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A Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens

45 Chapters
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Completed on 17 June 2023
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The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris, and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. 

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"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens is a captivating and timeless novel that takes place during the tumultuous period of the French Revolution. Dickens skillfully weaves together the lives of characters from different social classes, illustrating the stark contrast between the cities of Paris and London. The novel's strength lies in its richly developed characters. From the virtuous and selfless Dr. Manette to the enigmatic and charismatic Sydney Carton, each character leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Their personal struggles and triumphs reflect the larger themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the power of love. Dickens' vivid descriptions transport readers to the streets of both cities, painting a vivid picture of the stark social inequalities and the brutalities of the French Revolution. The stark contrast between the opulence of the aristocracy and the squalor of the lower classes is striking, creating a powerful backdrop for the events that unfold. The pacing of the novel is masterful, with suspenseful and dramatic moments that keep readers engaged throughout. The intricate plot twists and turns, with unexpected revelations and connections between characters, adding depth and complexity to the story. Dickens' writing style is eloquent and evocative, and his ability to create memorable and emotionally resonant scenes is remarkable. Ultimately, "A Tale of Two Cities" is a profound exploration of human nature and the consequences of social injustice. It delves into themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the power of love in the face of adversity. Dickens' brilliant storytelling and compelling characters make this novel a true literary classic, deserving of its place in the canon of English literature. It serves as a poignant reminder of the timeless issues that society continues to grapple with, making it a must-read for any lover of literature.


"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens is a timeless classic that transports readers to the tumultuous era of the French Revolution. With its intricate plot, vivid characters, and powerful social commentary, the novel stands as a testament to Dickens' storytelling prowess and his keen understanding of the human condition. Set against the backdrop of both London and Paris, the story weaves together the lives of several characters whose paths intertwine in a web of love, sacrifice, and redemption. Through his masterful narrative, Dickens captures the stark contrast between the two cities, portraying the stark realities of poverty, injustice, and political upheaval. One of the notable strengths of "A Tale of Two Cities" lies in Dickens' ability to create memorable and fully fleshed-out characters. From the virtuous and selfless Sydney Carton to the noble and compassionate Dr. Manette, each character is imbued with depth and complexity. The story is populated by a diverse cast, including the sinister Madame Defarge, the morally conflicted Charles Darnay, and the resolute Lucie Manette, all of whom contribute to the rich tapestry of the novel. Dickens' prose is eloquent and evocative, painting vivid pictures of both the grandeur of London and the chaos of revolutionary Paris. His descriptions are detailed and immersive, allowing readers to experience the sights, sounds, and emotions of the time period. The novel is filled with memorable passages and powerful metaphors, showcasing Dickens' literary genius and his ability to evoke a wide range of emotions. Furthermore, "A Tale of Two Cities" serves as a scathing social commentary on the inequities and injustices of the time. Dickens delves into themes of class struggle, oppression, and the destructive power of vengeance, shedding light on the turbulent political climate of the French Revolution and its impact on individuals and society as a whole. Through his storytelling, he emphasizes the importance of compassion, sacrifice, and the pursuit of justice. The pacing of the novel is well-balanced, with Dickens expertly building suspense and tension as the plot unfolds. The climactic moments are both heart-wrenching and exhilarating, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. The narrative is infused with themes of love, loyalty, and sacrifice, resonating with readers on a profound level. In conclusion, "A Tale of Two Cities" is a literary masterpiece that showcases Charles Dickens' remarkable storytelling ability and his keen social awareness. With its compelling characters, rich historical backdrop, and powerful themes, the novel remains relevant and captivating to this day. It is a testament to the enduring power of literature to illuminate the human experience and provoke introspection. For fans of classic literature and those seeking a riveting and thought-provoking read, this novel is a must-read.

Parts

1

Book the First – Recalled to Life : Chapter I The Period

14 June 2023
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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, i

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Book the First – Recalled to Life : Chapter II The Mail

14 June 2023
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It was the Dover road that lay, on a Friday night late in November, before the first of the persons with whom this history has business. The Dover road lay, as to him, beyond the Dover mail, as it lum

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Book the First – Recalled to Life : Chapter III The Night Shadows

14 June 2023
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A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other. A solemn consideration, when I enter a great city by night, that every

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Book the First – Recalled to Life : Chapter IV The Preparation

14 June 2023
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When the mail got successfully to Dover, in the course of the forenoon, the head drawer at the Royal George Hotel opened the coach-door as his custom was. He did it with some flourish of ceremony, for

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Book the First – Recalled to Life : Chapter V The Wine-shop

14 June 2023
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A large cask of wine had been dropped and broken, in the street. The accident had happened in getting it out of a cart; the cask had tumbled out with a run, the hoops had burst, and it lay on the ston

6

Book the First–Recalled to Life : Chapter VI The Shoemaker

14 June 2023
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“Good day!” said Monsieur Defarge, looking down at the white head that bent low over the shoemaking. It was raised for a moment, and a very faint voice responded to the salutation, as if it were at a

7

Book the Second – the Golden Thread : Chapter I Five Years Later

14 June 2023
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Tellson’s Bank by Temple Bar was an old-fashioned place, even in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty. It was very small, very dark, very ugly, very incommodious. It was an old-fashioned pla

8

Book the Second – the Golden Thread : Chapter II A Sight

14 June 2023
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“You know the Old Bailey, well, no doubt?” said one of the oldest of clerks to Jerry the messenger. “Ye-es, sir,” returned Jerry, in something of a dogged manner. “I DO know the Bailey.” “Just so. A

9

Book the Second – the Golden Thread : Chapter III A Disappointment

14 June 2023
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Mr. Attorney-General had to inform the jury, that the prisoner before them, though young in years, was old in the treasonable practices which claimed the forfeit of his life. That this correspondence

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Book the Second – the Golden Thread : Chapter IV Congratulatory

14 June 2023
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From the dimly-lighted passages of the court, the last sediment of the human stew that had been boiling there all day, was straining off, when Doctor Manette, Lucie Manette, his daughter, Mr. Lorry, t

11

Book the Second – the Golden Thread : Chapter V The Jackal

14 June 2023
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Those were drinking days, and most men drank hard. So very great is the improvement Time has brought about in such habits, that a moderate statement of the quantity of wine and punch which one man wou

12

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter VI Hundreds of People

15 June 2023
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The quiet lodgings of Doctor Manette were in a quiet street-corner not far from Soho-square. On the afternoon of a certain fine Sunday when the waves of four months had roiled over the trial for treas

13

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter VII Monseigneur in Town

15 June 2023
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Monseigneur, one of the great lords in power at the Court, held his fortnightly reception in his grand hotel in Paris. Monseigneur was in his inner room, his sanctuary of sanctuaries, the Holiest of H

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Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter VIII Monseigneur in the Country

15 June 2023
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A beautiful landscape, with the corn bright in it, but not abundant. Patches of poor rye where corn should have been, patches of poor peas and beans, patches of most coarse vegetable substitutes for w

15

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter IX The Gorgon’s Head

15 June 2023
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It was a heavy mass of building, that chateau of Monsieur the Marquis, with a large stone courtyard before it, and two stone sweeps of staircase meeting in a stone terrace before the principal door. A

16

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter X Two Promises

15 June 2023
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More months, to the number of twelve, had come and gone, and Mr. Charles Darnay was established in England as a higher teacher of the French language who was conversant with French literature. In this

17

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XI A Companion Picture

15 June 2023
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“Sydney,” said Mr. Stryver, on that self-same night, or morning, to his jackal; “mix another bowl of punch; I have something to say to you.” Sydney had been working double tides that night, and the n

18

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XII The Fellow of Delicacy

15 June 2023
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Mr. Stryver having made up his mind to that magnanimous bestowal of good fortune on the Doctor’s daughter, resolved to make her happiness known to her before he left town for the Long Vacation. After

19

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XIII The Fellow of no Delicacy

15 June 2023
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If Sydney Carton ever shone anywhere, he certainly never shone in the house of Doctor Manette. He had been there often, during a whole year, and had always been the same moody and morose lounger there

20

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XIV The Honest Tradesman

15 June 2023
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To the eyes of Mr. Jeremiah Cruncher, sitting on his stool in Fleet-street with his grisly urchin beside him, a vast number and variety of objects in movement were every day presented. Who could sit u

21

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XV Knitting

15 June 2023
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There had been earlier drinking than usual in the wine-shop of Monsieur Defarge. As early as six o’clock in the morning, sallow faces peeping through its barred windows had descried other faces within

22

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XVI Still Knitting

15 June 2023
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Madame Defarge and monsieur her husband returned amicably to the bosom of Saint Antoine, while a speck in a blue cap toiled through the darkness, and through the dust, and down the weary miles of aven

23

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XVII One Night

16 June 2023
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Never did the sun go down with a brighter glory on the quiet corner in Soho, than one memorable evening when the Doctor and his daughter sat under the plane-tree together. Never did the moon rise with

24

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XVIII Nine Days

16 June 2023
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The marriage-day was shining brightly, and they were ready outside the closed door of the Doctor’s room, where he was speaking with Charles Darnay. They were ready to go to church; the beautiful bride

25

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XIX An Opinion

16 June 2023
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Worn out by anxious watching, Mr. Lorry fell asleep at his post. On the tenth morning of his suspense, he was startled by the shining of the sun into the room where a heavy slumber had overtaken him w

26

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XX A Plea

16 June 2023
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When the newly-married pair came home, the first person who appeared, to offer his congratulations, was Sydney Carton. They had not been at home many hours, when he presented himself. He was not impro

27

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XXI Echoing Footsteps

16 June 2023
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A wonderful corner for echoes, it has been remarked, that corner where the Doctor lived. Ever busily winding the golden thread which bound her husband, and her father, and herself, and her old directr

28

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XXII The Sea still Rises

16 June 2023
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Madame Defarge, with her arms folded, sat in the morning light and heat, contemplating the wine-shop and the street. In both, there were several knots of loungers, squalid and miserable, but now with

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Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XXIII Fire Rises

16 June 2023
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There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to

30

Book the Second–the Golden Thread : Chapter XXIV Drawn to the Loadstone Rock

16 June 2023
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In such risings of fire and risings of sea–the firm earth shaken by the rushes of an angry ocean which had now no ebb, but was always on the flow, higher and higher, to the terror and wonder of the be

31

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter I In Secret

16 June 2023
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The traveller fared slowly on his way, who fared towards Paris from England in the autumn of the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two. More than enough of bad roads, bad equipages, and bad h

32

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter II The Grindstone

16 June 2023
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Tellson’s Bank, established in the Saint Germain Quarter of Paris, was in a wing of a large house, approached by a courtyard and shut off from the street by a high wall and a strong gate. The house be

33

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter III The Shadow

16 June 2023
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One of the first considerations which arose in the business mind of Mr. Lorry when business hours came round, was this:–that he had no right to imperil Tellson’s by sheltering the wife of an emigrant

34

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter IV Calm in Storm

17 June 2023
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Doctor Manette did not return until the morning of the fourth day of his absence. So much of what had happened in that dreadful time as could be kept from the knowledge of Lucie was so well concealed

35

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter V The Wood-sawyer

17 June 2023
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One year and three months. During all that time Lucie was never sure, from hour to hour, but that the Guillotine would strike off her husband’s head next day. Every day, through the stony streets, the

36

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter VI Triumph

17 June 2023
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The dread tribunal of five Judges, Public Prosecutor, and determined Jury, sat every day. Their lists went forth every evening, and were read out by the gaolers of the various prisons to their prisone

37

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter VII A Knock at the Door

17 June 2023
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“I have saved him.” It was not another of the dreams in which he had often come back; he was really here. And yet his wife trembled, and a vague but heavy fear was upon her. All the air round was so

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Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter VIII A Hand at Cards

17 June 2023
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Happily unconscious of the new calamity at home, Miss Pross threaded her way along the narrow streets and crossed the river by the bridge of the Pont-Neuf, reckoning in her mind the number of indispen

39

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter IX The Game Made

17 June 2023
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While Sydney Carton and the Sheep of the prisons were in the adjoining dark room, speaking so low that not a sound was heard, Mr. Lorry looked at Jerry in considerable doubt and mistrust. That honest

40

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter X The Substance of the Shadow

17 June 2023
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“I, Alexandre Manette, unfortunate physician, native of Beauvais, and afterwards resident in Paris, write this melancholy paper in my doleful cell in the Bastille, during the last month of the year, 1

41

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter XI Dusk

17 June 2023
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The wretched wife of the innocent man thus doomed to die, fell under the sentence, as if she had been mortally stricken. But, she uttered no sound; and so strong was the voice within her, representing

42

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter XII Darkness

17 June 2023
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Sydney Carton paused in the street, not quite decided where to go. “At Tellson’s banking-house at nine,” he said, with a musing face. “Shall I do well, in the mean time, to show myself? I think so. It

43

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter XIII Fifty-two

17 June 2023
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In the black prison of the Conciergerie, the doomed of the day awaited their fate. They were in number as the weeks of the year. Fifty-two were to roll that afternoon on the life-tide of the city to t

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Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter XIV The Knitting Done

17 June 2023
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In that same juncture of time when the Fifty-Two awaited their fate Madame Defarge held darkly ominous council with The Vengeance and Jacques Three of the Revolutionary Jury. Not in the wine-shop did

45

Book the Third–the Track of a Storm : Chapter XV The Footsteps die out For ever

17 June 2023
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Along the Paris streets, the death-carts rumble, hollow and harsh. Six tumbrils carry the day’s wine to La Guillotine. All the devouring and insatiate Monsters imagined since imagination could record

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