A Tale of Two Cities

by Stephen Colbourn (Retold by), Charles Dickens

1775. Two cities - London and Paris.
The Prisoner from 105 North Tower of the Bastille Prison is free.
But why was the prison in Paris for eighteen years?
He leaves France and travels to England. Will he and his family be safe from their enemies?

Genres: Classics

64 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2015

Reviews

[Pamela Lamb]

The Victorians must have been out of fashion in the 1960s when I was at high school because I can't remember reading any of them. It's probably to my advantage that I didn't have them inflicted on me during my teens but was allowed to discover them by myself in adulthood. I have come to love Charles Dickens - especially for his characters and his dialogue. So it was with great pleasure I christened my new Kindle with A Tale of Two Cities - which I have never read! Of course sickly sweet heroines like Lucie Manette are a little hard to take in the 21st century but she is balanced by the wonderful Miss Pross and the crazy Madame Defarge with her knitting. My favourite characters are the flawed Sydney Carton and Jarvis Lorry, the Manettes' faithful friend. I've taken off one star because Miss Manette was so annoying. Apart from that, I loved it!

[Mirrani]

How do you describe a classic other than to explain the writing? How do you explain the writing without having to explain the upsetting circumstances surrounding the characters involved?

The last part is easy, as is the case with the classics, most know already that A Tale of Two Cities is set in the time of the French Revolution. It begins in good times, but ends on the opposite end of the spectrum, while still finding a way to give hope to those turning the pages of history.

There are visuals within these pages that will touch any reader, clear and beautiful in their wording. However, in keeping with the dual nature of things, there are also visuals that will touch the reader holding the sadness and horror of what had come about during the time of multiple executions.

Life changes for many this book touches, that includes those holding it in their hands.

[s5abrim]

As a C2 English student, reading this Beginner-level adaptation was an absolute breeze. It was super easy to read and took no time at all

The ending got to me, though. Sydney Carton’s ultimate sacrifice left me feeling quite sad. Knowing he chose the guillotine out of pure, unrequited love for Lucie is just heartbreaking. The raw tragedy of his final choice hits hard

For such a short book (around 600 key words), it does a fantastic job hitting the main themes: the stark contrast between the peaceful, safe life the characters build in London versus the absolute chaos and bloodbath of revolutionary Paris. The idea of being "recalled to life"; but Carton’s transformation from a cynical, broken man into a selfless hero is the absolute heart of the story, finding meaning in his final moments

Finally, I must say that I liked the illustrations

3.5/5

[Amir]

Good book

[Niass Mussaab]

very interesting as well as very useful for primary school pupils.

[Rocío Asimonti]

It was my first reading in english and I liked the experience of reading in other language. But the history wasn't so good, the only part that call my attention was the French revolution part.

[Fumiko Kawamura]

I enjoyed a trick of the story. But somehow l couldn't be moved. The discription of Carton's mind was not enough for me.

[Liz F]

Another one that I read in high school. Another one that I absolutely did NOT want to read. And this one, I absolutely LOVED! I was never a lovey, dovey romantic kind of girl while I was in high school. I thought this was going to be a dumb, ol' romance book, but one that was "safe" for kids. But I remember reading it and crying for hours afterwards. This book is just wonderful. Sure, it was written in the 1800's and it can be a bit tough to slog through but it was an amazing story and you can really see why Charles Dickens is considered a master. This may not be the best choice for a "beach read" but its certainly worth the effort! Please give this book a chance!! :)

[Zoe]

This book, above all of Dicken's other works, has a bad reputation. This is likely due to the fact that he spend so much time setting up the situation and the characters that the first third of the book is a real slog - but after that, he give you pay-off after pay-off. The drama and symbolism are fascinating, as is the terrifying grizzliness of the French Revolution. Few things are more satisfying than seeing what becomes of Sydney Carton and Madame Defarge.

[Eliel Lopez]

I was hooked from page one ! After I had read the third chapter of the first part of this book, I had to set it aside and contemplate what I had just read. Dickens had a way of crafting words of the old English vernacular that is rare and sometimes refreshing, especially in this day and age when it seems difficult at best to find something worth reading.

[Kristi Grant]

This was my first exposure to Dickens. I read this book during my freshman year of high school. My teacher was Mr. Benningfield. I still remember Sidney Carton's famous line, "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known." Wow!!!

[Sandra]

Another great novel for the great Dickens ... the main theme of the Novel is the true meaning of love which is Sacrifice to the level of sacrificing one's life ... the true meaning of love as stated in the Bible "No one has greater love than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends." (John 15: 13)

[Lili]

A great book and the following is still one of the world's bestknown quotes.

“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

[Loryn Seeley]

I have a really hard time reading Dickens. He is too long-winded for me. However, I think everyone should read this book at least once just to say you did. Just keep reading because it is really hard to get past the first few chapters.

[Jeannene Simonton]

I read this in Mrs. Henderson's 9th grade English class in 1973. All I really remembered were those famous first lines and the equally famous last lines. I decided to re-read it and loved it again. Planning on reading more Dickens...any recommendations?

[Timothy]

This is one of my favorite books, I have read it three seperate times. I have always been intrigued by the character of Sydney Carton. In some ways he is a hero I have emulated. What is it about the nihilistic impulse guided to a purposeful and noble end that I find so captivating?

[Sarah]

So far so good...

[Julianne]

Wishing for a 4.5 here. I only wish I had read this years ago. Then maybe I wouldn't have wasted so long thinking I hated reading Dickens.

[Ryota]

Though the story is put into simple English, there are still too many characters in the short length of time.

[Angela]

First read this in junior high and still love it!

[Sharon]

Still good stuff after all these years.

[Nancy Jacobs]

Once I got past the style, I really liked it. I surprised myself.