Customer Reviews

A Tale of Two Cities (Paris/London)

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I have never yet read a written copy of A Tale of Two Cities -- perhaps one of these days I will -- but I have listened to 3 audio versions, which is testament to the fact that it is one of my favorite books. I haven't read all of Charles Dickens' books by a long shot, but of those I have read, A Tale of Two Cities stands apart and is distinctly different. It is more serious than Dickens' works typically are, and, with the exception of Jerry Cruncher and Miss Pross, is not peopled with his usual quirky and half-humorous characters.

A Tale of Two Cities is famous for its first and final lines; however, the story that lies in-between is wonderfully imagined and told. It is a tale of overpowering love, self-sacrifice, and redemption, but also of hatred and revenge, in which the characters are inter-connected in numerous ways. It is full of symbolism and recurrent themes, and there are many passages where Dickens' writing is more like rhythmic poetry than prose. It is no wonder this book has become such a popular classic.

Of all the characters I have come across in my reading of Dickens so far, Sidney Carton comes the closest to being multi-dimensional. That is, he is more than just a flat character of one mood, as most of Dickens' characters are. However, even at that, Dickens doesn't develop him as much as he could have. For instance, we are told that he is a scoundrel and a wastrel, and Carton even expresses this opinion of himself in his profession of love to Lucie Manette. He tells her that he doesn't expect her to love him, indeed knows she never could love a person like him. And yet, other than the fact that he drinks too much and is perhaps lacking in ambition, we are never told what is so bad about him or what makes him such a scoundrel. In fact, at the conclusion of the book, he is undeniably a much nobler person than probably anyone else in the story. He is certainly the most intriguing, and much more interesting that Charles Darnay, whom Lucie so loves. What could cause Sidney Carton to have such blind adoration of Lucie Manette that he would sacrifice his life for her happiness, when she did nothing to earn or encourage this love, except to be a pretty little thing devoted to her father?

Frank Muller's narration is absolutely superb. He has an excellent command of tone and pacing, and he lends a distinctive voice and personality to each character. His narration makes this wonderful classic even better.