A Tale of Two Cities

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Andrew Sachs

Length: 14 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done...."

With these words and a superb act of bravery and sacrifice, one of the most badly behaved heroes of all time ends Charles Dickens' great tale of the French Revolution.

This is a firework display of a book, a crackling picture of the ravages and excesses of starving, furious men and the astonishing acts of heroism that usually accompany them.

Public Domain (P)2007 Silksoundbooks Limited

Monday 06/22/2020

I'm so glad I finally have listened to this classic. This reader was perfect! I loved hearing him speak about Dickens at the end, after he finished reading the story, it was very delightful :)

Wonderful Narration and Storytelling

The narration was excellent, and the story, compelling. The themes of the story are timeless, despite being set in particulary bloody time in French history, or maybe because of it. Either way, it is an amazing story and the performance is top-notch. Highly recommended.

Classic Tale Brought to Life

I’m reading this classic with my kids, and I’m so glad I chose to have us read along to this reader, Andrew Sachs. He is bringing this classic to life for us in a delightful way!!

Listen to this recording to appreciate Dickens

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

Yes. This is the best narration of the ten books on Audible I have listened to. Andrew Sachs is SPECTACULAR at bringing the characters to life (even better than George Guildall). You feel like you are in a London street listening to the conversations of real-life people. Since one of Dickens's great qualities is his ear for language, a narrator like Sachs is essential to making the book enjoyable, or even easier to understand.

What did you like best about this story?

I've read this book several times and taught it regularly over the years. I think what I appreciated this time through were the pacing and the balance, which make this big novel go by surprisingly quickly. Dickens devotes just the right amount of time to each stage of the narration; the story never becomes tedious. All the narrative elements are wrapped up elegantly at the end. The characters are also great. I particularly enjoyed the vengeful revolutionaries.

Have you listened to any of Andrew Sachs’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I'm so sorry to hear Sachs has passed away. I would have loved to hear him narrate every other major Dickens novel.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

One of the best

I have read Tale of Two Cities as well as listened to audio versions of the book. My favorite telling was done by Frank Muller. I found this version quite by accident, just scrolling and "window shopping" if you will. I was drawn to the telłing immediately. Andrew Sachs's reading is low key and relaxed. It is if he is inviting the listener to join him in witnessing what he is reading. I strongly urge any who loves reading Dickens to listen to Andrew Sachs's reading of this great work. It is a good match.

Andrew Sachs is masterful.

I really enjoyed this book and the actor could not have been better. Really his character voices take you and they are so well defined. Hats of to that gifted talented man

a classic rendering of a classic

Dickens, in all his glory, spins a tale of love, hate, honor, and redemption in the specific time and place of the French revolution, that nonetheless resonates beyond time and place. A masterful rendition by Andrew Sachs.

My all-time favorite

Narrator ,as always, was outstanding. I listen to this timeless tale once every summer. What greatness!!

Stunning performance of a brilliantly written book

I listened to this performance so I could stay current with my son's reading for his sophomore year BritLit/Exposition class. I am stunned by the beauty of the writing, the story, and the performance. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to have experienced this work by Charles Dickens when I otherwise would have probably never read or listened to it. I am a huge reader also but never had need or was aware of this work of literature before. Everyone should read or listen to it. This audible performance was phenomenal and so engaging...I couldn't wait to clean again so I could turn it back on and hear more. Thank you!

fantastic reader, great version of this classic

I have not read the book before. But I carefully selected the audiobook version I chose and I am very happy with Andrew Sachs performance. It was elegant and heartfelt and he performs every character distinctly. Dickens style is often of course a bit overly sentimental for modern tastes-- but in his more descriptive and insightful passages on the human condition, the quality of his prose is truly astonishing. And good writing will never go out of style, at least I hope not. Equally true of the timeless themes in this book. And Dickens is the master of deftly drawn, and often charmingly humorous, characters.