The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.Īs Dickens' best-known work of historical fiction, 'A Tale of Two Cities' is claimed to be one of the best-selling novels of all time.The novel has been adapted for film, television, radio, and the stage, and has continued to influence popular culture. 'A Tale of Two Cities' tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie, whom he had never met. The main characters in Dickens' 'A Tale of Two Cities' - Doctor Alexandre Manette, Charles Darnay, and Sydney Carton - are all recalled to life, or resurrected, in different ways as turmoil erupts. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times in London and Paris, as economic and political unrest lead to the American and French Revolutions. 'A Tale of Two Cities' deals with the major themes of duality, revolution, and resurrection. London: Chapman and Hall, June - December, 1859.First published in 1859, 'A Tale of Two Cities' is the second historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. Dickens had already become one of my favorite authors because of his masterpieces Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities. It also announces boldly that 'besides original articles of present interest,' the first monthly part contains the start of A Tale of Two Cities.Ī Tale of Two Cities. 1, dated June 1859, includes an inserted notice announcing the end of Household Words and its merger into All the Year Round.

The seven monthly installments of Dickens' novel about the French Revolution all feature the same illustrated blue paper wrapper with various scenes from the story drawn by H.K. A one-volume edition, also published in 1859, was advertised in volume two of All the Year Round.Īll the Year Round: A Weekly Journal. The year is late 1775, and Jarvis Lorry travels from London to Paris on a secret mission for his employer, Tellsons Bank.

This was the last of Dickens' novels to be illustrated by Browne. 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,' Charles Dickens writes in the opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities as he paints a picture of life in England and France.

A Tale of Two Cities was simultaneously issued by Chapman & Hall in monthly installments, illustrated by H.K. The iconic first words - 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times' - appear at the top of page 1 of the first number. A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens' twelfth novel, was serialized in All the Year Round from April 30 to November 26, 1859.

Dickens a tale of two cities