A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel that is set during the French Revolution. The two cities mentioned in the title are London and Paris. The novel is political in nature; it revolves around Sydney Carton and the sacrifice of his own life on behalf of his friends Charles Damay and Lucie Manette.
Carton is portrayed as a brilliant, yet depressed cynic who views himself as a wasted man. Though his love for Lucie Manette is unrequited, she nevertheless inspires him to try to be a better person. Towards the end of the novel, Carton manages to change places with her husband Charles Darnay hours before Darnay’s scheduled execution in France, thus giving his life for Lucie’s sake. Later, Lucie and Charles honour Carton by naming their second son after him.
A Tale of Two Cities is one of the best historical novels ever written. In 2003, the novel was ranked 63rd on the BBC’s The Big Read Poll.
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