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)

One of the most beautiful books I've ever read or had read to me

In short, I loved it. The language, plot, descriptions, and everything else were truly masterful. And it only added to have it read by such a masterful voice.

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Amazing story with terrific narration

Simon Vance is a wonderful narrator and gives so much life to the characters. Then again, Dickens is one of my favorite writers. Fantastic combination!

A good tale, well told

The characters emotions are sketched rather than drawn
But the story vividly describes injustice and the subsequent madness of vengeance brilliantly

Great performance of a Great classic!

I throughly enjoyed the narrators voice, and rendition of each character. He really brought the story to life! Well done!

Well written classic

The narration was great. It was a little hard to follow with so many characters.

Excellent Dickens classic

It’s easy to see why this is a classic. Great story and excellent writing with, at times, humorous prose. The narrator does a great job bringing to life the various characters.

Wonderful

Truly one of the best novels of all time. Wonderful reading by Simon Vance. Spectacular.

Perhaps the best novel ever written.

If you love English literature, you can't go wrong! I am suppose to say fivereen more words, but this great book does not need them.

Good but long to get to the point

overall the story was very enjoyable and has a very powerful ending. However, the number of characters can become difficult to manage when reading through the story and the story will drag at times in seemingly unnecessary or unrelated portions of the book. It takes the story quite some time to get to the point.