A Tale of Two Cities [Tantor]

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

This novel provides a highly charged examination of human suffering and human sacrifice, private experience and public history, during the French Revolution.

A Tale of Two Cities is one of Charles Dickens's most exciting novels. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, it tells the story of a family threatened by the terrible events of the past. Doctor Manette was wrongly imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years without trial by the aristocratic authorities. Finally released, he is reunited with his daughter, Lucie, who despite her French ancestry has been brought up in London. Lucie falls in love with Charles Darnay, another expatriate, who has abandoned wealth and a title in France because of his political convictions. When revolution breaks out in Paris, Darnay returns to the city to help an old family servant, but there he is arrested because of the crimes committed by his relations. His wife, Lucie, their young daughter, and her aged father follow him across the channel, thus putting all their lives in danger.

Public Domain (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

Charles Dickens's classic of the French Revolution is expertly dramatized by Simon Vance. It's also a grand romance. Charles Darnay, the French émigré who relinquishes his title in disgust at the poverty wrought upon the peasants by the titled class, and Sydney Carton, the world-weary drunken London barrister, both love Lucie, the daughter of the unjustly imprisoned Dr. Alexandre Manette. Vance will have listeners weeping as Carton greets Madame Guillotine with some of the most famous lines in literature. Carton's depression and ultimate redemption are crystal clear; Madame Defarge, with her clicking knitting needles, takes on appropriate menace; and Jarvis Lorry, the reliable "man of business," loves Lucie as if she were his daughter." (AudioFile magazine)

Charles Dickens read by Simon Vance...

...what more needs to be said? Well, apparently a review here must contain 15 words.

I liked this so much better than I thought I would

I knew the famous opening line of this book but had never managed to read it until now. Amazing! What a lovely and beautiful story, full of heroics, villains, and romance. You can probably guess halfway through how it's going to pan out, and I'm pretty sure Dickens didn't know how to write a successful romance, only a tragic one, so the most poignant moments tend to be the most tragic. But it is a beautifully written story and very satisfying.

amazing book!

i loved the voice actor. he truly added to the book as a whole. spectacular.

And what a tale it is!

Thoroughly enjoyed Simon Vance narrating this classic. Wonderful story and characters. It helps to review the list of characters before beginning to listen.

Wish I could give the performance more than 5 star

Wonderful narration of this classic book. I've read the book and listened to the narration. Simon Vance does a great job voicing the various characters. I'm a big fan of Charles Dickens in general as I like his writing style. This is a well-written and well-performed story. If anyone is on the fence based on the reputation or length of the book, I would say go for it, but make sure you get this narration!

A Tale of Two Cities was news to me.

I enjoyed this book. The audio book was well done, with the reader giving enough different clues so the listener could keep up with which character was speaking. The story is a little heavy-handed for me, but the ideas were noble enough and the characters were rich enough to be believable.

guilt

I feel terribly guilty. I know that I am supposed to like Dickens. Everyone is supposed to like Dickens. And I remember liking it in high school, three and a half decades ago, but I just did not enjoy it at all. I shall read no more Dickens! Nor Darles Chickens neither!

a classic tale read for you

the classic tale divided into three books is a difficult lesson at first. But eventually the tail weed self together into an enjoyable listen. Set in revolutionary France, the story of a family swept up in the revolution

A superb book, narrated to perfection.

I'm a Dickens fan, read most all he wrote decades ago. Decided to revisit Two Cities for driving entertainment, and I am utterly awestruck all over again at Dickens' ability to capture every nuance of reality, both physical and emotional, in his scenes. The scene of Manette at his cobblers bench in the garret is one of the most vivid ever written in the English language.

The experience of Dickens via audio book is made perfect by Vance's narration. It is an absolutely masterful performance in every way. And performance is the operative word- his voicing, cadence, and emotional interpretation are spot on. What an total pleasure in every respect. I have no patience for the narration of many audio books, and in fact have returned more than one because the reader is lackluster or even terrible. I am even further ruined now because this is simply the best I have heard.

it is a far better thing to listen to this book. t

the story of mr. cotton and his love for Lucy is truly memorable and one of the greatest love stories in the history of all literature. Simon Vance is the best narrator for this book and will truly move you at the end of the book. if you are listening to Charles Dickens this is the version not-to-be-missed of A Tale of Two Cities. the French Revolution and the terror were truly gruesome events in the history of mankind. Charles Dickens brings this to life in a story of love and sacrifice that is treasured for many generations.