Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities: what to read next?
Books close in genre, era, author or reading level, to read in bilingual editions.
Henryk SienkiewiczQuo VadisUnder Nero, the patrician Vinicius falls in love with Lygia, a royal hostage raised in a Roman household and secretly Christian. Used to getting his way, he has her claimed for the palace; she escapes, and he discovers a community living by rules opposed to his own. When Rome…Same genre
Charles DickensGreat ExpectationsPip, a young orphan raised in modest circumstances, sees his life upended when a mysterious benefactor offers him a chance to become a gentleman. Fascinated by the world of wealth and by Estella, a cold and unattainable young woman, he distances himself from his origins. But…By the same authorSame genreSame era
Victor HugoLes MisérablesFreed after nineteen years in the galleys for a stolen loaf, Jean Valjean finds neither work nor shelter, until a bishop takes him in. A different man under a false name, he takes in Cosette, daughter of a working woman dead in destitution, and raises her in hiding. Inspector…Same genreSame era
Leo TolstoyWar and PeaceIn 1805 Russia goes to war against Napoleon, and the salons of Petersburg discuss it in French. The novel follows Pierre Bezukhov, an awkward heir seeking meaning, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who joins the army to escape his life, and Natasha Rostov, whose childhood ends between…Same genreSame era
Victor HugoThe Hunchback of Notre-DameParis, 1482: the gypsy Esmeralda dances on the Place de Grève while the city keeps the Feast of Fools. Quasimodo, the cathedral's misshapen bell-ringer, and Claude Frollo, the archdeacon who raised him, are both overcome by her. Between cloister, Court of Miracles and pillory,…Same genreSame era
Various AuthorsVictorian Courtship StoriesA collection of five English short stories published between 1861 and 1903, by W. S. Gilbert, Anthony Trollope, Hubert Crackanthorpe, George Egerton and Israel Zangwill, all devoted to courtship. In Venice, an Englishman sees his young neighbour only through her reflection in…Same genre
Thomas HardyA Pair of Blue EyesAn English novel by Thomas Hardy, published in 1873. One winter day, Stephen Smith, a young assistant to a London architect, arrives in an isolated coastal village in the west of England to survey the old church, which needs restoring. Lodging with the vicar, he falls in love…Same countrySame genreSame era
Lyndon OrrFamous AffinitiesSeveral historical and literary figures are brought together through their notable relationships, marked by attraction, conflict, and mutual influence. Each pair reveals a unique dynamic combining passion, ambition, and rivalry. The narrative explores these connections from a…Same genre
Emily BrontëWuthering HeightsAn English novel from 1847. In the windswept hills of northern England, at the end of the eighteenth century, Mr Earnshaw brings home from Liverpool an abandoned child, who is named Heathcliff, and raises him in his old, isolated farmhouse alongside his own children, Hindley…Same countrySame genreSame era
Charles DickensThe Mystery of Edwin DroodEdwin Drood disappears suddenly, leaving behind a circle of close acquaintances in which each person may be hiding a secret. John Jasper, a respected yet tormented man, seems connected to this mysterious disappearance. The investigation unfolds in a heavy atmosphere of…By the same authorSame genreSame era
Charlotte BrontëJane EyreJane Eyre, an orphan with an independent spirit, grows up in difficult conditions before becoming a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets Mr Rochester, a mysterious and troubled man, and gradually grows close to him. But hidden secrets threaten their relationship and…Same countrySame genreSame era
Giulio CarcanoDamianoAn Italian novel subtitled “The Story of a Poor Family”. In Milan, in May 1831, Vittore, a former soldier of Napoleon, dies in poverty. His eldest son, Damiano, becomes the support of his mother, his sister Stella and his younger brother. Damiano dreams of becoming a painter;…Same genreSame era