A Tale of Two Cities [Naxos]

I’ll admit: I approached this audiobook expecting the usual Dickensian baggage—meandering subplots, sentimental detours. Instead, *A Tale of Two Cities* gripped me like a vice. The novel’s structure is almost cinematic, jumping between London’s foggy streets and Paris’ burning barricades with a urgency that feels ripped from a modern political thriller. Anton Lesser’s performance is the secret weapon here. His Sydney Carton is a masterclass in vocal acting: the slurred, self-loathing wit of a man drowning in wine gives way to a heartbreaking clarity in the final chapters. I’ve heard Carton called a ‘Christ figure,’ but Lesser makes him feel like a real, flawed man—his famous last lines (‘*It is a far, far better thing…*’) delivered not with saintly serenity, but with the trembling resolve of someone who’s finally found a reason to live by choosing to die. That said, the audiobook isn’t without flaws. The pacing stumbles in the middle, where Dickens’ habit of moralizing (via the stiff Jarvis Lorry) drags. And while Lesser’s Madame Defarge is terrifying, her husband’s whiny, nasally voice grates—an odd misstep in an otherwise flawless cast. The production’s use of ambient sound���distant crowds, clinking chains—mostly works, though a few transitions feel abrupt. But these are quibbles. The final hour, as the Revolution devours itself, is one of the most visceral listening experiences I’ve had. This isn’t just ‘great literature’; it’s a warning and a balm, a story about how love persists even when the world is on fire. If you’ve ever dismissed Dickens as ‘too Victorian,’ this audiobook will change your mind—just don’t blame me if you start eyeing your knitting needles sideways.