Charles Darnay, a Frenchman who has renounced his family's aristocratic rights, and Sydney Carton, an English lawyer who physically resembles Darnay. The main tension arises when Darnay is condemned to death during the Reign of Terror in Paris.
Themes
The novel explores resurrection—the idea that people can begin new lives after suffering or imprisonment. It also examines revenge, the injustice of class hierarchies, and how violence can breed further violence. Though Dickens does not defend the French monarchy's tyranny, he also shows how the revolution's courts departed from justice.
Notable passages
The opening line—"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"—is among the most famous beginnings in English literature. The novel's final passage concerning Sydney Carton is also widely quoted.