“A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens is set in London and Paris during the late 18th century, a turbulent era marked by the French Revolution. The novel explores themes of justice, vengeance, and redemption, opening with the iconic line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” First serialized in Dickens’s periodical All the Year Round (April-November 1859), it is among his most popular and innovative works. The story begins with Dr. Manette’s release after 18 years in the Bastille and his reunion with his daughter Lucie in England. Two men, Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat in exile, and Sydney Carton, a troubled yet brilliant lawyer, compete for Lucie’s love. Their lives intertwine, leading them from London’s safety to revolutionary Paris, where chaos reigns under the shadow of the guillotine. Carton’s self-sacrificial act to save Darnay remains one of literature’s most poignant moments: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done…”

Charles Dickens (1812-1870), hailed as the greatest Victorian novelist, created enduring characters and stories reflecting his era’s social inequalities. His early life was shaped by hardship, including work in a warehouse while his father was imprisoned for debt. Rising from these struggles, Dickens achieved fame with The Pickwick Papers and penned classics like Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, and Bleak House. Dickens’s marriage ended in separation, and his health declined from exhausting public readings. He died on June 9, 1870, leaving behind an unparalleled literary legacy.