Stock photo: cover may vary
A Tale of Two Cities (Puffin Classics) Paperback - 1996
by Dickens, Charles
- Used
- Acceptable
- Paperback
NZ$9.45
Free Delivery within USA
Standard delivery: 4 to 8 days
More delivery options
Standard delivery: 4 to 8 days
Ships from Orion LLC (Texas, United States)
Details
- Title A Tale of Two Cities (Puffin Classics)
- Author Dickens, Charles
- Binding Paperback
- Edition Abridged
- Condition Used - Acceptable
- Pages 371
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Puffin, New York, New York
- Publication date 1996-01-01
- Bookseller's Inventory # 0140373365-4-36967989
- ISBN 9780140373363 / 0140373365
- Weight 0.55 lbs (0.25 kg)
- Dimensions 7.82 x 5.16 x 0.71 in (19.86 x 13.11 x 1.80 cm)
- Size 5x0x7
- Age range 12 to UP years
- Grade levels 7 - UP
- Reading level 710
- Category Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction
- Library of Congress subjects Historical fiction, Fathers and daughters
- Library of Congress Catalogue Number 95077835
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
- Quantity available 1
About Orion LLC Texas, United States
About this book
Written by Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel that follows Manette, a French doctor imprisoned for 18 long years in Paris’s Bastille. Following his release, he goes to live in London with his daughter Lucie, who had never met him and believed him to be dead. Set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution and Reign of Terror, A Tale of Two Cities is a fictitious story that falls both into the historical and adventure genres. The famous book is one of the bestselling novels of all time, both for the atmosphere that Dickens’ creates and the tension he weaves. Full of love and brutality, A Tale of Two Cities exposes the highs and lows of humanity.
Summary
150TH ANNIVERSARY EDITIONWith dramatic eloquence, this story of the French Revolution brings to life a time of terror and treason, and a starving people rising in frenzy and hate to overthrow a corrupt and decadent regime.
Reader reviews for A Tale of Two Cities (Puffin Classics)
Review summary
Readers report a dense, unevenly paced classic: the early chapters feel slow and ornate, with limited character development, but the Paris-set final third is widely praised as tense and emotionally devastating. Many highlight Dickens’s quotable prose and incisive social critique of class violence, noting that guides or audiobooks helped with the style. While a minority abandoned it as dull or contrived, others call it a masterpiece whose ending justifies the effort.
Readers say this book is:
slow startdense prosedemanding readsocially incisiveviolentquotablelimited character depthrewardingemotionally powerfulgripping finaleWrite a review for this book
Important Terms and Guidelines
- Please focus on the book’s content and context. Also, add any personal comments as to how you enjoyed the book. Substantiate your likes and dislikes. You may make comparisons to other books.
- Reviews must be at least 140 characters in length.
- Please do not reveal critical plot elements.
- This is not a help line. Contact customer support if you need help.
Your review must not include:
- Obscenities, discriminatory language, or other insulting language not suitable for public domain
- Advertisements, “spam” content, or references to other products, offers or websites.
- Email addresses, URLs, phone numbers, physical addresses or other contact information.
- Overly critical comments about other reviews or reviewers
- Time-sensitive material (i.e. promotional tours, seminars, lectures, etc.)
- Availability, price, or alternative ordering/shipping information
From the publisher
First line
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.
First edition identification
A Tale of Two Cities was first published in 31 weekly installments in a journal called All the Year Round between April and November of 1859, and published in a book form in the same year. The publisher of the first book edition was Chapman and Hall, based in London. Original illustrations were done by H. K. Browne on 16 plates inserted into the book. The first edition is a hardcover, octavo book with maroon cloth covers. However, some first editions have had the binding refurbished. A key way to identify first editions of A Tale of Two Cities is that page 213 is misnumbered as “113.” Additionally, affectionately is misspelled as “affetcionately” on line 12, page 134. Finally, the signature “b” is present on the list of plate illustrations.
