Since its publication in 1859, "A Tale of Two Cities" has remained the best-known fictional recreation of the French Revolution, and one of Charles Dickens' most exciting novels. "A Tale of Two Cities" blends a moving love story with the familiar figures of the Revolution - Bastille prisoners, a starving Parisian mob, and an indolent aristocracy. Taking the form of a sourcebook, this guide to Dickens' dramatic novel offers: extensive introductory comment on the contexts and many interpretations of the text, from publication to the present; annotated extracts from key contextual documents, reviews, critical works and the text itself; cross-references between documents and sections of the guide, in order to suggest links between texts, contexts and criticism; and, suggestions for further reading. This volume is essential reading for all those beginning detailed study of "A Tale of Two Cities" and seeking not only a guide to the novel, but a way through the wealth of contextual and critical material that surrounds Dickens' text.