Cliffs Notes: Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities

by Marie Kalil M.A.

The CliffsNotes study guide on Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities supplements the original literary work, giving you background information about the author, an introduction to the work, a graphical character map, critical commentaries, expanded glossaries, and a comprehensive index, all for you to use as an educational tool that will allow you to better understand the work. This study guide was written with the assumption that you have read A Tale of Two Cities. Reading a literary work doesn’t mean that you immediately grasp the major themes and devices used by the author; this study guide will help supplement your reading to be sure you get all you can from Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. CliffsNotes Review tests your comprehension of the original text and reinforces learning with questions and answers, practice projects, and more. For further information on Charles Dickens and A Tale of Two Cities, check out the CliffsNotes Resource Center at www.cliffsnotes.com. IN THIS AUDIOBOOK • Learn about the Life and Background of Charles Dickens • Hear an Introduction to A Tale of Two Cities • Explore themes, character development, and recurring images in the Critical Commentaries • Learn new words from the Glossary at the end of each Chapter • Examine in-depth Character Analyses • Acquire an understanding of A Tale of Two Cities with Critical Essays • Reinforce what you learn to further your study online at www.cliffsnotes.com

Genres: Reference

MP3 CD

First published November 30, 1960

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in conjunction with reading the novel itself. I found the first two thirds of Dickens' story to be a little too obscure to follow completely, so Cliff Notes was a real help in this reading exercise. It was truly what kept me going to the end of the book, for without its synopsis and analysis, I might have given up. As it is, it was an invaluable aid to an enjoyable reading experience.

BTW I was particularly pleased to find that the text was available free of charge on the web.

[Matt Dillard · Rating 4 out of 5]

After enjoying "A Tale of Two Cities" so much, I decided to read the corresponding Cliffs Notes & Monarch Notes to get a little more insight into the story. Interestingly, each of these "summaries" presented surprisingly different insights. The chapter summaries were short & too simplified, but the chapter analysis was decent. I especially liked the "vocab" section for each chapter, as it cleared up some confusing terms and references. The Character Map at the beginning would have been a handy reference while reading, although it reveals too much about the story line to be useful until after the reader has read the story. There was an interesting essay about the history of the French Revolution at the end.

[Elevetha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though despising the setup (book by book, rather than chapter by chapter), it did have some very useful commentary, as well as summing up the book in less than 50 pages, versus 320 pages. I was especially glad I had this when I got to the last 4 or 5 chapters of A Tale of Two Cities, because I was really tired and trying to finish it and missed a lot. I had no idea who was related to whom and how, or what was going on, and this did clear that up for me.

[Greg Bittner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this *after* reading "A Tale of Two Cities" to fill in some gaps in my understanding. It did that, but I disagreed with Cliff's commentaries in several places. He judges the Victorian era through the short-sightedness of the 20th century, downplaying the social reforms under Queen Victoria, some of which were even influenced by Dickens. The author instead ridicules "weak" Victorian femininity despite its namesake monarch who was bold, humanitarian, and beloved by her people. My favorite part of the book is its introductory biography of Charles Dickens, which describes settings and characters in Dickens' life that influenced his other stories.

[Cheryl]

Even with the help of this guide, I can not manage to read the original myself. I have good memories of it from high school (decades ago) and don't want to spoil them with a painful struggle now.
Oct. 2021

[Apzmarshl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This helped a lot with the historical Revolution.

[Kyndra Lemke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I see that I definitely use these as a crutch... but I like feeling like I have the answer sheet.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good will overcome evil, but not without suffering and sacrifice.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cliff Notes are so helpful in interpreting the story and really brings enjoyment to reading the classics.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whenever I read a classic, I like to read along using Cliff notes. I find it helps a great deal to understand the author, and the time it was written. Often this helps explain why it is such a classic.

[Jonathan Moran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this as a refresher about a year and a half after having read the book. Brought out a lot of "themes" that I missed in my first read of the novel. I like Cliff Notes for this reason. Wish it had more direct quotes from the actual text though, love Dickens' prose.

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book helpful while reading The Tale of Two Cities for the first time. i would read a section in the Cliff Notes, and then i would read that section in the novel. It gave me a deeper understanding of the plot line, and it helped me to sort out the characters.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

god bless cliff.

[Cheryl S.]

Marked this as read just to get if off of my currently reading list.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cliffs are a wonderful companion book. Dickens is so intense that this just makes things make more sense. Hey, I'm a poet and didn't know it.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helped me get a grasp for the book before I started reading it and had me thinking on the various themes and subjects brought up throughout the story.

[Pierre]

I didn't really use it that much at all.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in 8th grade. Great study guide for an incredibly shitty book that I never actually finished

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful and interesting. Would recommend.