The story is set in Paris at the time of the French Revolution and in London. Dr Manette, a French physician, witnesses how cruelly treated a peasant and his sister are by the Marquis of St Evremonde. After beeing in prision in the Bastille for 18 years, he's released having lost his mind and is taken to England where he recovers. Charles Darnay is the nephew and heir of the marquis who leaves France in disgust at the revolution and ends up marrying the daughter of Dr Manette. At some stage he returns to Paris in order to save the life of his trusted servant.
Charles Dickens was born in Kent, England, in 1812 and died in 1870. This is an extraordinarily vivid and shocking account of the French Revolution based on an account by Thomas Carlyle. It was hugely popular as an historical novel, though widely criticaised for its complete lack of humour compared to his other works.