
A Tale of Two Cities
The Audible Dickens Collection
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Narrated by:
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Simon Callow
About this listen
This Audible Exclusive production revisits one of Dickens' popular novels: A Tale of Two Cities. In Dickens' driving narrative we see many themes that permeate life today as well as characters who provide a window into the past. This, coupled with Simon Callow's expert narration, is a treat for those new to Dickens and lifelong fans alike. Featuring an exclusive introduction written by Callow, whose passion for Dickens shines through.
This release marks the start of the Dickens Collection, an exclusive series of unmissable performances available throughout 2018.
About the book
'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.'
So begins Charles Dickens' most famous historical drama: a gripping tale of war, social injustice and the choice between darkness and light. After being unjustly imprisoned for 18 years, French doctor Manette is released from the Bastille jail in Paris and embarks upon a journey to London in the hope of finding the daughter he never met. Young Lucie Manette is a pretty and dutiful girl who soon attracts the attention of two very different gentlemen. Now reunited with the father she believed to be dead, happiness appears to be within reach. But as they are all drawn back to the bloodstained streets of Paris, misery and the threat of La Guillotine loom once again.
In Callow's introduction, we discover how Dickens' own volatile personal circumstances of the time are mirrored in A Tale of Two Cities. He tells of Dickens' personal feuds and explains why this novel sees Dickens at his most theatrical.
About the author
With his father incarcerated, Charles Dickens had to abandon his studies at a young age and set to work in a factory so as to support himself. Despite his short-lived education, Dickens went on to write 15 novels, various articles, novellas and short stories. He lectured and led campaigns for children's rights and education and arguably became the ultimate self-made man. Dickens had strong values, and they pervade A Tale of Two Cities, which can be seen as not only an inspirational text but one which will continue to stand the test of time.
About the narrator
Simon Callow is a multi-award-winning actor, writer and theatre director. He is best known for his performances in Amadeus, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Simon has vast stage experience and clearly loves what he does. His fervour began at a young age working as box office staff, and it wasn't long before he made the transition from behind the scenes to centre stage - never looking back.
Callow is also known for his literary talents and has published various biographies including those of Oscar Wilde, Charles Laughton and Orson Welles. He has narrated over 20 audiobooks and brings his wealth of experience and characteristic charm to this exciting performance.
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- By: Jules Verne, Anna Lea - adaptation
- Narrated by: Toby Jones, George Blagden, Don Gilet, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Original Recording
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One of the most celebrated tales of all time, Around the World in 80 Days is part high-octane thriller, part fascinating fantasy travelogue. Pragmatic gambler Phileas Fogg has made a gentlemanly wager to the members of his exclusive club: that he can circle the world in just 80 days, right down to the minute. Fetching his newly appointed French valet, Fogg embarks on a fabulous journey across land and sea - by steamer, rail, and elephant - to win the bet of a lifetime.
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Good Dramatization but Abridged Version of Story
- By Dennis & Veronica on 09-18-20
By: Jules Verne, and others
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Oliver Twist
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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A workhouse orphan, Oliver experiences the terror and brutality of the criminal underworld. His companions, a thief, a whore, a pickpocket, and a fence, are destined for gruesome ends, but Oliver emerges unscathed from the darkness of the underworld.
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Magnifique lively narrator
- By Philippe0742 on 11-22-07
By: Charles Dickens
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A Christmas Carol
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Hugh Grant
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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First published in 1843, it tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean and unpleasant man who dislikes people generally and Christmas especially. One Christmas Eve he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come and given a glimpse of the many homes and lives which Scrooge has touched in his wretched life to date. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.
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Christmas Classic Given New Life
- By E-Hank3 on 12-26-20
By: Charles Dickens
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Trevor White
- Length: 1 hr and 9 mins
- Abridged
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Trevor White reads Mark Twain's timeless tale about friendship and loyalty set in America's Deep South. Tom Sawyer is a fun-loving and adventurous boy who always tries to keep one step ahead of his long-suffering Aunt Polly. Who wouldn't want to skip school when there are adventures to be had along the banks of the Mississippi River? Tom gets into plenty of scrapes with his friend Huckleberry Finn. But the innocent and child-like japes turn for the worse as the two boys witness an event that has them fearing for their lives....
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Truncated story at inappropriate times
- By Cracker on 05-23-18
By: Mark Twain
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Frankenstein
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Jamie Bell
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris and horror.
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Classic with Great Narration
- By Amazon Customer on 09-12-23
By: Mary Shelley
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Anna Karenina
- By: Leo Tolstoy
- Narrated by: David Horovitch
- Length: 38 hrs
- Unabridged
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Anna Karenina seems to have everything - beauty, wealth, popularity and an adored son. But she feels that her life is empty until the moment she encounters the impetuous officer Count Vronsky.
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Beautiful story, amazing narration
- By Marcus Vorwaller on 08-02-08
By: Leo Tolstoy
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Pride and Prejudice [Audible Studios]
- By: Jane Austen
- Narrated by: Lindsay Duncan
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Pride and Prejudice has delighted generations of readers with its unforgettable cast of characters, carefully choreographed plot, and a hugely entertaining view of the world and its absurdities. With the arrival of eligible young men in their neighbourhood, the lives of Mr and Mrs Bennet and their five daughters are turned inside out and upside down.
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Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice
- By Dr. Roberta on 05-28-09
By: Jane Austen
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Wuthering Heights
- By: Emily Brontë
- Narrated by: Patricia Routledge
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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The passionate and tragic story of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff is one of the high points of 19th-century Romantic literature. In the relationship of Cathy and Heathcliff, and in the wild, bleak Yorkshire Moors of its setting, Wuthering Heights creates a world of its own, conceived with a disregard for convention and an instinct for poetry and the darkest depths of the human soul in torment.
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I loved how much I hated everyone
- By Dan Harlow on 07-07-13
By: Emily Brontë
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A Tale of Two Cities [Tantor]
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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A Tale of Two Cities is one of Charles Dickens's most exciting novels. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, it tells the story of a family threatened by the terrible events of the past. Doctor Manette was wrongly imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years without trial by the aristocratic authorities.
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it's the singer not the song*
- By Maynard on 11-09-13
By: Charles Dickens
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A Tale of Two Cities
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Julian Rhind-Tutt
- Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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After 18 years as a political prisoner in the Bastille, the ageing Dr Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil lanes of London, they are all drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror and soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine.
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nice intro, but unnecessary addition to audible
- By Anonymous on 06-18-20
By: Charles Dickens
What listeners say about A Tale of Two Cities
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- Gillian
- 02-08-18
Very Good But Not The Best On Audible--
Just look it up: A Tale of Two Cities has been done in a gazillion different versions on Audible. And while I enjoyed Simon Callow's version very much, I have to say that Simon Vance and John Lee turn in better performances of this superb work. Heck, I even appreciate Simon Prebble's narration far more.
The only thing is, and perhaps I'm the only one here: Callow, who has a background in acting on the stage, is a bit over the top. He brings a grand, grand, GRAND theatricality to this book by Dickens that sometimes gets in the way of a marvelous book of obsession, love, intrigue, and sacrifice. The man obviously loves and respects Dickens and totally brings in his acting chops, and yes, sometimes the work wallows in melodrama, but I was taken out of the story a few times by having to lower my volume because when a character bellows, Callow bellows. When a character shrieks, Callow shrieks. You get the picture.
Still, I appreciate the effort, and I did indeed enjoy my 15 hours with Dickens (and Lucie, and Dr. Manette, and especially the finally eloquent Carton... and oh yes: the shifty, wicked Defarges!).
It's just that Simon Vance is a tad, maybe only a tad, better...
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- Anonymous User
- 06-27-21
still current
I read the book with the audio, at it help me understand the story better.
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- Nicole
- 10-22-22
chapters aren't sepertated
I loved the performance. the narrators acting helped me keep track of the characters. the only thing is that the chapters were not broken out and I like to see how long I have left in a chapter.
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- Jim Romrell
- 01-30-22
Very good, but not the best
A Tale of Two cities has long been one of my favorites. There are moments of exquisite beauty and abject horror, and Dickens weaves these together into a tapestry that is difficult to match in all of literature. Of particular note is Dickens’s ability to craft a plot of seemingly inconsequential characters, all of whom become essential and significant at the end.
But I mark my review down one star because Callow’s reading could be better. I’m a particular fan of the Simon Prebble, and compared to Prebble’s narration, Callow is somewhat lackluster. While his reading is very good overall, he doesn’t differentiate the voices of characters as well as other readers. As a result it can be easy to confuse characters and lose track of who is speaking.
Still, this version was free to me through my membership, so I can’t complain too much. Also, listening to the text with a different narrator allowed me to understand the text in a different way, and that is always a win.
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- Fatima Galan
- 11-07-24
Simon Callow unwanted mouth moises
You can hear his lack of saliva control and added mouths noises. His breathing is too pronounced. Speeding up the listening rate or lowering the volume does not help.
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- Thomas Sharp
- 12-13-21
Hard to get into
It was difficult to follow along, the story felt like it skip around without warning or pretense that scenes and characters were changing
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- Neil
- 01-03-21
A powerful story with a great narrator
i'd never read this classic story before, and I'm so glad that this was my introduction to it. the sole narrator is amazing, producing numerous completely distinct voices. And the story itself is quite powerful.
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- Kimi Saunders
- 01-05-21
one of my favorite books
I love this book. hearing it performed well was a joy. a great work that resonates today.
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- movies r us
- 03-30-21
Fantastic Quality!
This is a very Inspiring book that was performed exceedingly well.
I will recommend this specific production of A Tale of Two Cities to everyone I know.
Very well worth your time and money.
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-25-21
I so liked this book
The narrator was most excellent of variety, tone , and color. The story is ageless
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