A Tale of Two Cities

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Martin Jarvis

Length: 14 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times'; so the recording begins and ends with some of Dickens' best-known words, and between those lines is every Briton's view of the worst excesses of the French Revolution.

Set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution, the audiobook tells the story of a French doctor who is imprisoned for 18 years in the Bastille in Paris. Upon his release, he moves to London with his daughter, Lucie, whom he had never met. She marries but there is conflict between her husband and the people who decades earlier caused her father's imprisonment.

Set against the backdrop of the conditions that led up to the French Revolution, it depicts the plight of the French peasantry demoralised by the French aristocracy and the brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries during the Reign of Terror, towards the former aristocrats.

Dickens was one of eight children from a very poor family, with his father eventually being sent to debtor's prison. Dickens began work at the age of 12 to help clear the family debt. It was this troublesome childhood that provided him with much of the material for his novels and lent him a sympathetic voice for the poor.

Narrator Biography

Martin Jarvis is one of Britain's most admired actors. His audiobook output is legendary. He is described in Vanity Fair as 'the Olivier of audiobooks' and 'genius of the Spoken Word' in the LA Times. Award-winning recordings range from titles by Charles Dickens, P.G. Wodehouse and Michael Frayn to thrillers by Jeffrey Archer, Wilbur Smith, Ian Fleming and Dick Francis.

He has starred in many acclaimed West End and National Theatre productions and received the Theatre World Award as Jeeves on Broadway. Numerous UK television appearances encompass Law & Order, Doctor Who, Endeavour, Inspector Morse and The Forsyte Saga. In America: Murder She Wrote, Numb3rs, Cosmos and Walker, Texas Ranger. Films include Titanic, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Wreck-It Ralph. Videogames: Alfred in Batman, Finn McMissile in Cars. Martin was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

A Rediscovery of an Old Friend

My mother, an English teacher for many years, impressed a deep love for the classics upon me. Dickens remains a personal favorite as I love the depth of his characters, the movement of the action, and the timeliness of his stories.

Tale is a perfect example of Dickens' writing at its finest. Weaving an intricate story of family and friends embroiled in the French Revolution, the author leaves the listener on edge at the end of every chapter; one simply cannot hit the pause button but instead must know what happens next.

When I was in tenth grade (many more years ago than I care to admit), my class read this novel, and we actually read it aloud. Suffice it to say, the narrator of this version has much more talent than my classmates and me. :) The narrator absolutely brought this book to life. The character voices were outstanding (although the one for Lucy was a bit odd, but it worked OK). You could not only hear but feel the passion of the marvelous text.

I hope you enjoy this lovely version. I believe it's one you'll want to turn to again and again.

Truly exceptional

This is an absolutely outstanding audiobook. The story is one of Dickens' most enthralling works, and Martin Jarvis' narration captures its essence with unmatched passion. Dickens' wit sparkles in Jarvis' voice as brightly as the darkness and helplessness loom heavily. The characters come to life in all their facets, keeping up with the lively narration. If you are looking for the right Dickens for entertainment, you can't go wrong with A Tale of Two Cities. And if you are looking for the right version of this masterpiece - you will enjoy this one tremendously.

Excellent In Every Way

This may just be the quintessential audiobook version of A Tale of Two Cities. I have a preference for a single narrator of the classics such as the Dicken's novels (as opposed to multiple actors) and Martin Jarvis is absolutely excellent in this role. His main narration of the text is confident and consistent with no affectations or pregnant pauses and the voices he gives to the characters are spot-on.

If you are new to the great 'A Tale of Two Cities', then you are in for a particularly exciting treat. If, on the other hand, you are returning to it again (as was my case), Martin Jarvis may just make you think you are hearing it for the first time. 'It was the best of times....'

Best made Better

The reader of this book brings it to life in a way far superior to the written word. It's always been a classic and my favorite, but now it's even better.

Enchanting, inspiring, exciting

One needs some patience to get used to Dickens' style in the early parts of this wonderful book, but listening to the audio helps make the story understandable. And like so many of life's treasures that require work before reward, this story pays off the patient reader in the end with emotional and intellectual paybacks that top all books I know of except possibly Les Miserables. My first attempst to read the book led nowhere, but finally I listened to the audio and read the book at the same time (more or less) and I got hooked into a book that I rank as one of the two best fiction works I have ever read (and I am a teacher of English with 30 years experience, and a bookworm too...) I have now read and listened to the book about ten times and I plan to revisit it again, at least every two years....it is too good to ignor.

Very well portrayed

An excellent version of this classic tale. The voice is extremely clear and effectively portrays the numerous characters in the book - to the point that, even if you can't remember their names, you recognise them by the reader's tone.

Brillant!!

OOhhhhh...such a hard book to read or listen to -- at first - then it is as great as David Copperfield or his other works. The characters are so well exemplified. Mr. Dickens is a wonder to beyond at creating characters and making them so believeable and entertaining. You really get to “know” them. Everyone, give this reading a real chance. This is one of my favorite all-time books. Bravado!

And, Martin Jarvis, reading is fantastic. I question if there was indeed only one reader. He plays each character. I would almost call it a dramatization.

A great story. A heartfelt story. Yet -- history. You learn something in the reading (or listening) of this story. Human nature - be it compassion or barbarism - is human nature and we are probably all capable of both put into certain circumstances.

All in all, this is so worth your time. It is entertaining, enlightening, and pure wonder at the wisdom of Dickens words. I loved it!!

Top notch!

For any fan of Dickens, this is a no-brainer. The narration is terrific and it only adds to the story. I will leave the critical review of Dickens' view of the French Revolution to others. For my money, this is one of the best ways to enjoy this classic novel. Highly recommend.

Great Book, Fantastic Narration

This book is a little richer and less formulaic that some Dickens novels (and I like most Dickens novels.) There are some great themes running through it. You might even shed a tear at the beautiful ending.
The narration on this book is one of the best I have ever heard. The voices are so well created and differentiated that the narrator could have never read "said ___" etc and I would have known exactly which of the 5-6 characters in a scene was talking.
Highly Recommended!

Outstanding

A wonderful version. I've started this book several times, but only now finished it. I'm glad I did. This has given me a new appreciation for the power of Dickens' writing. I strongly recommend it.

The best of books, the best of readers

Possibly Dickens' greatest work, certainly English literatures greatest opening AND closing lines 'A Tale of Two Cities' may also be the incomparable Martin Jarvis's greatest reading.
His characterisation enhances the written text, bringing life to the already lively players in this masterpiece.
Possibly the best of the hundreds of auido books I have enjoyed.

A

This audiobook is like a good symphony conducted by a really great director. It is an amazing work by Martin Javis: so many diferent voices that it seems as if he were 10 actors.

Can cause embarrassment!

Having struggled in the past with Dickens but having rediscoverd my love of Jane Austen via audible audiobooks - I took the plunge with the Tale of Two Cities since I am planning a trip to Paris soon. Well, what a wonderful experience. The beauty of the language, the devices Dickens uses like repetition, and the laugh out loud humour all came alive in this audiobook experience. All credit goes to Martin Jarvis - what a fantastic talent in voicing these characters, bringing the lyricism out so perfectly. However, I was unprepared for the emotional response the experience evoked - so if you are apt to shed a tear at poignant moments make sure you are on your own for the end of this and not walking home actually sobbing out loud like I was - how embarrassing!

A really enjoyable listen

Martin Jarvis does the Tale of Two Cities brilliantly. I never thought I'd find Dickens so compulsive and I've listened to this more than once. Highly recommended. If you don't think you are a Dickens fan - try this!

a Tale of Two Cities

Having just finished listening to this I felt moved to write a review! I thought this was absolutely superb. Beautifully read by Martin Jarvis, he brought the characters alive and as you listened you felt they were there beside you. I can't recommend this too highly enough

Don't fall for a cheaper version of this book!

I made the mistake of purchasing a cheaper (unrated) version of this book. I spent a good few hours slogging through it, with many rewinds to clarify the story, by the end of the first download I reached a point where I thought that this book was beyond me but I did not want to declare defeat. Having previously listened to Martin Jarvis narrate Great Expectations I decided to download his version of a Tale of Two Cities. I am so thankful I did so as it has been an enjoyable listen, and with some additional historical background information from a Dicken's site, an informative read. This is the version to download.

Dickens and Jarvis doing what they each do best

Martin Jarvis employs his great range in making each of the many characters in this book burst into life. And it's a great story of injustice and hate, full of initial mystery which unfolds layer after layer as it draws all the players togther in the final act. Some of Dickens lends itself to some judicially abridging but 'A Tale of Two Cities' all in all stays on track and is worth going the full distance.

Great story, brilliant narration

This was an absolute pleasure to listen to. Martin Jarvis is brilliant and keeps your interest in the long convoluted Dickensian passages as well as so cleverly playing all the characters. He even manages to say the well known opening and ending with new emphasis and meaning.

A reading that truly does the text justice.

One of the main reasons I listen to audio books is to reacquaint myself with novels I have read in the past. I loves books, not just for the stories they contain, but because they are books. I love the feel and the smell of the paper. I love the sense of anticipation of what the next page turn will bring.



But there are so many good books out there, and so little time. I won’t be on this Earth long enough to read all I want to read even once, let alone to re-read any of it! To do so would be at the exclusion of some other great story.



However some books demand re-reading, and that is where audio books have found their place in my life. Now, as I walk, drive, prepare dinner, do my ironing etc. I can re-visit some of the worlds greatest literature, and what better example of such a story than A Tale of Two Cities?



This is a remarkable book. The story is meticulously constructed and the world is described with Dickens’ trademark poetic attention to detail. It also suffers from the usual flaw in Dickens’ work, in that the characters are what E.M. Forster describes as being ‘flat’ and not ‘round’. However the story unfolds with such confident style and momentum that you are breathlessly swept along to the books immortal closing lines.



The text of A Tale of Two Cities speaks for itself. However, when Martin Jarvis speaks it, the story comes alive in a whole new way. He breathes such a distinct voice into each character that at times I was sure there was more than one person reading. He doesn't just read the story, he becomes it. During the storming of the Bastille I was so overwhelmed that I had to stop in the middle of the street, and I stood there enraptured until the siege had ended.



While I would always recommend just reading an actual book, especially if it is your first encounter with a story, this Martin Jarvis rendition of A Tale of Two Cities is definitely worth your time and money. Unquestionably five stars.

Outstanding classic

This gripping, stirring tale deserves its accolade of 'literary classic'.

And Martin Jarvis' narration is a match for Dickens' genius with his mellifluous tone and versatile array of different character voices.

Loved it. You can't go wrong buying this audio book!