Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" (1859) is often criticised for its melodramatic soap-opera plot, yet his bold treatment of the violence and terrors of the French Revolution is still widely read and enjoyed today. More complex than it first appears, "A Tale of Two Cities" demonstrates Dickens's profound understanding of human nature exemplified in mob behaviour, implacable hatred, and powerful, enduring love. It is firmly established as part of courses at undergraduate and secondary level around the world, and is especially important for students of Victorian or Nineteenth-Century Literature. It is firmly established as part of courses at undergraduate and secondary level around the world and is especially important for students of Victorian or Nineteenth-Century Literature, who will find our guide indispensible.
Taking the form of a sourcebook, this guide to Dickens's dramatic novel offers: - extensive introductory comment on the contexts and many interpretations of the text, from publication to the present - annotated extracts from key contextual documents, reviews, critical works and the text itself - cross-references between documents and sections of the guide, in order to suggest links between texts, contexts and criticism - suggestions for further reading. This volume is essential reading for all those beginning detailed study of "A Tale of Two Cities" and seeking not only a guide to the novel, but a way through the wealth of contextual and critical material that surrounds Dickens' text.