Stunning. A very enjoyable listen.

A great story set in terrible times, read brilliantly by Anton Lesser, whose characterisations and narration were superb.

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A tale of two cities

Completely unabridged. Story told and well read by Anton Lesser. Really enjoyed this version,recommended

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fabulous

Anton, you read this beautifully. Thank you. I enjoyed every word. You are a narrator extraordinaire.

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Brilliant Anton Lesser, as always

Anton Lesser is a perfect reader of Dickens: every measured word, the light, the funny and the sad, the broken. The end was particularly good. I had forgotten so much was saved if the story to the last quarter. Knowing what was coming made it even more powerful I think. In Covid times, to hear the repetition of ‘i am the resurrection and the life’ as Sydney Carton nears his end was most moving to me. Thank you.

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2 people found this helpful

Excellent

The reading, the accents, the character interpretations were outstanding. Anton Lesser is a superb reader of Dickens. Highly recommended

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I'm not eloquent enough ...

... To properly praise the author and narrator, so I will not embarrass myself by trying. All I can do is press the five stars, like some thumbprint. And thank you both.

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3 people found this helpful

Gripping

Very well read, gripping and melodramatic classic. Not as easy to identify with as eg David Copperfield but offered a deep insight into the dynamic of European history. I highly recommend it.

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It is a far far better thing ...

This is a tale of love and redemption superbly narrated by Anton Lesser. Probably best known for its opening and closing lines it charts the lives of a group of characters in the years leading up to the French Revolution and the subsequent Terror. Dickens' political beliefs shine through as he highlights the social disparities between the peasantry and the aristocracy that contributed to the revolution in France whilst condemning the brutality and vidictiveness of its after effects. Written in the 1850's the French revolution was part of history, but only quite recent history and Dickens uses this novel to sound a warning against the inhumanities he saw around him at that time in England.

As usual his heroine is unfeasibly angelic and his hero unfeasibly noble but unlike other Dickens' novels the quota of his 'comic' characters is much reduced giving this tale more gravity than is usual in his work. The characterisations are realised beautifuuly by Lesser's narration, enhancing rather than detracting from the original work.

One word of caution however, be careful where you are as you listen to final chapter!

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4 people found this helpful

Nothing beats an unabridged Dickens

What a great self isolation treat! Find yourselves transported back through history. Dickens is the master 3D story teller, creating a world as clear in your head as any film. Anton Lesser reads magnificently.

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Classic in every sense

This wonderful performance by Anton Lesser is a delight to hear from beginning to end. Dickens’ picture of France during the Revolution and the suffering of both people and aristocracy is haunting. His characters come to life in the outstanding reading and, as usual, every loose end is woven into the fabric of the narrative before the end.

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