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Charles Dickens Four Complete Novels (Great Expectations, Hard Times, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Pretentious
  • If nothing else, it looks good on your bookshelf.
  • Loved it,
  • Lousy Binding
  • Dickens Classics
Charles Dickens Four Complete Novels (Great Expectations, Hard Times, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities)
Charles Dickens
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

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Similar Items:
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ASIN: 0517053608
Release Date: 1990-10-03

Book Description

Includes the major works by one of the greatest names in literature. Namely, Great Expectations, Hard Times, A Christmas Carol and A Tale of Two Cities. This Library of Literary Classics edition is bound in padded leather with luxurious gold-stamping on the front and spine, satin ribbon marker and gilded edges. Other titles in this Library of Literary Classics series include: Charlotte & Emily Bronte: The Complete Novels; Edgar Allan Poe: Selected Works; Mark Twain: Selected Works; Jane Austen: The Complete Novels: Lewis Carroll: The Complete, Fully Illustrated Works; and William Shakespeare: The Complete Works.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Pretentious.......2007-06-07

Buying books because they look good on your shelf is pretentious and phony - and this book capitalizes on that. I got this as a gift and was amazed when I read it at the number of typos in it. There is simply no way this collection was proofed by an editor - that or the editing company is one of the worst in the world.

Buy these fantastic books, but not this edition, unless you just want people to think you read Dickens.

2 out of 5 stars If nothing else, it looks good on your bookshelf........2007-03-13

You would do better off buying these books individually from a different publisher.
It sounds impressive, leather bound, gilded edges, but it is very cheaply done. On the plus side, it does have a ribbon book mark so you don't have to buy your own.
But this book was poorly edited, filled with needless typos, and with all four of these books available from numerous other publishers, I would suggest to just buy it from them.

5 out of 5 stars Loved it,.......2006-02-12

I'm a big fan of long drawn out novles. I've always been a fan of Dickens. This book has on eof my favorite stories by his pen: Great Expectations. His style is very personal I found it a lot like Tolkien. His ability to tell a good tale is clear as the reader becomes part of the story. Very nice volume and worth the time and money in my opinion.

2 out of 5 stars Lousy Binding.......2005-12-20

I've read all but "A Christmas Carol" in this edition. I've found several typos. Moreover, the binding is becoming unglued. I estimate by the time I finish "A Christmas Carol" the binding will be totally exposed. I value permanent books (otherwise I would buy paperbacks). I suggest anyone who enjoys Dickens buy a better edition.

5 out of 5 stars Dickens Classics.......2005-09-23

I am a teacher building a classroom library for my students to use. This collection of classics are a must have. I like the way the book is put together and the classic look and feel that it has. The book looks as though it could have come from a private library of a weathly book collector. Great buy!
A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Much to Offer
  • Different from his others
  • sacrifice for love
  • "The" Novel of Novels
  • Unforgettable
A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics)
Charles Dickens
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0141439602
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Book Description

Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Richard Maxwell.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Much to Offer.......2007-04-02

A Tale of Two cities is a vivid story of the French Revolution filled with imagery and motifs that are thick in the literature. So many stories collide in as the numerous characters are all connected some way, some how. There's a dramatic love triangle, a revenge story, a recovery from an eighteen year imprisonment and much more.

Charles Dickens writes as someone from his day would, filled with commas and metaphors. For children under thirteen this might be inappropriate, not because of content, but because they might not understand it enough to appreciate all it has to offer. It shows the immoral side of humanity, even though revenge isn't the only purpose. The aristocrats were mercilessly taken from there homes and to La Guillotine.

Motifs such as The Sea, Redemption, Secret Sins, Letters, and many others reinforce what is trying to be demonstrated. They are occurring events or ideas that keep the book interesting. So many of these characters come to their doom and it the affects the reader just as it would if you were actually watching it. Dramatic foreshadowing is also very affecting, but the actual events are even more thrilling.

Overall, I recommend this book to all willing to read, it's a wonderful book to enhance your literary vocabulary. It has tastes for men with its brutal wars and battles, but also has a sense of feminism as the love story will interests the women.

4 out of 5 stars Different from his others.......2007-03-03

This may be one of the best Dickens novels. Shorter and less character-populated than any other of his books that I've read, it was also the most political. The theme centers around the French Revolution and the complete chaos in Paris at that time - Paris being one of the two cities referenced in the title, the other being London - and how the Revolution affects the lives of four primary characters: a young Englishwoman named Lucie Manette, her father Dr. Alexander Manette, Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat who rebels against his family heritage, and Sydney Carton, an English lawyer. The story begins with the reunion of Lucie and her father after the latter's long political incarceration, and the love that develops between Lucie and Charles Darnay, whom they meet on the journey home from France after Dr. Manette is released. As the Revolution ramps up, Charles also faces incarceration due to his family heritage, even though he had renounced it. Sydney Carton is an assistant to Charles' attorney. Sydney, an embittered man for reasons not really clear, also comes to love Lucie although he realizes that Charles is a better match for her and that her love lies with him. Ironically, the two men bear a strong physical resemblance to one another, a trivial fact that becomes very important later in the story.

Just as things seem to be going so well back in England in spite of the turmoil in France, the Revolution soon catches up with the family again, and this time they're ensnared even more firmly than before - in part thanks to a clever but malicious Frenchwoman and revolutionary, Madame DeFarge, who has a serious axe to grind with the family.

What stood out the most to me was the evocative portrayal of the social upheaval in Paris during this time. Scenes depicting the storming of the Bastille and the rage-fueled murders of jailed French anti-revolutionaries by peasant mobs were particularly powerful, and really brought that time and place alive for me. Having never looked at the French Revolution and the infamous Reign of Terror through the eyes of the common person on the street, it really illustrated well the fear and distrust everyone had for one another, even neighbors and family members.

The ending is one of those that you hope will turn out some other way, yet it also leaves you with a deep appreciation of love and self-sacrifice.

3 out of 5 stars sacrifice for love.......2007-02-21

I loved this book because its about romance and how a man sacrificed his life to see the women he loves to be happy and to be with her daughter and husband freed because all he did with his life was scam people and he felt good in his heart with at least one good thing that he accomplished in his life so he gave up and switched with here husband and died for her.

5 out of 5 stars "The" Novel of Novels.......2007-02-04

From the first lines of the novel about London and Paris to the last speech by Sydney Carton at the end the book held us in its grip. I have read Carlyle's History of the French Revolution, Dickens' main source, and find this much the superior. My wife and I read this in high school and now in our seventies appreciate it more than then, and we appreciated it then, too. Dickens' engaging style remains with the reader. A few years back we walked by the few remaining stones of the Bastille and they seemed redolent of the novel. Reading this book was more than entertainment, it was an experience.

5 out of 5 stars Unforgettable.......2007-01-06

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

So begins one of the greatest books ever written (in my own humble opinion), about injustice, love, horror, fear, hate, and sacrifice. It's powerful and mindblowing, and made me stay up till midnight on a schoolnight just to finish it, when I had to wake up at five o'clock -- and I already knew the ending. It's that good.

The characters are real and incredible; Dr. Manette is a doting father and strong person (the scene in which he tries to begin shoemaking again directly after Darnay's second imprisonment is miserable to read about, and sad in its own way), Lucie Manette is a courageous and strong person too, though not the focal point of the book, Charles Darnay, while not super-developed, is also realistic. But the character that truly makes this book a masterpiece is Sydney Carton. Melancholy, a drunk, almost friendless, in love with a woman whom he wants to be rid of him, and enigmatic, he is a fascinating and tragic person. Reading the scenes of him strolling around the streets the night before Darnay's to-be execution, brooding and silent, I wondered why they had been put in, but thinking back on it I know. It was essential to his character and the plot, like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, preparing quietly and almost sadly, but with a fierce inner joy as well.

The ending almost made me cry, it was that powerful. Now, despite the fact I know I might be disappointed, I'm desperate to rent the movie.

"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."
A Tale of Two Cities (Bantam Classic)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • A Good Review
  • A Story Like No Other
  • "For you, or any dear to you, I would do anything."
  • Classic Story of Love and Redemption!
  • An amazing tale
A Tale of Two Cities (Bantam Classic)
Charles Dickens
Manufacturer: Bantam Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0553211765
Release Date: 1989-05-01

Book Description

With his sublime parting words, "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done..." Sidney Carton joins that exhalted group of Dickensian characters who have earned a permanent place in the popular literary imagination. His dramatic story, set against the volcanic fury of the French Revolution and pervaded by the ominous rumble of the death carts trundling toward the guillotine, is the heart-stirring tale of a heroic soul in an age gone mad. A masterful pageant of idealism, love, and adventure -- in a Paris bursting with revolutionary frenzy, and a London alive with anxious anticipation -- A Tale of Two Cities is one of Dickens's most energetic and exciting works.

Download Description

Dicken's classic novel of The French Revolution. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…"

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars A Good Review.......2007-05-17

I think this book was great! In the beginning of this book some of the words are French or English, which makes them a little hard to read, but once you get past that it turns into an amazing book. This book is about a daughter who saves her father from insanity and brings him home to England. Years after that day the daughter is married and her husband is asked to come to France (the French Revolution is taking place), but once he gets there he is put on death trial because of his fathers' crimes. In the end of the book the husband is saved and they all go back to England.

5 out of 5 stars A Story Like No Other.......2007-04-02

A Tale of Two cities is a vivid story of the French Revolution filled with imagery and motifs that are thick in the literature. So many stories collide in as the numerous characters are all connected some way, some how. There's a dramatic love triangle, a revenge story, a recovery from an eighteen year imprisonment and much more.

Charles Dickens writes as someone from his day would, filled with commas and metaphors. For children under thirteen this might be inappropriate, not because of content, but because they might not understand it enough to appreciate all it has to offer. It shows the immoral side of humanity, even though revenge isn't the only purpose. The aristocrats were mercilessly taken from there homes and to La Guillotine.

Motifs such as The Sea, Redemption, Secret Sins, Letters, and many others reinforce what is trying to be demonstrated. They are occurring events or ideas that keep the book interesting. So many of these characters come to their doom and it the affects the reader just as it would if you were actually watching it. Dramatic foreshadowing is also very affecting, but the actual events are even more thrilling.

Overall, I recommend this book to all willing to read, it's a wonderful book to enhance your literary vocabulary. It has tastes for men with its brutal wars and battles, but also has a sense of feminism as the love story will interests the women.

5 out of 5 stars "For you, or any dear to you, I would do anything.".......2007-03-24

This classic novel, set in London and Paris during the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror, is a suspenseful and fast-paced story of one man's redemption and the ultimate sacrifice he makes for the woman he loves. No wonder it a perennial favorite! It has everything: romance, horror, adventure, and since the author is Charles Dickens, even a little bit of humor is thrown in from time to time to lighten the atmosphere. The ending of this book is especially thrilling and will have you sitting on the edge of your seat until you turn over the last page!

Charles Darnay is a French aristocrat living and working as a tutor in London at the time of the French Revolution. In the early pages of the novel, he is tried for the crime of treason but acquitted, mainly through the efforts of a drunken and disreputable attorney named Sydney Carton. Both Darnay and Carton are in love with a beautiful young woman named Lucie Manette, and while she has warm feelings of friendship for Carton, it is Darnay who has truly won her heart. Shortly after their marriage, Darnay receives an urgent message from a trusted family servant who is imprisoned in the Bastille and fears for his life. Darnay makes the decision to return to the turbulent streets of Paris to help this man, realizing that he may also be imprisoned upon his arrival and possibly lose his life in the process. Help will eventually come from a completely unexpected source and the ending of this story is both tragic and very uplifting.

I am leaving out quite a lot here as I don't want to give away too much of the story, but take my word for it, this is a terrific book and a story no one should miss. And even though there are some difficult passages here and there throughout the novel, it does not contain pages and pages of long and wordy descriptions as are found in some of Dickens' other works, such as Bleak House or Our Mutual Friend. Dickens writes in a more straightforward style here but that is not to say that the book lacks his characteristic flair for creating atmosphere! From the very first pages with the horses and carriage struggling up a steep hill in the dark and mud and fog to the scenes of Madame Defarge running through the city streets to the final pages set at the foot of the guillotine, you will feel as though you are right there with Dickens' characters, experiencing every bit of the action right alongside them!

This is such a wonderful and exciting story! I absolutely loved it! And even though I already knew the ending I was still overwhelmed by the eloquent writing found on the final pages and have since read them several times over again. This may be one of Dickens' shorter novels but it is also one of his very best! Highly recommended!

5 out of 5 stars Classic Story of Love and Redemption!.......2007-02-19

This is easily my second favorite classic novel. Saturated with adventure, love, passion, and redemption, Dickens expertly and eloquently details the lives of many characters all woven together by the golden threads of love during the tumultuous and dangerous French Revolution. A must read!

5 out of 5 stars An amazing tale.......2007-01-07

To begin, this is the first Dickens novel I have ever read. As a student of history and political science, most of my reading projects involve works of nonfiction. I must admit that I am not well versed in classic literature--a fact that I am ashamed of whenever I watch jeopardy or converse with literature fans. This past year I made a concerted effort to acquaint myself with some of the classic masterpieces. As a social studies major, "A Tale of Two Cities" was an excellent choice to begin my foray into classic literature.
Charles Dickens is a master storyteller. How someone can contrive such an intricate and compelling tale is beyond my comprehension. Dickens's imaginative skills should be respected and envied by all writers. "A Tale of Two Cities" takes place during the French Revolution. It is a story about love, revenge, and sacrifice. Dickens portrays the madness and brutality of the French Revolution in vivid and skillful fashion.

This is a must read for anyone interested in literature and/or history. I can see how Dickens is not for everyone, however. The reader must have a good vocabulary to fully understand his writing. Knowledge of 18th century European history is an added advantage and will help the reader to better comprehend the situation and setting. If those prerequisites are met, the reader is sure to be moved by this masterpiece.

A Tale of Two Cities (Enriched Classics)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • A Tale Reborn
  • A Tale of Two Cities paints a beautiful while dark story of the French Revolution
A Tale of Two Cities (Enriched Classics)
Charles Dickens
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743487605

Book Description

ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED

BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP

Dickens's epic novel of freedom, love, and the burning chaos of the French Revolution.

EACH ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES:

• A concise introduction that gives readers important background information

• A chronology of the author's life and work

• A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context

• An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations

• Detailed explanatory notes

• Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work

• Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction

• A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience

Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.

SERIES EDITED BY CYNTHIA BRANTLEY JOHNSON

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars A Tale Reborn.......2006-04-12

By the year 2006, can Dickens' novel A Tale of Two Cities still hold relevance? The answer is a simple yes. It is a great tale of how love, revolution, and chaos can all fall into place at the same moment. But the most interesting topic that he addresses is the theme of rebirth or revolution. This rebirth is not only that of France, but of Dr. Manette, Charles Darnay, and Sydney Carton. All of them are changed by the events happening during the time of the novel. They reshape their ideals, reintroduce themselves into the world, reinvent themselves, and revitalize their spirits. That is way resurrection is the most noticeable subject in this novel.
France is about to undergo the bloodiest revolutions that Europe has ever seen. The peasants of France revolt in hopes creating a government that will take care of their needs. They have little food and the food that they do have is rotten. Dickens does an absolutely amazing job of describing the peasants' awful situation. However, he only depicts the tragic peasants with only a negative depiction of the aristocrats. A great example of this is the way in which he descries Monseigneur's massive house and he's chocolate eating, "Monseigneur, on of the great lords...he must have died of two. (122-123)" This is a very critical view of a man with power because it never shows another side to him. This implies that he is always greedy and only looks after himself. Another bias view of the wealthy is seen in Marquis. Who is shown as a selfish, non-sympathetic man who gets what he deserves, death. "It is extraordinary... The horses there: are they right? (129-130)" With no positive view of an aristocrat, it is impossible to make a fair judgment about the rich, or the poor. Dickens goal is to justify a revolution based on poor character of the rich ruling class. He succeeds in doing so at the cost of the aristocrats of France.
The most obvious character to undergo change is Dr. Manette. As the very first chapters show, he is "recalled to life. (14)" in the course of the novel. In the literal since, he is taken out of a wrongful imprisonment of 18 years with no contact with the outside world. But on a much deeper level however, the book focuses on how he comes back into the world. He transforms from a weak, feeble shoemaker to a strong character that's able to control crowds and lead them towards the greater-good. The only fault in this complete change is that he does occasionally go back to his old ways in making shoes when he becomes depressed. But these episodes are too brief to change the fact that Manette has a complete turn around from who he is at the beginning of the novel to the end.
Charles Darnay also exemplifies a person who recreates himself in order to use the second chances he gets in life. Born into wealth, he sees the maltreatment that the rich shows towards the poor. That is why he revokes his power and rights in order to live a regular life. But after he is nearly sent to jail in England he reinvents himself as a lover as he falls in love with Lucie. However when the opportunity comes for him to save the day, he puts on his hero cape and goes back to France. Again he is arrested, but this time his life is in jeopardy has he faces the gallows. And only help from Carton is he saved from the clutches of death.
Sydney Carton is the most interesting characters in the novel because of the drastic changes that he undergoes. Dickens shows Carton as a worthless drunk with no future "Sydney Carton, idlest... that humble capacity (102)". As time goes on, he falls in love with Lucie but doesn't allow his feelings to interfere with her life. That is until Darnay's life is in danger. Carton gives up his life in place of Darnay. This clearly shows that he makes a major change in his character. This change happens because he wants to make up for the wasted life that he has lived by sacrificing himself to save another. This brings about a sense of peace in him that he has never felt "It is a far... I have ever known (443)"
With so much change and unstableness going on in the novel, it is easy to understand why the country and the fore mentioned characters of Manette, Darnay, and Carton undergo such dynamic shifts in their personas. France has its revolutions, Manette is recalled to life, Darnay is reborn twice, and Carton is resurrected as a hero and martyr. That kind of writing leads me to the conclusion that life is all about second chances and renewal. This was Dickens' purpose in writing a novel like this, and that is why A Tale of Two Cities is a book that stands out amongst the greatest literary pieces of all time.


5 out of 5 stars A Tale of Two Cities paints a beautiful while dark story of the French Revolution .......2006-04-11

A Tale of Two Cities paints a beautiful while dark story of the French Revolution and how it affects an English family. It is, by all standards, a classic. Yet, if you decide to read it and are younger than a high school senior, I suggest reading it with a good dictionary by your side. It is written in the English of over one-hundred years ago and so I would also recommend a version that includes notes on what certain phrases mean as well as a guide to the allusions used in the story. I am not recommending the abridged version, though. Reading it as it was written gives a much different experience that seems more genuine. The copy of the novel that I read was published by Pocket Books and includes explanatory notes and more which I found very helpful.
As I read I saw examples where Dickens (the author), implied satirical messages and themes relevant to the time when the book was written. Then, the situation in England resembled pre-Revolution France. Also, 1848, was known as the "Year of Revolutions". He may have been trying to discourage revolution and encourage solutions through political change, not violence. Dickens also implied, through his words, that a revolution could happen anywhere, even in England. He encouraged his message frequently but it never got old and wasn't monotonous. By using a variety of different situations, Dickens kept his message in the reader's mind. For example, at a burial of a spy in England, a mob forms and turns the burial into show of irreverent mourning and violence. He is implying that under the right conditions any group of people can turn into a violent mob. He also writes that history will repeat itself under the same circumstances. This message would have been very pertinent at the time. These messages about the state and flaws of society were frequent but were well integrated into the story. Many were fun to read due to Dickens' good use of satire and humor.
One complaint that many historians, literary critics, and others have had about A Tale of Two Cities is that the characters and depiction of the social classes are too unrealistic. I, too, thought that some of the characters were somewhat unrealistic, yet I don't believe that Dickens made them that way without reason. One example is in a moment with a member the French aristocracy. While riding at breakneck speed through downtown Paris, this noble's carriage hits and kills a child. In response, he turns to the grieving father and coolly tosses him a gold piece and drives off. I saw this action as very unrealistic, but this isn't supposed to be literal. This noble's action is part of his characterization that is just supposed to show that he is very cold. It is also supposed to symbolize the oppression of the peasants by the aristocracy. The lower class had been oppressed for so long and Dickens sums up their oppression through this one noble's action. Still, some of the characters' actions are unrealistic. After a condemned man is read his condemning sentence, he is perfectly composed and shows no signs of anxiety or emotion but love for his wife. There is no way that any human could be unafraid after that. Despite some unrealistic moments in Dickens characters, his description of the classes and their struggles is excellent. This is probably because of his experience. As a boy, Dickens was a peasant, which explains why his descriptions of peasant life and their strife are so detailed. I personally found Dickens' characters very appealing and his description of French society very enthralling.
If you are unsure if you want to read this book, my advice to you would be: definitely read it. Dickens creates a capturing world with a deep plot, exquisite use of imagery, and striking characters, all in one of the most exciting times in history. Pick it up and you won't regret it.
A Tale of Two Cities
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    A Tale of Two Cities
    Charles Dickens
    Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: 0786180390

    Book Description

    This captivating tale, set in London and Paris at the time of the French Revolution, reveals the central choice confronting every society and each individual: Should a person work to change society or should the revolution occur within his heart?
    A Tale of Two Cities (Cliffs Notes)
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    • A Tale of Two Cities
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    • Cliffsnotes Dickens a Tale of Two Cities
    A Tale of Two Cities (Cliffs Notes)
    Marie Kalil
    Manufacturer: Cliffs Notes
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    ASIN: 0764586068

    Book Description

    The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

    In CliffsNotes on A Tale of Two Cities, you experience one of Charles Dickens's most important works as he recounts the horrors of the French Revolution in what amounts to a cautionary tale warning of the possibility of revolution in 18th-century England. From its first line ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times") to its last ("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"), Dickens's novel of revolution, sacrifice, and redemption continues to captivate modern imaginations.

    Chapter summaries and commentaries lead you through Dickens's "Tale," and critical essays give you insight into the women of A Tale of Two Cities and the French Revolution. Other features that help you study include

    Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Very Helpful.......2007-03-27

    I have found reason to use Cliff Notes at various times in the past years. They are always helpful. They provide background information about the author, the times he lived in and a brief overview of the book. Then they break down the book chapter by chapter and explain what is happening in each chapter to the characters. Difficult language is defined. Difficult concepts are expounded upon.

    What they do not do is give you the answers for a test or explain everything so clearly that you won't have to read the book. These are a help to understanding the book.

    This one on A Tale of two Cities was very complete and very helpful.

    4 out of 5 stars Highly Recommend for Younger Readers.......2006-08-27

    I purchased these cliff notes for my son who was reading this book as a school assignment. The names, terms, society, everything in Dickens' book are just too different from modern American society for a young person to comprehend very well, let alone be 'tested' on. He read both the book and the cliff notes and needed both to really understand what was going on and the point of many of the passages.

    3 out of 5 stars A Tale of Two Cities.......2003-08-24

    I indeed read the book, but the notes helped me understand it a lot better.

    5 out of 5 stars A really helpful book.......2003-07-20

    This book helped me a lot i like to read and all but A Tale of Two Cities is a little to detailed and i kind of understood the book but this book helped me understand it completely i recommend this book to anyone that does not fully understand A Tale of Two Cities.

    4 out of 5 stars Cliffsnotes Dickens a Tale of Two Cities.......2002-03-08

    Well I must say that I'm not a big fan of reading, but wow these notes make it a brezze. If you are lazy and have know time to re-read that well, buy the notes..I got them [online]and they have helped me [tremendously! BUY THE NOTES!!! I'm only 15 and well Dickens [is a drag] so buy the notes!!! lol
    A Tale of Two Cities (Cover to Cover Classics)
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Critique of Lamia's Review
    A Tale of Two Cities (Cover to Cover Classics)
    Charles Dickens
    Manufacturer: The Audio Partners, Cover to Cover
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Audio Cassette

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    ASIN: 1572701072

    Book Description

    This novel was written in 1859 during an emotional and professional crisis in Dickens's own life. It reflects the stark, moody tone of his later works in its portrayal of love and sacrifice at the height of the French Revolution.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Critique of Lamia's Review.......2002-10-29

    This is a critique of Lamia's review. Lamia I couldn't agree more with how long the story is. It takes a while to get started, but when it does it is enthralling. In every review that I read, the writer says that he hate Darnay. Why do you hate him? Sure he isn't my favorite person, and somethings he does are bad, but over all he is a kind person. Carton is by far my favorite character. I love how in the end he selflessly gives his life without even telling Darnay. He knows that Darnay will try to stop him and also he doesn't want the recognition of his good deed. Even when he is dying he gives solace to another that is sentenced to die. Everyone should read this book.
    A Tale of Two Cities (Cover to Cover Classics)
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    • Great reading of this book
    A Tale of Two Cities (Cover to Cover Classics)
    Charles Dickens
    Manufacturer: The Audio Partners, Cover to Cover
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: 1572705280

    Book Description

    Through his novel's two unforgettable main characters, Sydney Carton and Madame Defarge, Charles Dickens expertly evokes and contrasts life in England during the reign of George III and life in France during the revolution and the horror that came to dominate it. Personifying these conflicting cultures and historical imperatives, Dickens's two protagonists dramatically fall in love, indicating that perhaps 19th-century England and France had more in common than not. A novel that is both satisfying as a work of literature and as a statement on a crucial period of history, A Tale of Two Cities remains one of Dickens's most popular, inspiring works.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Great reading of this book.......2006-06-28

    It is a dark story, however it is Dickens and he is such a great writer. I would like to say that I love this "Cover to Cover Classics" reading on CD, it is very hard to find and classic lit. on CD that is unabridged and in a good price range. It is unabridged and the 14 disks are marked as you go through them. By this I mean the reader states disk one or two ect. Each disk is about one and half hours long. The cost was not high when using Amazon discounts. Listen to this beautiful love story and enjoy it. "A TALE OF TWO CITIES" is a very great read.
    Las Vegas: The Social Production of an All-American City
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      Las Vegas: The Social Production of an All-American City
      Mark Gottdiener , Claudia C. Collins , and David R. Dickens
      Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      A Tale of Two Cities (The Classic Collection)
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        A Tale of Two Cities (The Classic Collection)
        Charles Dickens
        Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Audio CD

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        ASIN: 1597371475
        Release Date: 2005-06-25

        Book Description

        The "two cities" are Paris in the time of the French Revolution, and London. Dr. Manette, a French physician, having been called in to treat a young peasant and his sister, realizes that they have been cruelly abused by the Marquis de St. Evremonde and his brother. To ensure Dr. Manette's silence, the Marquis has him confined for eighteen years in the Bastille. The doctor has just been released, demented, when the story opens. He is brought to England where he gradually recovers his health and his sanity.

        Charles Darnay, concealing under that false name his identity as the nephew of the cruel Marquis, has left France and renounced his heritage. He falls in love with Lucie, Dr. Manette's daughter, and they are happily married. During the Terror, he goes to Paris to save a servant condemned by the mob. Darnay himself is arrested, condemned to death, and is saved at the last moment by Sydney Carton, a reckless wastrel who acts out of devotion to Lucie. Carton smuggles Darnay out of prison and takes his place on the scaffold, declaring "It's a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done before," surely one of the most quoted lines in all the history of literature.

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