A Tale of Two Cities [Recorded Books]

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Frank Muller

Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." So begins this classic, one of the most beloved novels of all time. Charles Dickens brings the French Revolution to life through such vivid characters as Charles Darnay, the Old Doctor, Sydney Carton and Lucy Manette. The action peaks with the storming of the Bastille, the dreaded symbol of government authority. And the blade of La Guillotine falls again...

(P)1986 by Recorded Books, Inc.

Magnifique!

What did you love best about A Tale of Two Cities?

It's such a wonderful insight into the people, the times, the motivations underlying the French Revolution.

Which scene was your favorite?

The bitter-sweet ending...

Any additional comments?

Just another fabulous, can't recommend it enough offering from Dickens on Audible.

I wish I had this in high school

Didn't quite finish it in high school was really bored and it was so long. Much to my surprise, listening to this addition as an adult I found this book to be one of the most moving stories I've ever heard. During the climax I found myself to be quite anxious of the outcome. while not a perfect book I found myself to care for the characters and be interested in the history and be fascinated by the overall arc of the story. Highly recommended. The narration was most impressive, as the narrator was obviously a trained actor who put considerable effort into creating a voice for at least a dozen important characters with two native languages to draw upon. To my knowledge, he only mispronounced a couple of words out of the entire text.

A classic

This is a classic that I find easy to enjoy. I personally think that, for me, to get to most out of this particular book, I need to maybe read rather than listen to it. The reason is that the stories get quite tangled and have a lot of intricate detail that I don't catch as much if I am listening while doing other things. Either way, I recommend it!

Spectacular!

Frank lMuller is a genius! I now buy books just to listen to him.

I used HATE Dickens, but this converted me.

I used HATE Dickens, but this converted me.
Great and moving story. I listened to this because I love Frank Muller. He did a masterful job of dictating the story and converting me to the world of Dickens.
A Tale Of Two Cities is a sweeping work of the French Revolution. I was forced to read this book my sophomore year of high school in English class, and hated it. I actively avoided the book. I think I remember that I read the Cliff Notes version and I remember flunking the tests for it and vowed to never read Dickens again. Thankfully, I reneged on that vow. I read A Christmas Carol and enjoyed it, but thought it was a fluke.
This story is a sweeping epic that stirred my heart and touched the very depths of my soul.

A Classic for Classic Skeptics

There are times when I avoid anything labeled a classic because they often don't live up to the hype. I was more apprehensive about this book because I've heard it referred to so often as well as some of its famous quotes, even worse in this case because I even know the opening line without ever having read it: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Even Capt. Kirk opened a famous Star Trek scene with this line.

After this first sentence was done, the "ho hum" thought that flashed through my mind quickly melted away as the opening continued with an eloquence I had not expected. This alone won't make a 13 hour audiobook enjoyable but by the time I got to the "meat" of the book, the characters had drawn me in.

Some areas of the book are in fact, so long-winded that you wonder where the author could possibly be going with all this detail. What I love about that--which surprises even me--is that the author has a way of sneaking something critical into all that detail that doesn't hit you for a second or two. Then after it sinks in, you have this feeling like he just snuck up on you silently, then whacked you with the sledgehammer hiding behind his back. He got me with that several times.

That is the genius of this book. The characters keep you too interested to stop reading while Dickens keeps lulling you into peaceful states of mind by describing tranquil scenes, then he pounds you with that hammer while your guard is down. Brilliant.

I should also mention, the narration was among the best I've heard so far. Creates a truly immersive experience.

Mixed...

Very nice voice, yes. But like another reviewer I caught my mind wandering and had to pull myself back, or rewind frequently. I do plan to look up this narrator's audiobooks - there might be other material he's better suited for. With him, Dickens' sober tone gets turned a notch sarcastic, and I find myself listening hard to discern the real 'emotion' of many sentences. As for the content - you can't help but savor Dickensonian phrasing. I'm actually going to read the book at home, to soak it right up (and, well, to compensate for the odd word my ears can't pick up through the narrator's accent).

A True Classic

I never get tired of this story. One to listen to over and over.

NOT A KIDS BOOK - GREAT ADULT LISTENING

I am a fan of Dickens, and enjoy his writing. WARNING: This is listed as a ‘kid’s’ book. It is not. This book has an intricate adult story line. There is slaughter of hundreds, blood running in the streets, dead bodies being mutilated and their heads placed on pikes, and extensive use of the guillotine. There is death of a child by illness, death of a child by accident, murder, and revenge. There is also great love and sacrifice. Even though the words used are not vulgar, crude, or obscene, it still dos not make this a kid’s book. It is an adult book, with a powerful story.

Great story and narrator, bad recording

Loved it, and the narrator is excellent. Unfortunately the recording is quite muffled, and I had to listen at a high volume to understand it.