A Tale of Two Cities: Essential Classics Abridged

A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel set in the time of the French Revolution. It is a stirring narrative of the cruel injustices and misery suffered by the ordinary people of France in the years preceding the Revolution, and their ultimate violent reaction to this oppression.
While the fate of Charles Darney and Lucie Manette is the main concern of the plot, it is the characters of Dr Manette and Madame Defarge that rouse deep emotions in the reader, as does the tragic figure of Sydney Carton. The endearing Mr Lorry and loyal Miss Pross add the humorous touch.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens portrays and condemns human heartlessness, whether of the aristocrats or of the revolutionaries. But he clearly believes in a Divine Hand which assures a heavenly reward for those who suffer and have faith.