A Tale of Two Cities

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

Charles Dickens's most unflinching novel is not a comedy of Victorian manners but a tragedy of revolutionary terror—a story about sacrifice, resurrection, and the guillotine's shadow.

It is 1775. Dr. Manette, imprisoned for eighteen years in the Bastille, is released and reunited with his daughter Lucie in London. But the past does not stay buried. When Lucie marries the French émigré Charles Darnay, the family is drawn back to Paris—just as the French Revolution erupts. As the guillotine claims thousands, Darnay is arrested by the revolutionaries. His only hope lies in two men: the dissipated lawyer Sydney Carton, who has wasted his brilliance on drink and self-loathing, and Madame Defarge, a woman who knits the names of the condemned and never forgets a grudge. What follows is one of literature's most famous endings—a final sentence that still brings readers to tears.

This is Dickens at his most dark and redemptive: a novel about the possibility of rebirth, even for those who believe themselves beyond saving. A Tale of Two Cities endures because it knows that the worst of times can produce the best of us.

• One of the best-selling novels of all time, adapted countless times for film, stage, and television

• Explores themes of resurrection, sacrifice, mob justice, and the costs of revolution

• The source of one of literature's most famous opening lines and most heartbreaking final lines

Available in multiple formats:

• Paperback & Hardcover: Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.

• Ebook: DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.

• Audiobook: Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.

A beautifully crafted edition for your shelf, your device, or your ears—or the perfect gift for anyone who believes that it is far, far better to do a thing than to wish it done.

About the Author

Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was an English novelist, journalist, and social critic, widely regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. Born in Portsmouth, he endured a childhood of poverty and forced labor in a blacking factory after his father was imprisoned for debt—experiences that would shape his lifelong commitment to social reform. His major works include Oliver Twist (1837), David Copperfield (1850), Bleak House (1853), Hard Times (1854), Great Expectations (1861), and A Tale of Two Cities (1859). Dickens's novels were originally published as serials, making him one of the most popular and commercially successful authors of his day. His vivid characters, sharp social critique, and masterful storytelling have never gone out of print. He is buried in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey.