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A Tale of Two Cities
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 14 hrs and 18 mins
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A Tale of Two Cities
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Summary
Exclusively from Audible
'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times'; so the recording begins and ends with some of Dickens' best-known words, and between those lines is every Briton's view of the worst excesses of the French Revolution.
Set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution, the audiobook tells the story of a French doctor who is imprisoned for 18 years in the Bastille in Paris. Upon his release, he moves to London with his daughter, Lucie, whom he had never met. She marries but there is conflict between her husband and the people who decades earlier caused her father's imprisonment.
Set against the backdrop of the conditions that led up to the French Revolution, it depicts the plight of the French peasantry demoralised by the French aristocracy and the brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries during the Reign of Terror, towards the former aristocrats.
Dickens was one of eight children from a very poor family, with his father eventually being sent to debtor's prison. Dickens began work at the age of 12 to help clear the family debt. It was this troublesome childhood that provided him with much of the material for his novels and lent him a sympathetic voice for the poor.
Narrator Biography
Martin Jarvis is one of Britain's most admired actors. His audiobook output is legendary. He is described in Vanity Fair as 'the Olivier of audiobooks' and 'genius of the Spoken Word' in the LA Times. Award-winning recordings range from titles by Charles Dickens, P.G. Wodehouse and Michael Frayn to thrillers by Jeffrey Archer, Wilbur Smith, Ian Fleming and Dick Francis.
He has starred in many acclaimed West End and National Theatre productions and received the Theatre World Award as Jeeves on Broadway. Numerous UK television appearances encompass Law & Order, Doctor Who, Endeavour, Inspector Morse and The Forsyte Saga. In America: Murder She Wrote, Numb3rs, Cosmos and Walker, Texas Ranger. Films include Titanic, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Wreck-It Ralph. Videogames: Alfred in Batman, Finn McMissile in Cars. Martin was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
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What listeners say about A Tale of Two Cities
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Reader
- 15-02-23
Epic
A heartbreaking story. A grim historical period. Vivid characters. Wonderful narration. We’ll worth a listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Peter K.
- 30-09-23
Fantastic reading of a superb Novel
Martin captured the character and pace of what is generally considered the fastest and best selling novel of all time. Dickens outstanding novel set in the French Revolution will always be beloved by any who read or in this case listen to it .
Audible is a terrific way to experience Dickens as he himself enjoyed performing his books
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Mr David Newton
- 17-11-07
The best of books, the best of readers
Possibly Dickens' greatest work, certainly English literatures greatest opening AND closing lines 'A Tale of Two Cities' may also be the incomparable Martin Jarvis's greatest reading.
His characterisation enhances the written text, bringing life to the already lively players in this masterpiece.
Possibly the best of the hundreds of auido books I have enjoyed.
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40 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 10-01-21
Loved it
I really enjoyed Martin Jarvis' performance here, particularly the character Jerry and that of Miss Prosse.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 27-11-21
Fabulous
Such a great story superbly narrated by Martin Jarvis. You are in for a treat!
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- Kate Legum
- 29-03-21
wonderful
A wonderful story. Flawless narration. Slow to start as usual with Dickens but magnificent crescendo.
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- Golden Hours
- 16-10-15
A magnificent performance by Martin Jarvis
This is a wonderful story made all the better by the narration. Martin Jarvis brings every character to life. Highly recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jennifer
- 31-07-13
A classic story read well
A Tale of Two Cities is my favourite of Dickens' works. Martin Jarvis narrated the story extremely well.
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- Anne Mason
- 16-03-18
A good listen
A beautifully written story well performed. The narrator uses different voices for the characters and thus brings them to life.
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- Esther
- 11-04-22
Love it
Love the story and narration. Charles Dickens' use of words for description is exceptional. The narrator captured the essence of the moments with the voices, tone and dramatisation.
would recommend.
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