<p>&quot;A Tale of Two Cities&quot; is a Dickens masterpiece set against the era of the bloody French Revolution. In fact the original subtitle of the novel was: &quot;A Story of the French Revolution.&quot;&nbsp; In the novel Paris and London with their respective charms and chasms form the backdrop against which both good and bad men attempt to keep their heads above water.&nbsp; It was indeed the best of times and the worst of times--like all times have been are and always will be.&nbsp; Dickens&#39; &quot;tale of two cities&quot; turns out in actuality to be the tale of <em>all</em> cities.</p>