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)

Great work of English Lit. continued relevance

In these divisive times, a great story to unify and recall where we've been before and where we shan't go again

amazing narrator

The book is a classic. The narrator is masterful in his reading. I very much enjoyed listening.

Narrator a little over the top but still a classic

Narrator reads all characters in different voices and attempts women's voices as well. Very distracting at first but you get used to it after a while. Would've preferred he just read everything in his own voice but the story pulls it through handily.

A classic tale

So beautifully narrated it will not disappoint you. A must on the reading list for high school students, it is perhaps enjoyed even more by an adult with a love for classics. An aristocrat flees France to settle in England during the French revolution and pays for his ancestors' ill deeds. Charles Dickens, a master writer of his age, satisfies a keen reader to this day. Even in 2017 one can see the sad traits of human nature. I loved hearing Simon Vance's interpretation of the characters in this touching tale.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

So special to hear Dickens words spoken! Delightful. Nothing more need be said should you be already familiar with the tale.

Better and more engaging than any modern tv series

Would you consider the audio edition of A Tale of Two Cities [Tantor] to be better than the print version?

The audio version of A Tale of Two Cities narrated by Simon Vance offers a far more enhanced experience to the modern reader (and listener) than the written version. Complex language, speech and nuanced sentences are richly delivered audibly by Simon Vance who masters accents, descriptive narration and vivid character portrayal. This is the finest piece of narration I have encountered in Audible.

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite?

Simon Vance presented the array of characters in a way that the unique manner of speech really illuminates each personality to a position making it very difficult to choose which was a favorite. However, in this case, under the threat of "liberty, equality, fraternity or death", I would have to choose Jarvis Lorry whose apparent dull manner yet heightened sensibilities are cleverly handled by Vance.

Love it!!

One of the greatest books of all time. The story is great, and the characters are so lovable. Also Madam Defarge is one of the most terrifying villains in any story I've heard. Narrator was great!

One of my all-time favorites.

Absolutely loved the story and the narration. I’m usually a non-fiction reader, but I never read this in school, and my daughter just finished the hard copy - and she raved about it. So I tried it here and am so glad I did!

I’ll listen to this one again.

Fantastic

It’s difficult to get into, I think, but by about the last quarter of the book you’re glad you paid attention to things that didn’t seem important earlier. Dickens does a good job pointing out that no side is clean of madness. Vance is a great narrator.

I love this story

I have read this book at least 10 times; this is first time I listened to it and I truly enjoyed it. The narrator did a very good job with the different people/voices. The story line is classic but I still cry at the end, even though I know what’s coming. It was nice to sit back and just listen and let my mind create the pictures!