A Tale Of Two Cities, Four Month Read Along. (Title edited by MNHQ at request of OP)

[DesdamonasHandkerchief]

Welcome to a 6 month read along of Dicken’s 12th novel A Tale of Two Cities
We will be reading it using the following format, and discussing the chapters on the first day of the following month: (So January chapters discussed from 1st Feb onwards etc)

A Tale of Two Cities

6-Month Read-Along Calendar

Start: 1 January 2026
Finish: 30 June 2026

🗓️
JANUARY 2026

Book the First: Recalled to Life
(Chapters 1–7)

✔ Book the First complete

🗓️
FEBRUARY 2026

Book the Second: The Golden Thread
(Chapters 1–6)

🗓️
MARCH 2026

Book the Second: The Golden Thread
(Chapters 7–12)

✔ Midway through Book the Second

🗓️
APRIL 2026

Book the Second: The Golden Thread
(Chapters 13–18)

🗓️
MAY 2026

Book the Second: The Golden Thread
(Chapters 19–24)

✔ Book the Second complete

🗓️
JUNE 2026

Book the Third: The Track of a Storm
(Chapters 1–15)

✔ Novel complete

I know very little about this book other than its set in revolutionary Paris and London, let’s hope it’s a goodie!

I am in : )

I'm in, I have the book, and I'll find a bookmark and notebook so I don't forget what I thought of the chapters

Sounds like a good system @Troubledwords, often I get to the discussion day on read alongs and only have a vague impression of what I liked or disliked. I’m going to have to be more disciplined in this instance.

May I ask what was your 1st Dickens you just read please? I want to start reading Charles Dickens.

@Advocodo your question wasn't directed at me but personally I would recommend A Christmas Carol if you're still in the festive vibe. Then, if you're ready to attack something longer my favourite is David Copperfield.

Would be interested to hear others' opinions...

Thank you so much.

I agree A Christmas Carol is the best place to start, then either David Copperfield or Great Expectations. Oliver Twist might be another good option as you’re probably already fairly familiar with the story from the musical.

Oh can I join in? I loved that book as a young teen but I’ve forgotten it completely. Studying Hard Times and Great Expectations in school destroyed my fledgling love of Dickens. I happened on the Noiser podcast episode of A Christmas Carol over Christmas and was inspired to put A Tale of Two Cities in my 2026 reading pile, so now I will move it towards the top.

It was Great Expectations which wasn’t the shortest one to start with! I taught year 9 English last year and we studied and extract and looked at a clip from the film which piqued my interest.

The classic film version of this (Dirk Bogarde - who needs any other version?) is available on YouTube. But probably better to watch after reading, to recognise where the film differs from the book.

It's a good Dickens to start with because it's relatively short and has quite a lot of plot and changes of scene.

And what is possibly the most famous Dickens quote, near the end.

I think I still have the small hardback edition - Everyman or Nelson, I think - that my mother bought in the 1940s. As all of Dickens is out of copyright, there will be free versions to download on Project Gutenberg and elsewhere.

I’m in! I do solemnly swear not to refer to this book in the way my dad does, when in his dodgy 1970s comedian mode: A Tale of Sue’s…

Have just turned the house upside down and am delighted to report I relocated the copy I knew was lurking somewhere. Highly satisfying that this will also be a RWYO.

Now, to get started :)

i have made a start this evening, I’m ashamed to say I have never read any Dickens. Such beautiful writing, I could have carried on all night. I think I will really enjoy this. Thank you OP for starting this thread.

The more the merrier Forgotwhatimdoing

@AdvocodoI’d agree with others, Great Expectations and David Copperfield are my favourite novels of the Dickens I’ve read. I’ve only ever read an abridged version of Oliver Twist but it’s also a good introduction, and A Christmas Carol is a festive favourite for a reason and also a novella so has the advantage of being short!
I can’t vouch for A Tale Of Two Cities as I’ve never read it, but I do know reading in a group can be very motivating and add different perspectives if you did want to join us.

I started yesterday and it did send a shiver down my spine to read that opening paragraph

Yes @DesdamonasHandkerchief o had heard that quoted many a time but didn’t know where it was from. What a great opening.
This is one of those books that is playing like a movie in my mind’s eye as I’m reading it.

At school we read a Dickens every year. I enjoyed the discussion of the novels in class, but not the occasional joint reading.
I was a fast reader and I would have to wait until everyone had read the page before we were allowed to “Turn Over!”
Desperate days!
Sometimes it was even worse when we took it in turns to read aloud. Even the non fluent readers had to read, torture!
The best way was when we were given a few chapters to read for homework. None of this ruined my love of Dickens.
My favourite is David Copperfield, I have returned to this over the years.
I remember Great Expectations as my least favourite, Pip made me cross as a teenager and I have never read it again.

We did not read A tale of Two Cities at school for some reason, I have always intended to, and have never done so.
I am thrilled to join this group.

Thank you for your post and info. Away to sunnier climes in next few days so may skip this times but certainly will try and join in next one. Definitely will read a Dickens book this year!

@Misspost, I remember the reading aloud in class where everyone, even the poor sods who were slow readers, would have to take their turn. Excruciating for them and for those listening.
I worked in primary schools for many years till recently and they use a ‘hands up’ system now, but there’s still plenty reading ahead under the desk!

I think I have this on my Kindle, I will have a look tomorrow and if so - I am in! I am not sure whether I can read a book over 6 months as I never read more than one book at a time, but maybe it's time to give it a go.

How? I have several on the go at all times, I dont think I could do just one book at a time!

I don't ever remember reading aloud at school, maybe it's a recent thing.
Another who could never read more than one book at a time here. If a book doesn't engage me enough so that I want to pick another up it gets DNFd.
I will start when I finish my current book. I'm a fast reader but don't spend more than half an hour a day.

I don't ever remember reading aloud at school, maybe it's a recent thing.

We did at primary and secondary school in the 60s and 70s. At secondary we read aloud from both the novels and the plays we were were studying - not the whole thing, and not necessarily every lesson, just sometimes a scene or two the teacher wanted to focus on in that lesson.

It was a grammar school, so I don't think some of the boys were really such poor readers as they made out, but they were painful to listen to.

If it was a book I wanted to read for myself, I would take home the school issued copy, or get it from the library, and finish it at home within a week.