Charles Dickens, A tale of two cities and the French Revolution

About this book

A Tale of Two Cities has always been one of Dickens's most popular and best-loved novels. Its interpretation of the French Revolution has strongly shaped British views of national identity and political legitimacy. At the same time, it offers a powerful melodramatic plot pitting private individuals against political systems. This interdisciplinary volume examines the novel's enduring appeal, tracing the origins of its account of the French Revolution, offering new readings of it as a sophisticated fiction in its own right, and exploring its reinvention for stage and cinema over the century and a half since its publication. Contributions from literary studies, political history, the history of ideas and the history of film make this volume a multi-faceted reevaluation of a significant work in English politics and culture. 'A Tale of Two Cities' has always been one of Dickens's most popular texts. Using a variety of disciplinary approaches, this collection of essays examines the origins of Dickens vision of the French Revolution, the literary power of the text itself, and its enduring place in British culture through stage and screen adaptations.