Q 01/05

Which two cities give A Tale of Two Cities its title?

A) Paris and Vienna

B) London and Rome

C) Edinburgh and Paris

D) London and Paris

Answer · why

D) London and Paris

Borges quipped that Dickens really could not write a tale of two cities, being a resident of just one: London.

Q 02/05

In which year was A Tale of Two Cities published?

A) 1859

B) 1864

C) 1869

D) 1874

Answer · why

A) 1859

It is Dickens's best-known historical novel and one of the best-selling novels of all time.

Q 03/05

How does the novel's famous first sentence begin?

A) It was the best of times

B) Call me Ishmael

C) Marley was dead: to begin with

D) It is a truth universally acknowledged

Answer · why

A) It was the best of times

The sentence piles up contrasting pairs that foreshadow the book's theme of doubles.

Q 04/05

For how many years was Dr Manette imprisoned in the Bastille?

A) 18

B) 20

C) 25

D) 30

Answer · why

A) 18

He emerges barely able to talk and obsessively makes shoes, a skill learned in prison.

Q 05/05

What cryptic three-word message does Jarvis Lorry send back with Jerry Cruncher at the start of the novel?

A) Wait at Dover

B) Track of a Storm

C) Buried Alive

D) Recalled to Life

Answer · why

D) Recalled to Life

It refers to Dr Manette's release, and gives Book the First its title.