Skip to content
SurenoGet Sureno
Cover of A Tale of Two Cities

Free classic

A Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens (1812–1870)

46 chapters and parts · about 11 hours to read

What the book is about

"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens is a historical novel published in 1859. Set in London and Paris during the tumultuous French Revolution, it follows Dr. Alexandre Manette after his mysterious 18-year imprisonment in the Bastille and his reunion with his daughter Lucie. Their lives become entangled with a French aristocrat fleeing his heritage and a dissolute English lawyer who harbors secret devotion. Against the backdrop of revolutionary terror and violence, personal sacrifices and hidden connections shape their intertwined fates.

This summary comes from the Project Gutenberg catalogue, where it was written automatically.

  • British -- France -- Paris
  • Executions and executioners
  • France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799
  • French -- England -- London
  • Historical fiction

Chapters

  1. Opening pagesabout 1 minute
  2. Chapter IThe Periodabout 5 minutes
  3. Chapter IIThe Mailabout 10 minutes
  4. Chapter IIIThe Night Shadowsabout 8 minutes
  5. Chapter IVThe Preparationabout 22 minutes
  6. Chapter VThe Wine-shopabout 21 minutes
  7. Chapter VIThe Shoemakerabout 21 minutes
  8. Chapter IFive Years Laterabout 12 minutes
  9. Chapter IIA Sightabout 12 minutes
  10. Chapter IIIA Disappointmentabout 24 minutes
  11. Chapter IVCongratulatoryabout 11 minutes
  12. Chapter VThe Jackalabout 11 minutes
  13. Chapter VIHundreds of Peopleabout 23 minutes
  14. Chapter VIIMonseigneur in Townabout 17 minutes
  15. Chapter VIIIMonseigneur in the Countryabout 9 minutes
  16. Chapter IXThe Gorgon’s Headabout 20 minutes
  17. Chapter XTwo Promisesabout 15 minutes
  18. Chapter XIA Companion Pictureabout 7 minutes
  19. Chapter XIIThe Fellow of Delicacyabout 13 minutes
  20. Chapter XIIIThe Fellow of No Delicacyabout 9 minutes
  21. Chapter XIVThe Honest Tradesmanabout 19 minutes
  22. Chapter XVKnittingabout 21 minutes
  23. Chapter XVIStill Knittingabout 19 minutes
  24. Chapter XVIIOne Nightabout 9 minutes
  25. Chapter XVIIINine Daysabout 12 minutes
  26. Chapter XIXAn Opinionabout 14 minutes
  27. Chapter XXA Pleaabout 7 minutes
  28. Chapter XXIEchoing Footstepsabout 21 minutes
  29. Chapter XXIIThe Sea Still Risesabout 10 minutes
  30. Chapter XXIIIFire Risesabout 13 minutes
Show all 46 chapters and parts
  1. Chapter XXIVDrawn to the Loadstone Rockabout 22 minutes
  2. Chapter IIn Secretabout 21 minutes
  3. Chapter IIThe Grindstoneabout 12 minutes
  4. Chapter IIIThe Shadowabout 9 minutes
  5. Chapter IVCalm in Stormabout 11 minutes
  6. Chapter VThe Wood-Sawyerabout 11 minutes
  7. Chapter VITriumphabout 12 minutes
  8. Chapter VIIA Knock at the Doorabout 9 minutes
  9. Chapter VIIIA Hand at Cardsabout 23 minutes
  10. Chapter IXThe Game Madeabout 23 minutes
  11. Chapter XThe Substance of the Shadowabout 29 minutes
  12. Chapter XIDuskabout 7 minutes
  13. Chapter XIIDarknessabout 16 minutes
  14. Chapter XIIIFifty-twoabout 22 minutes
  15. Chapter XIVThe Knitting Doneabout 23 minutes
  16. Chapter XVThe Footsteps Die Out For Everabout 11 minutes

A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, is in the public domain in the United States. Text from Project Gutenberg, eBook #98, with thanks. Sureno removed Project Gutenberg's header and licence and set the text in large print; this is not an official Project Gutenberg edition. Outside the United States, check your own country's copyright rules before copying it.

More free classics

See the whole shelf