Discover the Timeless Classic: Free Download A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Embark on a journey through the tumultuous streets of Paris and London with Charles Dickens’ literary masterpiece, “A Tale of Two Cities.” This timeless classic intertwines themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption against the backdrop of the French Revolution. If you’re eager to delve into this gripping narrative, you’re in luck. We offer you the opportunity to download this remarkable work in PDF or ePub format for free, allowing you to immerse yourself in Dickens’ captivating storytelling effortlessly.
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Table of Contents
Set in the late 18th century, “A Tale of Two Cities” transports readers to two contrasting cities: Paris, engulfed in the flames of revolution, and London, characterized by its calm yet tense atmosphere. The story revolves around the lives of several characters whose destinies are intricately woven together. From the selfless Dr. Manette, who emerges from years of imprisonment to reclaim his life, to the enigmatic Sydney Carton, whose ultimate act of sacrifice echoes through the ages, Dickens crafts a narrative brimming with unforgettable characters and profound themes.
A Masterpiece of Contrasts: A Review of “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens
“A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens stands as a timeless classic of literature, weaving together a rich tapestry of history, romance, and social commentary. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, Dickens masterfully crafts a narrative that explores themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the inherent duality of human nature. In this comprehensive review, we delve into the intricate layers of the novel, examining its characters, plot, themes, and enduring relevance.
Plot Summary: The novel opens with the iconic line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” setting the tone for the contrasting worlds of London and Paris during the late 18th century. The story revolves around the intertwined lives of several characters, including the virtuous Lucie Manette, the enigmatic Sydney Carton, and the aristocratic Evrémonde family.
As the narrative unfolds, we witness the tumultuous events of the French Revolution and its impact on both personal and societal levels. Against this backdrop of political upheaval and social unrest, love and sacrifice emerge as central motifs, driving the characters towards acts of selflessness and heroism.
Key Themes:
Dualities: Throughout the novel, Dickens explores the theme of duality, juxtaposing the contrasting worlds of London and Paris, good and evil, love and hate. This motif is exemplified in the characters of Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay, who share physical similarities but possess opposing moral qualities.
Sacrifice and Redemption: “A Tale of Two Cities” is a story of redemption through sacrifice, as characters willingly make profound sacrifices for the greater good. Sydney Carton’s ultimate act of selflessness, sacrificing his life for the happiness of others, epitomizes this theme of redemption through love and sacrifice.
Social Injustice and Revolution: Dickens confronts issues of social injustice and inequality, portraying the harsh realities of life under aristocratic tyranny and the fervor of revolutionary zeal. The French Revolution serves as a backdrop for the struggle against oppression and the quest for justice and equality.
Character Analysis: The characters in “A Tale of Two Cities” are intricately drawn, each representing different facets of human nature and society. Lucie Manette embodies purity and compassion, serving as a beacon of hope amidst the darkness of the Revolution. Sydney Carton, initially depicted as a dissolute and cynical drunkard, undergoes a transformation, ultimately redeeming himself through an act of ultimate sacrifice.
Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat with a conscience, grapples with his family’s oppressive legacy and strives to atone for their sins. Madame Defarge, a vengeful revolutionary, embodies the relentless pursuit of justice and retribution.
Dickens’ writing style in “A Tale of Two Cities” is characterized by its vivid imagery, evocative language, and intricate narrative structure. Through his use of symbolism, foreshadowing, and parallelism, Dickens creates a multi-layered narrative that invites readers to explore themes of fate, resurrection, and the cyclical nature of history.
The novel’s famous opening and closing lines serve as bookends, encapsulating the overarching themes of duality and transformation. Dickens’ rich descriptions of both the bustling streets of London and the blood-stained cobblestones of Paris vividly evoke the sights, sounds, and emotions of the era.
“A Tale of Two Cities” stands as a literary masterpiece that transcends time and place, offering profound insights into the human condition and the turbulent currents of history. Through its unforgettable characters, gripping plot, and enduring themes, Dickens’ novel continues to captivate readers with its timeless relevance and universal appeal. As we journey through the contrasting worlds of light and darkness, love and sacrifice, “A Tale of Two Cities” reminds us of the enduring power of compassion, courage, and redemption in the face of adversity.
Charles Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist and social critic who created some of the world’s best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.[1] His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime and, by the 20th century, critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories are widely read today.[2][3]
Born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school at age 12 to work in a boot-blacking factory when his father John was incarcerated in a debtors’ prison. After three years, he returned to school before beginning his literary career as a journalist. Dickens edited a weekly journal for 20 years; wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and nonfiction articles; lectured and performed readings extensively; was an indefatigable letter writer; and campaigned vigorously for children’s rights, education, and other social reforms.
“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “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 “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 epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “You have been the last dream of my soul.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “I wish you to know that you have been the last dream of my soul.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “And yet I have had the weakness, and have still the weakness, to wish you to know with what a sudden mastery you kindled me, heap of ashes that I am, into fire.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. 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 “A day wasted on others is not wasted on one's self.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “There is prodigious strength in sorrow and despair.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything. If my career were of that better kind that there was any opportunity or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you. Try to hold me in your mind, at some quiet times, as ardent and sincere in this one thing. The time will come, the time will not be long in coming, when new ties will be formed about you--ties that will bind you yet more tenderly and strongly to the home you so adorn-- the dearest ties that will ever grace and gladden you. O Miss Manette, when the little picture of a happy father's face looks up in yours, when you see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you!” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Before I go," he said, and paused -- "I may kiss her?" It was remembered afterwards that when he bent down and touched her face with his lips, he murmured some words. The child, who was nearest to him, told them afterwards, and told her grandchildren when she was a handsome old lady, that she heard him say, "A life you love.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Sadly, sadly, the sun rose; it rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions, incapable of their directed exercise, incapable of his own help and his own happiness, sensible of the blight on him, and resigning himself to let it eat him away.”― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “A multitude of people and yet a solitude.” ― Charles Dickens , A Tale of Two Cities “A dream, all a dream, that ends in nothing, and leaves the sleeper where he lay down, but I wish you to know that you inspired it.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Death may beget life, but oppression can beget nothing other than itself.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Since I knew you, I have been troubled by a remorse that I thought would never reproach me again, and have heard whispers from old voices impelling me upward, that I thought were silent for ever. I have had unformed ideas of striving afresh, beginning anew, shaking off sloth and sensuality, and fighting out the abandoned fight. A dream, all a dream, that ends in nothing, and leaves the sleeper where he lay down, but I wish you to know that you inspired it.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
“I love your daughter fondly, dearly, disninterestedly, devotedly. If ever there were love in the world, I love her.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Then tell Wind and Fire where to stop," returned madame; "but don't tell me.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Not knowing how he lost himself, or how he recovered himself, he may never feel certain of not losing himself again.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Vengeance and retribution require a long time; it is the rule.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other. A solemn consideration, when I enter a great city by night, that every one of those darkly clustered houses encloses its own secret; that every room in every one of them encloses its own secret; that every beating heart in the hundreds of thousands of breasts there, is, in some of its imaginings, a secret to the heart nearest it! Something of the awfulness, even of Death itself, is referable to this. No more can I turn the leaves of this dear book that I loved, and vainly hope in time to read it all. No more can I look into the depths of this unfathomable water, wherein, as momentary lights glanced into it, I have had glimpses of buried treasure and other things submerged. It was appointed that the book should shut with a a spring, for ever and for ever, when I had read but a page. It was appointed that the water should be locked in an eternal frost, when the light was playing on its surface, and I stood in ignorance on the shore. My friend is dead, my neighbour is dead, my love, the darling of my soul, is dead; it is the inexorable consolidation and perpetuation of the secret that was always in that individuality, and which I shall carry in mine to my life's end. In any of the burial-places of this city through which I pass, is there a sleeper more inscrutable than its busy inhabitants are, in their innermost personality, to me, or than I am to them?” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death; - the last, much the easiest to bestow, O Guillotine!” ― Charles Dickens , A Tale of Two Cities “All through it, I have known myself to be quite undeserving. And yet I have had the weakness, and have still the weakness, to wish you to know with what a sudden mastery you kindled me, heap of ashes that I am, into fire- a fire, however, inseparable in its nature from myself, quickening nothing, lighting nothing, doing no service, idly burning away.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “There is a man who would give his life to keep a life you love beside you.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Crush humanity out of shape once more, under similar hammers, and it will twist itself into the same tortured forms. Sow the same seeds of rapacious licence and oppression over again, and it will surely yield the same fruit according to its kind.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss, and, in their struggles to be truly free, in their triumphs and defeats, through long years to come, I see the evil of this time and of the previous time of which this is the natural birth, gradually making expiation for itself and wearing out...” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Nothing that we do, is done in vain. I believe, with all my soul, that we shall see triumph.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “And a beautiful world we live in, when it is possible, and when many other such things are possible, and not only possible, but done-- done, see you!-- under that sky there, every day.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Mr Lorry asks the witness questions: Ever been kicked?Might have been.Frequently? No. Ever kicked down stairs?Decidedly not; once received a kick at the top of a staircase, and fell down stairs of his own accord.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “The cloud of caring for nothing, which overshadowed him with such a fatal darkness, was very rarely pierced by the light within him.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “I have had unformed ideas of striving afresh, beginning anew, shaking off sloth and sensuality, and fighting out the abandoned fight. A dream, all a dream, that ends in nothing, and leaves the sleeper where he lay down, but I wish you to know that you inspired it.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “In the moonlight which is always sad, as the light of the sun itself is--as the light called human life is--at its coming and its going.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other. A solemn consideration, when I enter a great city by night, that every one of those darkly clustered houses encloses its own secret; that every room in every one of them encloses its own secret; that every beating heart in the hundreds of thousands of breasts there, is, in some of its imaginings, a secret to the heart nearest it!” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “He knew enough of the world to know that there is nothing in it better than the faithful service of the heart.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
“Mr. Cruncher... always spoke of the year of our Lord as Anna Dominoes: apparently under the impression that the Christian era dated from the invention of a popular game, by a lady who had bestowed her name upon it. ” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “REMEMBER HOW STRONG WE ARE IN OUR HAPPINESS, AND HOW WEAK HE IS IN IS MISERY!” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything. I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you. And when you see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “You touch some of the reasons for my going, not for my staying away.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Perhaps second-hand cares, second-hand clothes, come easily off and on.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “You are hard at work madam ," said the man near her.Yes," Answered Madam Defarge ; " I have a good deal to do."What do you make, Madam ?"Many things."For instance ---"For instance," returned Madam Defarge , composedly ,Shrouds."The man moved a little further away, as soon as he could, feeling it mightily close and oppressive .” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Of little worth as life is when we misuse it, it is worth that effort. It would cost nothing to lay down if it were not.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “So does a whole world, with all its greatnesses and littlenesses, lie in a twinkling star. And as mere human knowledge can split a ray of light and analyse the manner of its composition, so, sublimer intelligences may read in the feeble shining of this earth of ours, every thought and act, every vice and virtue, of every responsible creature on it.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “That glorious vision of doing good is so often the sanguine mirage of so many good minds.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “When they took a young man into Tellson's London house, they hid him somewhere till he was old. They kept him in a dark place, a cheese, until he had the full Tellson flavour and blue-mould upon him. Then only was he permitted to be seen, spectacularly poring over large books, and casting his breeches and gaiters into the general weight of the establishment.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “You might, from your appearance, be the wife of Lucifer,” said Miss Pross, in her breathing. “Nevertheless, you shall not get the better of me. I am an Englishwoman.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “If I may ride with you, Citizen Evremonde, will you let me hold your hand? I am not afraid, but I am little and weak, and it will give me more courage." As the patient eyes were lifted to his face, he saw a sudden doubt in them, and then astonishment. He pressed the work-worn, hunger-worn young fingers, and touched his lips."Are you dying for him?" she whispered."And his wife and child. Hush! Yes.""Oh, you will let me hold your brave hand, stranger?""Hush! Yes, my poor sister; to the last.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Detestation of the high is the involuntary homage of the low.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “I am not old, but my young way was never the way to age.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Above all, one hideous figure grew as familiar as if it had been before the general gaze from the foundations of the world - the figure of the sharp female called La Guillotine.It was the popular theme for jests; it was the best cure for headache, it infallibly prevented hair from turning gray, it imparted a peculiar delicacy to the complexion, it was the National Razor which shaved close: who kissed La Guillotine looked through the little window and sneezed into the sack.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “The leprosy of unreality disfigured every human creature in attendance.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “They said of him, about the city that night, that it was the peacefullest man's face ever beheld there. Many added that he looked sublime and prophetic. One of the most remarkable sufferers by the same axe---a woman---had asked at the foot of the same scaffold, not long before, to be allowed to write down the thoughts that were inspiring her. If he had given an utterance to his, and they were prophetic, they would have been these: "I see Barsad, and Cly, Defarge, The Vengeance, the Juryman, the Judge, long ranks of the new oppressors who have risen on the destruction of the old, perishing by this retributive instrument, before it shall cease out of its present use. I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss, and, in their struggles to be truly free, in their triumphs and defeats, through long years to come, I see the evil of this time and of the previous time of which this is the natural birth, gradually making expiation for itself and wearing out. "I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy, in that England which I shall see no more. I see Her with a child upon her bosom, who bears my name. I see her father, aged and bent, but otherwise restored, and faithful to all men in his healing office, and at peace. I see the good old man, so long their friend, in ten years' time enriching them with all he has, and passing tranquilly to his reward.
"I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. I see her, an old woman weeping for me on the anniversary of this day. I see her and her husband, their course done, lying side by side in their last earthly bed, and I know that each was not more honoured and held sacred in the other's soul, than I was in the souls of both. "I see that child who lay upon her bosom and who bore my name, a man winning his way up in that path of life which once was mine. I see him winning it so well, that my name is made illustrious there by the light of his. I see the blots I threw upon it, faded away. I see him, foremost of just judges and honoured men, brining a boy of my name, with a forehead that I know and golden hair, to this place---then fair to look upon, with not a trace of this day's disfigurement---and I hear him tell the child my story, with a tender and faltering voice."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 “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 epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, 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 – in short, the period was so far the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. I see her, an old woman, weeping for me on the anniversary of this day. I see her and her husband, their course done, lying side by side in their last earthly bed, and I know that each was not more honoured and held sacred in the other's soul, than I was in the souls of both.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “In seasons of pestilence, some of us will have a secret attraction to the disease--a terrible passing inclination to die of it.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Drive him fast to his tomb. This, from Jacques.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “I should to ask you: -- Does your childhood seem far off? Do the days when you sat at your mother's knee, seem days of very long ago?" Responding to his softened manner, Mr. Lorry answered: "Twenty years back, yes; at this time of my life, no. For, as I draw closer and closer to the end, I travel in the circle, nearer and nearer to the beginning. It seems to be one of the kind smoothings and preparings of the way. My heart is touched now, by many remembrances that had long fallen asleep, of my pretty young mother (and I so old!), and by many associations of the days when what we call the World was not so real with me, and my faults were not confirmed with me.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Do you particularly the man?” he muttered, at his own image; “why should you particularly a man who resembles you? There is nothing in you to ; you know that. Ah, confound you! What a change you have made in yourself! A good reason for taking to a man, that he shows you what you have fallen away from, and what you might have been! Change places with him, and would you have been looked at by those blue eyes as he was, and commiserated by that agitated face as he was? Come on, and have it out in plain words! You hate the fellow” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “That, they never could lay their heads upon their pillows; that, they could never tolerate the idea of their wives laying their heads upon their pillows; that, they could never endure the notion of their children laying their heads on their pillows; in short , that there never more could be , for them or theirs , any laying of heads upon pillows at all , unless the prisioner's head was taken off. The Attorney General during the trial of Mr. Darnay ” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Tell the Wind and the Fire where to stop; not me.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Buried how long?”The answer was always the same: “Almost eighteen years.”You had abandoned all hope of being dug out?”Long ago.”You know that you are recalled to life?”They tell me so.”I hope that you care to live?”I can’t say.”Shall I show her to you? Will you come and see her?”The answers to this question were various and contradictory. Sometimes the broken reply was, “Wait! It would kill me if I saw her too soon.” Sometimes it was given in a tender rain of tears, and then it was, “Take me to her.” Sometimes it was staring and bewildered, and then it was, “I don’t know her. I don’t understand.”After such imaginary discourse, the passenger in his fancy would dig, and dig, dig – to dig this wretched creature out. Got out at last, with earth hanging about his face and hair, he would suddenly fall away to dust. The passenger would then start to himself, and lower the window, to get the reality of mist and rain on his cheek.Yet even when his eyes were opened on the mist and rain, on the moving patch of light from the lamps, and the hedge of the roadside retreating by jerks, the night shadows outside the coach would fall into the train of night shadows within. Out of the midst in them, a ghostly face would rise, and he would accost it again.Buried how long?”Almost eighteen years.”I hope you care to live?”I can’t say.”Dig – dig – dig – until an impatient movement from one of the two passengers would admonish him to pull up the window, draw his arm securely through the leather strap, and speculate on the two slumbering life forms, until his mind lost hold of them, and they again slid away into the bank and the grave.Buried how long?”Almost eighteen years.”You had abandoned all hope of being dug out?”Long ago.”The words were still in his hearing just as spoken – distinctly in his hearing as ever spoken words had been in his life – when the weary passenger started to the consciousness of daylight, and found that the shadows of night were gone.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “You speak so feelingly and so manfully, Charles Darnay” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “The great grindstone, Earth, had turned when Mr. Lorry looked out again, and the sun was red on the courtyard. But, the lesser grindstone stood alone there in the calm morning air, with red upon it that the sun had never give, and would never take away.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “We'll start to forget a place once we left it” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
“I am no more annoyed when I think of the expression, than I should be annoyed by a man's opinion of a picture of mine, who had no eye for pictures; or of a piece of music of mine, who had no ear for music.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “I see Barsad, and Cly, Defarge, The Vengeance, the Juryman, the Judge, long ranks of the new oppressors who have risen on the destruction of the old, perishing by this retributive instrument, before it shall cease out of its present use. I see a beautiful city and brilliant people rising from this abyss, and, in their struggles to be truly free, in their triumphs and defeats, through long long years to come, I see the evil of this time and of the previous time of which this is the natural birth, gradually making explanation for itself and wearing it out. ” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “When the time comes, let loose a tiger and a devil; but wait for the time with the tiger and the devil chained -not shown- yet always ready.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Good never come of such evil, a happier end was not in nature to so unhappy a beginning.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “The two stand in the fast-thinning throng of victims, but they speak as if they were alone. Eye to eye, voice to voice, hand to hand, heart to heart, these two children of the Universal Mother, else so wide apart and differing, have come together on the dark highway, to repair home together and to rest in her bosom.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “I am a disappointed drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Other sound than the owl's voice there was none, save the falling of a fountain into its stone basin; for, it was one of those dark nights that hold their breath by the hour together, and then heave a long low sigh, and hold their breath again.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “...The wine was red wine, and had stained the ground of the narrow street in the suburb of Saint Antoine, in Paris, where it was spilled. It had stained many hands, too, and many faces, and many naked feet, and many wooden shoes. The hands of the man who sawed the wood, left red marks on the billets; and the forehead of the woman who nursed her baby, was stained with the stain of the old rag she wound about her head again. Those who had been greedy with the staves of the cask, had acquired a tigerish smear about the mouth; and one tall joker so besmirched, his head more out of a long squalid bag of a nightcap than in it, scrawled upon a wall with his finger dipped in muddy wine-lees—BLOOD.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “It is a long time,' repeated his wife; 'and when is it not a long time? Vengeance and retribution require a long time; it is the rule.''It does not take a long time to strike a man with Lightning,' said Defarge.'How long,' demanded madame, composedly, 'does it take to make and store the lightning? Tell me?” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “The night wore out, and, as he stood upon the bridge listening to the water as it splashed the river-walls of the Island of Paris, where the picturesque confusion of houses and cathedral shone bright in the light of the moon, the day came coldly, looking a dead face out of the sky. Then, the night, with the moon and the stars, turned pale and died, and for a little while it seemed as if Creation were delivered over to Death's dominion. But, the glorious sun, rising, seemed to strike those words, that burden of the night, straight and warm to his heart in its long bright rays. And looking along them, with reverently shaded eyes, a bridge of light appeared to span the air between him and the sun, while the river sparkled under it.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “When you see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Will you never understand that I am incorrigible?” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
“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 epoch of belief,it was the epoch of incredulity,it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,it was the spring of hope,it was the winter of despair,” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “A solemn consideration, when I enter a great city by night, that every one of those darkly clustered houses encloses its own secret; that every room in every one of them encloses its own secret; that every beating heart in the hundreds of thousands of breasts there, is, in some of its imaginings, a secret to the heart nearest it!” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “I distress you; I draw fast to an end.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Why should you particularly a man who resembles you? There is nothing in you to ; you know that.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “his face, though lined, bore few traces of anxiety. But, perhaps the confidential bachelor clerks in Tellson's Bank were principally occupied with the cares of other people; and perhaps second-hand cares, second-hand clothes, come easily off and on.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “[...] Says it with his head on!" Mr. Stryver remarked upon the peculiarity as if it would have been infinitely less remarkable if he had said it with his head off.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Do you feel, yet, that you belong to this terrestrial scheme again, Mr. Darnay?""I am frightfully confused regarding time and place, but I am so far mended as to feel that.""It must be an immense satisfaction!"He said it bitterly, and filled up his glass again: which was a large one."As to me, the greatest desire I have is to forget that I belong to it. It has no good in it for me--except wine this--nor I for it. So we are not much a in that particular. Indeed, I begin to think we are not much a in any particular, you and I.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “...the one woman who had stood conspicuous, knitting, still knitted on with the steadfastness of Fate.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Waste forces within him, and a desert all around, this man stood still on his way across a silent terrace, and saw for a moment, lying in the wilderness before him, a mirage of honourable ambition, self-denial, and perseverance. In the fair city of this vision, there were airy galleries from which the loves and graces looked upon him, gardens in which the fruits of life hung ripening, waters of Hope that sparkled in his sight. A moment and it was gone. Climbing to a high chamber in a well of houses, he threw himself down in his clothes on a neglected bed, and its pillow was wet with wasted tears.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
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Beyond its historical significance, “A Tale of Two Cities” remains relevant today due to its exploration of timeless themes such as love, redemption, and the human capacity for both good and evil. Dickens’ vivid prose and keen observations of society make this novel a compelling read for audiences of all ages. Whether you’re drawn to its rich historical backdrop or its profound insights into the human condition, “A Tale of Two Cities” promises to captivate and resonate with readers long after the final page is turned. Enjoy reading.
