Historical fiction book · Curated
A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens · historical fiction
After eighteen years in the Bastille, Dr Manette is restored to his daughter Lucie in London—then the French Revolution draws an exiled aristocrat, a wasted English lawyer, and the Manettes back to Paris and the shadow of the Guillotine. Dickens’s novel is historical fiction of 1775–1793 London and Paris: sacrifice, revenge, and the best and worst of times.
Why read it: A perennial title-search historical novel of the French Revolution—the Dickens classic readers still look up by name, and a London–Paris counterpart to Napoleonic-aftermath epics already on the shelf.
About this historical novel
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is historical fiction set around 1775–1793 in the Regency / Napoleonic / Early modern period with key settings including Paris, London, Bastille, France. After eighteen years in the Bastille, Dr Manette is restored to his daughter Lucie in London—then the French Revolution draws an exiled aristocrat, a wasted English lawyer, and the Manettes back to Paris and the shadow of the Guillotine. Dickens’s novel is historical fiction of 1775–1793 London and Paris: sacrifice, revenge, and the best and worst of times.
On HisFic we tag it under 7. Family saga and 1. Literary historical fiction so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include revolution, sacrifice, revenge, redemption, and class. A perennial title-search historical novel of the French Revolution—the Dickens classic readers still look up by name, and a London–Paris counterpart to Napoleonic-aftermath epics already on the shelf.
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Plot summary
After eighteen years in the Bastille, Dr Manette is restored to his daughter Lucie in London—then the French Revolution draws an exiled aristocrat, a wasted English lawyer, and the Manettes back to Paris and the shadow of the Guillotine. Dickens’s novel is historical fiction of 1775–1793 London and Paris: sacrifice, revenge, and the best and worst of times. A perennial title-search historical novel of the French Revolution—the Dickens classic readers still look up by name, and a London–Paris counterpart to Napoleonic-aftermath epics already on the shelf.
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Eras
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- The Count of Monte Cristo · Alexandre Dumas
In 1815, sailor Edmond Dantès is framed for Bonapartist treason and locked in the Château d’If; he escapes, claims a hidden fortune, and returns to Restoration France as the Count of Monte Cristo to ruin the men who stole his life. Dumas’s novel is Napoleonic-aftermath historical adventure—prisons, treasure, and a revenge plotted across Marseille, Rome, and Paris.
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A servant in Vermeer’s household becomes entangled in the making of a famous portrait.
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Regions & places
Europe · Britain & Ireland
Paris · London · Bastille · France
Themes
- revolution
- sacrifice
- revenge
- redemption
- class
Tags
classic · epic · literary