Book 3, Chapter 15 (closing pages)
Carton's prophecy and final monologue - debated as masterpiece of pathos or Victorian sentimentality.
Read in Books4Free →Controversial and Debated Passages
From A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Critics debate Dickens's portrayal of revolutionary violence as reactionary, the passivity of Lucie as a character, and whether Carton's sacrifice is sentimental or genuinely tragic.
Book 2, Chapter 16 (Still Knitting)
Madame Defarge's characterization - read variously as feminist avenger or misogynist demonization of female political agency.
Read in Books4Free →Book 3, Chapter 4-5 (Calm in Storm / The Wood-Sawyer)
Dickens's depiction of the revolutionary populace as bestial mob - critiqued as anti-radical propaganda by some critics.
Read in Books4Free →Read or Listen to A Tale of Two Cities on Books4Free
Every chapter free to read. Free audio narration on the opening chapter. Plus an AI study assistant that knows the book.
Open in Books4Free →