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.

Two classics expertly perfomed

Muller narration captures Dickens characters expertly, particularly in Two Cities when he is called to use French and English accents. Dickens stories and his commentary on the human condition is classic mastery.

Great story

What made the experience of listening to A Tale of Two Cities the most enjoyable?

The narrator was superb. I'm not sure I could follow the Dickens' convoluted language reading my self.

What about Frank Muller’s performance did you like?

His ability to do both men's and women's voice without sounding foolish

Beautiful beyond words

Inspired, moving, of great depth of understanding, and complete in every way, Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" is sublime. Narrator Frank Muller brings this tale to life.

No Presumption

It would be a presumption for me to pass any judgment on this timeless classic. I will only focus on the performance in reading it. I have listened to many Audible books but this one has been done with such an amazing ability to switch among characters in such a seamless and convincing manner that I feel privileged to have heard it.

Classic from beginning to end

A classic story narrated by a classic artist. This is one of many reasons I am an audio book patron.

One of the greatest stories ever told

I absolutely agree with the other reviewers. I always had problems getting into Dickens' novels but the narrator's reading is brilliant. An exciting, engaging story with unforgettable characters. I hated coming to the end.

WIll leave a lasting impact

I had never read this book before, nor much of Dickens writings so I didn't know what to expect. The story line is a little hard to follow since the book is so verbose, and sometimes the long dialogs are very delicate and subtle, leaving me to wonder if I really understood what the author intended. I normally rewind 30 seconds to 1 minute to catch something I missed, but with this book you have to rewind about 5 minutes-worth to find the beginning of the thought, so I found that I just let it go and moved on.

The narrator is amazing and nearly acts out the parts. He has unique accents for each character. It was his accents that helped me keep the characters straight in my mind. 5 stars for the narrator.

The highlight of this book for me is that this is a literary work of art. Dickens is a master craftsman of the language. It is like sitting back listening to a symphony, bathing yourself in the rich full sound of the music. Even if you can't follow the melody, the sound still envelops you and carries you away.

The book certainly gets 5 stars, but for me, the audio format, even with a great narration, makes it hard to capture the full impact of this book. If you want the full impact, you should probably go with the print version.

Chilling

I've read the book several times, but listening to this narration communicated the horror and blodthirsty nature of the revolution. The characters are all very real, and you care about them as you may not have cared about any others. Bravo!

Great story, excellent narration!!

This is of course, a classic. Please note that the audio was taken from the cassette source, but that shouldn't stop you from listening if you love the narration.

Sydney Carton's words are beautifully rendered

Would you listen to A Tale of Two Cities again? Why?

Yes, parts of it many times. Dickens use of imagery and his insight into human emotions make him one of my favorite authors. His dialogue is not always natural, but is almost always wonderful. Makes you wish that people really talked that way.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Tale of Two Cities?

The end of the story shows Dickens at his best. In addition, the scene between the released prisoner and his daughter is masterful.

What does Frank Muller bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mr. Muller does a great job with the character's voices. His reading of Sydney Carton's last thoughts on the scaffold is stunning. (Yes, this it the "It's a far, far..." monologue.) You'll want to hear that part over and over again.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This is not much humor in this story, and it is basically dark and grim. It will take you a while to warm up to it. Dickens' shows the French peasants in their abject poverty and misery and in their pitiless revenge against the ruling class and the aristocracy.

Any additional comments?

As with most Dickens' writing, some parts are too long, there are too many coincidences, digressions are often too long and come at bad times, romantic love is...well...over-romanticized, etc. Some devices are more artful that realistic e.g. the elaborately written story found in the prisoner's cell. However, everything else is so well done that I find it easy to overlook the parts that work less well.