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A Tale of Two Cities [Tantor]

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A Tale of Two Cities [Tantor]

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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About this listen

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 Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction War & Military French Revolution

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)

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Simon Vance's narration was really good. He did well with accents and the different characters. I find Dickens' style to be long winded and not very engaging.

Well narrated

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This book is a joy for Dickens’ fans. I’m one of them. I had never read A Tale of Two Cities and looked forward to listening to it. I wasn’t disappointed. It had richly drawn characters, a wonderful dip into the history of the times and a cutting description of the society of the times. The language is lyrical and complex, transported me into the thick of the tumultuous world of the French Revolution. And the narration was entirely suited to the beautiful words and added to the joy of listening to this work.

A rich experience

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Beautifully narrated, it flowed, surprised and shocked. Highly recommended.
Dickens fans will be very pleased having listened to this historic depiction of the horror of the French Revolution.

Spellbinding

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It was a brilliant performance for a great literary masterpiece. So glad I chose to buy, I suggest you do the same!

Brilliant performance

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Simon Vance’s narration is brilliant- a book written 162 years ago that is clever, complex and provides an in site intobrevolutionary France - just great to listen to the characters tell the tale

Time travel in a book

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a great tale told beautifully by a wonderful writer in the voice of a great and very versatile actor. The characterisations are very vivid and the era and people come to life, rather than being an old tale told in an antiquated and wordy manner. l enjoyed it immensely.

A very powerful version of a great tale

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It was the best of adapted audio books it was the worst of adapted audio books.

A well made classic

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The language is superb. Those opening lines lead you in to a luxury of literature. What a wonderful, profound story.

The Best Novel Ever

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A Tale of Two Cities is a classic for Good reason. wonderfully read by Simon Vance, with great characterisation. Thank you for producing this audio book.

A Classic for Good Reason

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A classic for good reason, this book was a joy to listen to. Simon Vance did more than justice to Dickens' literary style, which is not the easiest to read, and takes some getting used to, but which is rich with metaphorical imagery, communicating a clever, moving, powerful narrative with quirky brilliance.

Clever

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