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.

Masterful Delivery of a Dickens Classic!

Where does A Tale of Two Cities rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Audiobooks are invariably somewhat "hit-or-miss," as one would surely never confuse something like a Dickens novel for a "closet play." In this case, however, Martin Jarvis has delivered an absolutely stunning performance, with smooth delivery of the different voices and a marvelous sense of pacing. Naturally, I feel somewhat reluctant to rate this volume against others I have heard, but suffice it to say the Jarvis presentation is absolutely as fine as any yet known to me.

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

Jarvis holds the listener's interest through the long, descriptive passages (which may, in fact, sour some readers on Dickens). He is at his best toward the end, when one may truly appreciate the development of Sydney Carton. Jarvis effects the transformation of the character splendidly yet effortlessly.

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

While I very much enjoyed the audiobook, I maintain the prejudice of my generation -- to wit, that it is probably better to read than to listen. The question above begs the issue of story-telling vs. writing, and these are two different art forms. Let us simply conclude that both Jarvis and Dickens have much to offer!

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

I can readily imagine that some listeners have been (or will be) moved to tears by the noble sacrifice and last sentiments of Carton at the end.

Any additional comments?

Tremendous production! Bravo!

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.

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.

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.

A True Classic Marvelously Read

This is a marvelous audiobook version of a true classic novel. I was immediately gripped by it from the opening chapters (a vivid set piece depicting a coach traveling through a stormy British night over bad roads in danger from highwaymen) until the very end. It made me chuckle (especially in the scenes involving Jerry Cruncher, the dubious "tradesman" who can't abide his wife's "floppin'" (praying) against him), moved me to tears (especially in some scenes involving Dr. Manette or Sidney Carton), frightened me (especially in the scenes with the implacable Madame Defarge and her knitting needles), appalled me (especially in the scenes involving Saint Guillotine), and impressed me (especially when Dickens gets on one of his patented rolls describing something like when the wine barrel breaks outside the Parisian wine shop and the locals come crowding around on their hands and knees to drink up the wine from between the sharp cobblestones, using their hands and handkerchiefs and pushing mud from the gutters up to form wine dams and generally becoming inebriated and red-dyed, prefiguring the bloodshed to come…). Never a dull moment. Informed with Dickens' hatred of social injustice and systemic brutality and pitiless cruelty and with his love of love in any form.

And Martin Jarvis reads like a man possessed, giving each of the main characters their own distinct voice, becoming excited or quiet appropriately, bringing out all the nuances of Dickens' text, making the listening experience so vivid and cinematic in the mind.

I would give this more than five stars (but there is a place in the first part and a place in the second where strange electric noises pop up for several seconds).

Very well read

Martin Jarvis does an excellent job narrating this title. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

One of the best

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

Great story with great narration

Have you listened to any of Martin Jarvis???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

A perfect performance by the narrator. I will definitely look for more works by Mr. Jarvis.

Was there a moment in the book that particular moved you?

The horror and pain of this place and time, and how it is captured by Dickens in this story, truly makes this one of the greatest books ever.

Any additional comments?

Why the bad editing? The chapters, and especially the ending, are truncated abruptly. And there is an annoying popping sound in a few parts of the book. It is hard to believe that there was not more care taken in the recording of such a great story with incredible narration. However, don't let this deter you from listening to one of the most entertaining readings available on Audible.

Excellent

I loved this book in high school and it's just as good today. The narration was excellent and Dicken's was, as usual, excellent as well.

love Martin Jarvis

great classic story made amazing by Martin Jarvis. definitely the best narrator I've listened to so far.

Wonderful narration

Although Dickens' words are extraordinary, this book was made even more enjoyable to me because it was read so well and brilliantly by the amazing, Martin Jarvis. Every character was brought to life; every word so well articulated. A true classic novel. Make your children listen to it.