A Tale of Two Cities
In 1775 a banker's agent travels to Paris to bring Dr. Manette, released after eighteen years in the Bastille, back to his daughter Lucie in London. Around them Dickens builds two cities and two men who look alike: Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat who has renounced his family, and Sydney Carton, a brilliant, drunken English lawyer who has wasted his life. When the Revolution comes, Darnay returns to Paris to help a former servant and is caught by the machinery of the Terror, the Defarges and their wine shop, the knitting women and the guillotine. Published in 1859, the novel is Dickens's shortest and most tightly plotted, with the famous first sentence, the storming of the Bastille and Carton's last act. Read it online in your browser on Vinteuil; the first chapter is free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read A Tale of Two Cities online?
Yes. A Tale of Two Cities opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is A Tale of Two Cities free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of A Tale of Two Cities is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is A Tale of Two Cities in the public domain?
Yes. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a public-domain work. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read A Tale of Two Cities?
About 9 h 06 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is A Tale of Two Cities?
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is filed under "Fiction" in the Vinteuil library.
