Soy nuevo pero valgo la pena ;)
A Tale of Two Cities was published serially in 1859. As a historical novel about the French Revolution, however, it takes us back to 18th century London and Paris.
1757-1794: The Period Represented in the Novel
In the larger view, the novel begins in 1757 its final scene anticipates a post-revolutionary Paris. However, as a historical novel organized around the events of the French Revolution (1789-1794), the major historical features of A Tale of Two Cities are drawn from the major events of the revolutionary period in France – the fall of the Bastille (July 14, 1789), the September Massacres (September 2-6, 1792), and the Reign of Terror (1793-1794). From a historical point of view, A Tale of Two Cities gives a rather compressed account of the French Revolution; yet this is appropriate in a novel concerned as much with the lives of private individuals as with public events. Dickens researched the revolutionary period carefully in preparation for writing A Tale of Two Cities, and the novel maintains a high level of historical accuracy.
1859: The Period of the Novel’s Publication
In 1859, when A Tale of Two Cities was first serialized, England was experiencing a period of social and political stability. It had long enjoyed a stable monarchy, and it had become – partly through its leading role in the Industrial Revolution and through colonial expansion – a prosperous nation and a major European power. After the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte had become emperor (in 1804) and started on his campaign to take over Europe. In 1814, the French monarchy was restored by the forces allied against Napoleon (including England) and the Emperor was sent into exile; he returned, however, and regained power for a brief period before his final defeat in 1815. Though relations were essentially peaceful between England and the Second Empire, the British tended to perceive a second Emperor Napoleon as a possible threat, and the French were not endeared to the English
1757-1794: The Period Represented in the Novel
In the larger view, the novel begins in 1757 its final scene anticipates a post-revolutionary Paris. However, as a historical novel organized around the events of the French Revolution (1789-1794), the major historical features of A Tale of Two Cities are drawn from the major events of the revolutionary period in France – the fall of the Bastille (July 14, 1789), the September Massacres (September 2-6, 1792), and the Reign of Terror (1793-1794). From a historical point of view, A Tale of Two Cities gives a rather compressed account of the French Revolution; yet this is appropriate in a novel concerned as much with the lives of private individuals as with public events. Dickens researched the revolutionary period carefully in preparation for writing A Tale of Two Cities, and the novel maintains a high level of historical accuracy.
1859: The Period of the Novel’s Publication
In 1859, when A Tale of Two Cities was first serialized, England was experiencing a period of social and political stability. It had long enjoyed a stable monarchy, and it had become – partly through its leading role in the Industrial Revolution and through colonial expansion – a prosperous nation and a major European power. After the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte had become emperor (in 1804) and started on his campaign to take over Europe. In 1814, the French monarchy was restored by the forces allied against Napoleon (including England) and the Emperor was sent into exile; he returned, however, and regained power for a brief period before his final defeat in 1815. Though relations were essentially peaceful between England and the Second Empire, the British tended to perceive a second Emperor Napoleon as a possible threat, and the French were not endeared to the English