Paperback, 307 pages
English language
Published Sept. 21, 1993 by Wordsworth Classics.
A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Dickens’ greatest historical novel, traces the private lives of a group of people caught up in the cataclysm of the French Revolution and the Terror. Dickens based his historical detail on Carlyle’s great work – The French Revolution – and also on his own observations and investigations during numerous visits to Paris.
‘The best story I have written’ was Dickens’ own verdict on A Tale of Two Cities, and the reader is unlikely to disagree with this judgement of a story which combines historical fact with the author’s unsurpassed genius for poignant tales of human suffering, self-sacrifice, and redemption. --back cover
I really liked David Copperfield and enjoyed Great Expectations, but this was book was a different story (sorry). While it did bring the French revolution alive, it was a more difficult book to read and the characters weren't as engaging as those in other Dickens' books. Maybe I'll give it another chance in a few years given some of the really positive reviews I've read.
