How long does it take to read A Tale of Two Cities?
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens takes about 7 hours 7 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 7 hours 7 minutes
A weekend read
First published 1800. 388 pages, about 106,700 words. Written for children.
15 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 11 hours 51 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 7 hours 7 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 4 hours 27 minutes |
The page count is the median across 2,059 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris, and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. In the Introduction to the Encyclopedia of Adventure Fiction, critic Don D'Ammassa argues that it is an adventure novel because the protagonists are in constant danger of being imprisoned or killed. As Dickens's best-known work of historical fiction, A Tale of Two Cities is said to be one of the best-selling novels of all time. In 2003, the novel was ranked 63rd on the BBC's The Big Read poll. The novel has been adapted for film, television, radio, and the stage, and has continued to influence popular culture.
Subjects: British, Children's fiction, Criticism and interpretation, English fiction, Executions and executioners, Fathers and daughters
