A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities
Cover of serial Vol. V, 1859
AuthorCharles Dickens
IllustratorHablot Knight Browne (Phiz)
Cover artistHablot Knight Browne (Phiz)
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical novel
Set inLondon and Paris, 1775–93
PublishedWeekly serial April – November 1859
Book 1859[1]
PublisherLondon: Chapman & Hall
Publication placeEngland
823.8
LC ClassPR4571 .A1
Preceded byLittle Dorrit 
Followed byGreat Expectations 
TextA Tale of Two Cities at Wikisource

A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel 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 story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.

As Dickens's best-known work of historical fiction, A Tale of Two Cities is said to be one of the best-selling novels of all time.[2][3][4] In 2003, the novel was ranked 63rd on the BBC's The Big Read poll.[5] The novel has been adapted for film, television, radio, and the stage, and has continued to influence popular culture.

  1. ^ "Facsimile of the original 1st publication of "A Tale of Two Cities" in All the year round". S4ulanguages.com. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  2. ^ "Charles Dickens novel inscribed to George Eliot up for sale". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Telegraph was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "TLSWikipedia all-conquering – The TLS". 26 May 2016. Archived from the original on 26 May 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  5. ^ "The Big Read" Archived 9 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine. BBC. April 2003. Retrieved 26 July 2019