Readings on a Tale of Two Cities (Greenhaven Press Literary Companion to British Literature)

Critical essays examine the main themes, central characters, and treatment of social and historical events from the classic novel

Gr 9 Up--Nardo begins with a well-written, concise overview of Dickens and his times. The pieces that follow are taken from scholarly works or important collections of literary criticism. Where words or paragraphs are deemed superfluous to the main point they are deleted and at times various words are inserted in brackets as explanations. The essays or excerpts begin with a summary of the critic's views expressed therein and are centered around three topics: main themes, central characters, and treatment of social and historical events found in this classic work. For those who are familiar with Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Tale of Two Cities (Prentice-Hall, 1972; o.p.), this is fresh material. However, it duplicates much of the material found in Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, a Modern Critical Interpretation (Chelsea, 1987). The Greenhaven edition includes an essay by Angus Wilson explaining why he believes this to be a lesser novel, and one by Jack Lindsay on the importance of Dr. Manette as the central character, contrary to the traditional view of Sydney Carton in that role.

Jo-Anne Weinberg, Greenburgh Public Library, NY

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