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A Tale of Two Cities: 150th Anniversary (Signet Classics)
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$ 3.76
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| Retail Value |
$ 4.95 |
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$ 1.19 (24%) |
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| Item Number |
613546 |
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Item Description...
Overview
Reissued to commemorate its 150th anniversary, this timeless novel details the people who were caught up in the wave of violence and murder that marked the French Revolution, including a young Englishman who gives up his life in order to save the husband of the woman he loves. Original.
Publishers Description
150TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
With dramatic eloquence, this story of the French Revolution brings to life a time of terror and treason, and a starving people rising in frenzy and hate to overthrow a corrupt and decadent regime.
At GoodNews Christian Bookstore, we have possibly the lowest prices anywhere! Discount on books and bibles is 25%. Checkout our church supplies page! We are cheaper than Lifeway and Family Christian. Shop with confidence! Blessings, Bill |
Item Specifications...
Pages 397
Dimensions: Length: 1.25" Width: 4.25" Height: 6.75"
Weight: 0.45 lbs.
Binding Softcover
Release Date Feb 1, 2007
Publisher Penguin Group USA
ISBN 0451530578
EAN 9780451530578
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Availability 206 units.
Availability accurate as of May 24, 2012 04:01.
Usually ships within one to two business days from Johnson City, TN.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | Didn't read it during high school Jun 2, 2010 |
| I didn't read this when assigned during High School. My loss. I finally got around to reading it fifteen years later and thoroughly enjoyed it. Though I remembered a bit of the plot from the Cliff's Notes, I had a difficult time putting the Kindle down until I finished it. The story has a bit of a slow start, but once Dickens gets the setting established he runs with the story until the end. | | | | Great book on CD May 18, 2010 |
| I love the classics and having them "read to me" on CD in the car is the best! | | |  | HoustonE reviews A Tale of Two Cities Apr 27, 2010 |
Everybody Loves Lucie
In psychology, a theory called Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs explains the steps to reach self actualization which is a state similar to nirvana. The prerequisites are steps of "love or belonging" and "esteem". "Love or Belonging" refers to caring and having a stable relationship with friendship and family. The step "esteem" explains that one has confidence, respect by others and selfless character. Though Charles Dickens was not a psychologist, he created a set of characters that proved Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs more plausible. Furthermore in A Tale of Two Cities, Doctor Manette, Sydney Carton, and Mr. Lorry were evident characters who reached self actualization through resurrection by Lucie.
Once Lucie helped resurrect her father, Doctor Manette consequently became more alive and aware of life. Doctor Manette returned from the dead, after eighteen years in solitude prison. Doctor Manette was described to have "sunken cheek, cadaverous colour, emaciated hands and figures", which illustrated how dead he became through those years. His social skills were lost and he easily isolated himself from society as shown through his acquaintance with Mr. Lorry. When Mr. Lorry asked business questions to Doctor Manette, "the faintness of [Doctor Manette] was pitiable and dreadful" as he replied to Mr. Lorry. Accordingly, he cannot continue conversations and also draws from society by making shoes. However, Doctor Manette shows the life he most likely had before imprisonment when Mr. Lorry introduced his long lost daughter, Lucie. Contrasting to the indifferent responses from Doctor Manette in Mr. Lorry's conversation, Manette has "some pleasure in the mere sound of his daughter's voice, and invariably [turns] to it when she spoke". As life becomes more valuable to Doctor Manette with his daughter in his life, the gloomy shadow upon his face gradually faded. He finally has a family to care for and loves, and consequently cares for others as he was "thus steady and confident" to defend Charles Darnay in his second trial. Also his mysterious work of shoes ended which connected to his dead and isolated experience in prison. In the end, Doctor Manette reached self actualization in effect of his resurrection with the help of his daughter's presence.
In addition, an alcoholic lawyer, Sydney Carton, is resurrected from a self centered and jackal life to a life in self actualization. Sydney Carton had no purpose in life regardless of his superior educational and occupational background. He lived with a firm belief that he cares "for no man on earth and no man on earth cares for" him. Obviously Mr. Carton lived in a self centered life and cared not for a social life. Charles Dickens not only illustrates Mr. Carton as a lonesome and emotionally insecure man, but as repetitious. Due to the lack of aspiration, Carton is "an amazingly good jackal, and that he rendered suit and service to Stryver in that humble capacity". As Mr. Carton silently works for Stryver, Mr. Carton seems as he does not control his life completely. Along with his negative characteristics, he is inept to fit with society socially. Mr. Carton stood alone excluded from the circle when the men congratulated Darnay outside the court even though Darnay's release was made possible by Mr. Carton's help. Fortunately, Carton revitalizes his life when he is acquainted with Lucie. Regardless of Stryver's advice about marriage, Sydney Carton finds love that ultimately allows him to arise from his lifeless years. He changed from being self centered to "embrace any sacrifice for [Lucie] and for those dear to [her]". In the end, Carton chooses what he truly wants for himself, which is not his repetitious routine, and takes a risk to save Darnay. All in all, Sydney Carton, who initially was lifeless being self-centered, repetitious and a jackal, was resurrected to a true life by his love for Lucie.
A similar character to Mr. Carton, Mr. Lorry, a man of business, found self actualization through resurrection, which made him selfless as a character. Mr. Lorry could be interpreted to have a dead life, unlike Doctor Manette with physical appearance, but more similar to Mr. Carton, who had internal conflict. His problem was as confessed his character as "a man of business" and therefore he "has no time for them, [and] no chance of them". Throughout the beginning and even the middle of the novel, Charles Dickens emphasizes the business characteristic of Mr. Lorry. Even when he shares a conversation with Lucie, his business character shows and excludes emotions. Dickens portrayal of Mr. Lorry as a robot who is too involved in his work suggests a way of life that is undesirable. Eventually, the relationship between Mr. Lorry and Doctor Manette along with Lucie resurrects Mr. Lorry from his insignificant life to a life full of purpose and selflessness. Evidently, Mr. Lorry makes "arrangements to absent himself from Tellson's for the first time in his life" to supervise Doctor Manette, which shows his interest in people, not business. Mr. Lorry, whose thoughts were all about work for Tellson's Bank decides to devote his time and attention to Doctor Manette and Lucie. Therefore, Mr. Lorry surpassed his selfishness and business character by resurrection with the help of his relationship with Lucie, and in effect found self actualization.
Though the early lives of Doctor Manette, Sydney Carton, and Mr. Lorry are considered undesirable because of their fatigued physical appearance or self centered, selfish, isolated characteristics, they changed to have a enhanced life, measured by the stages of Maslow's Hierarchy theory. The characteristics in the early lives of the characters are closely related as if they were dead, because of their undesirable traits. However, Lucie helped resurrect Doctor Manette, Sydney Carton and Mr. Lorry to realize the value of life. | | | | A Timeless Classic Apr 22, 2010 |
A Tale of Two Cites by author Charles Dickens truly delivers a classic and timeless novel. Based during the French Revolution Dickens intertwines historical events with well-developed character storylines. He creates a perception of reality and suspense throughout the entire novel. This novel encompasses the purity of innocence in characters as well as the adamant characteristics one must encompass in order to fight for purpose and redemption. Dickens embodies an author who knows how to write a cohesive and exceptional story filled with compelling characters left and right, a unique writing style and riveting storylines.
Charles Dickens produces quite a range of characters such as Madame Defarge a true twist in the story who inevitably leads The Storming of the Bastille. Dickens, establishes Madame Defarge as ruthless, radical and an undeniable thrill to the story. Dickens also creates the most prominently praised character Sydney Carton. At first seen as an undeveloped, insignificant character, Sydney Carton later develops as the most relatable and most real character to the storyline. Charles Dickens draws little emphasis to Carton for most of the novel, but then uses his famous writing skills to finish the novel with a remarkable twist, proving Sydney Carton as one of the most dynamic characters of the book throughout. In this novel Charles Dickens creates strong influential characters to the plot and storyline that create a truly remarkable and relatable story.
Dickens establishes his unique writing style from the beginning of the novel, which may leave an inexperienced reader flustered and unaware, but when thoroughly taking time to understand Dickens' work the reader can see the advanced flow of ideas, the details to the characters, the undeniable use of imagery and the ending that stands as truly unforgettable. To an inexperienced reader, this book exists as dry and almost confusing, but when continuing to read, Dickens clear qualities of an experienced writer really show through. This stands indeed as a hard read to a mere high-school freshman as well as any advocate unaware of fine literary techniques and devices. With much persistence and deliberate evaluation of the text at hand it becomes easier to understand the well-deserved praise this novel receives through all these years. Every page exists with thoughtful construction and well-written text.
A Tale of Two Cities in its entirety truly presents itself as a spectacular and flawlessly developed novel that can easily acclaims itself as a must-read book that can never put itself down. Dickens creates emotion, tone and details that truly give the reader a connection to the characters and storyline. This story intertwines two plots of the uprising of oppressed peasantry to a remarkable love story of a character deemed static for most of the novel. This novel encompasses true literature without the irrelevant non-sense usually put in. Dickens definitely creates a memorable, and timeless piece for many generations to come.
| | |  | A Timeless Classic Apr 21, 2010 |
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens gives another meaning to the French Revolution by portraying it through the eyes of the peasants and the aristocrats. Dickens' sarcastic tone for both classes shows that he is not taking either side, but rather showing his disapproval of their actions. By showing the aristocrats as immature and unable to care for themselves, Dickens shows no sympathy for their condition. However, by describing the revolutionaries as wild and untamed, the reader can tell that he does not approve of the peasants' take on the situation.
A Tale of Two Cities is an intricate novel, with many conflicts interweaving in the first two books. Although the reader can engross themselves with the violent crimes of the Revolutionaries, the novel's true climax does not show itself until the third, and final, book. Although there is a large amount of crucial information in the first two books as to why the main climax happened, there is also a lot of excess information that I feel Dickens did not have to include in his novel an example being Mr. Stryver. Although some may argue that Stryver is needed to show how Sydney Carton is a "failure" compared to him, I feel that the novel could have done well without the involvement of this arrogant character. He proves as having no value to the story at the time of the climax, and he stays as a flat unimportant character that in no way helps move the plot along.
The character of Madame Defarge is one that I feel is the most well-developed villain in all of literature. Her sinister ways and her hidden motives that become revealed in the third book keep the reader intrigued. The way she stops at nothing to destroy the aristocrats characterizes her as someone with a passion to avenge their loved ones, and not just an evil woman who loves to create bloodshed. Another character that I feel is important is Sydney Carton. This man, who at first receives no sympathy and maybe even disgust from the readers, proves himself as worthy of a good life and becomes the most lovable and admirable character of them all. His selfless attitude and his motivation to become a good person pull on the heartstrings of the readers.
A Tale of Two Cities is a very heavy read, with a great amount of imagery, motifs, and symbolism that must be analyzed in order to fully comprehend everything that happens. This book is for those who feel they can put their heart into this dense book and fully understand it, otherwise nothing will make sense at all. Once they do, they will feel as if they have been transported back to the time of the French Revolution. Charles Dickens has rewritten history in a way that we all can enjoy.
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