A Tale of Two Cities'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...' Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities portrays a world on fire, split between Paris and London during the brutal and bloody events of the French Revolution. After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille the aging Dr Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There, two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil lanes of London, they are all drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror and soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine. This edition uses the text as it appeared in its first serial publication in 1859 to convey the full scope of Dickens's vision, and includes the original illustrations by H.K. Browne ('Phiz'). Richard Maxwell's introduction discusses the intricate interweaving of epic drama with personal tragedy. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. |
Contents
A Dickens Chronology | xxxiv |
A Note on the Text | xlviii |
BOOK THE FIRST RECALLED TO LIFE I The Period 5 38 | 5 |
The Mail | 8 |
The Night Shadows | 14 |
The Preparation | 19 |
The WineShop | 30 |
A TALE OF TWO CITIES I | 40 |
Nine Days | 199 |
An Opinion | 205 |
A Plea | 214 |
Echoing Footsteps | 218 |
The Sea Still Rises | 230 |
Fire Rises | 236 |
Drawn to the Loadstone Rock | 243 |
BOOK THE THIRD THE TRACK OF A STORM I In Secret | 255 |
The Shoemaker | 41 |
BOOK THE SECOND THE GOLDEN THREAD I Five Years Later | 55 |
A Sight | 61 |
A Disappointment | 68 |
Congratulatory | 82 |
The Jackal | 89 |
Hundreds of People | 95 |
Monsieur the Marquis in Town | 108 |
Monsieur the Marquis in the Country | 117 |
The Gorgons Head | 123 |
IO Two Promises | 134 |
A Companion Picture | 142 |
The Fellow of Delicacy | 147 |
The Fellow of No Delicacy | 154 |
The Honest Tradesman | 159 |
Knitting | 171 |
Still Knitting | 182 |
One Night | 194 |
The Grindstone | 268 |
The Shadow | 274 |
Calm in Storm | 279 |
The WoodSawyer | 285 |
Triumph | 291 |
A Knock at the Door | 298 |
A Hand at Cards | 304 |
The Game Made | 318 |
The Substance of the Shadow | 331 |
Dusk | 346 |
Darkness | 351 |
Fiftytwo | 360 |
The Knitting Done | 372 |
The Footsteps Die Out For Ever | 384 |
On the Illustrations | 391 |
Running Titles Added in | 444 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alexandre Manette answer asked Barsad Bastille better breast brother carriage CHAPTER Charles Darnay Charles Dickens château child citizen coach Conciergerie cried crowd Cruncher dark daughter dead dear death Defarge's Dickens Dickens's Doctor Manette door end of instalment Evrémonde eyes face father France French Revolution gentleman Guillotine hair hand head heart hope hour husband Jacques Three knew knitting lettre de cachet light live London looked Lorry Lorry's Lucie Lucie Manette Madame Defarge Manette's mender of roads mind Miss Manette Miss Pross Monseigneur Monsieur Defarge Monsieur the Marquis never night Old Bailey Paris passed poor prisoner returned Saint Antoine seen shoemaker stone stood stopped streets Stryver Sydney Carton Tale tell Tellson's things took tumbrils turned Vengeance voice walked wife window wine wine-shop woman words Young Jerry