A man's decision is hotter than revolution,
A Tale of Two Cities, brought to life in its most vivid and readable form.

★ The ultimate readability, vividly capturing the breath and nuance of Dickens's writing style.
★ Selected by the Guinness Book of World Records as “the best-selling novel in history”
★ The only GK in Korea
Complete translation with Chesterton's introduction and 41 original illustrations

Even in the midst of the French Revolution, one man's choice changed history.


A Tale of Two Cities is not simply a historical novel.
It is the pinnacle of Dickens' literary world, which asks how humans can maintain their dignity in an age of despair and madness.
An alley with broken wine, a crowd before the guillotine, a mother returning with a starving child.
Dickens wrote about the 18th century French Revolution not as an 'event' but as a 'feeling experienced in the body'.
So, “A Tale of Two Cities” is a classic that remains unchanged even after 150 years.

The modern intellectual classic is composed to allow readers to experience the novel "as if they were there," with 41 original illustrations that capture the emotion of the first original serialized version in Korea, a preface by Chesterton that captures the essence of Dickens research, and detailed commentary and footnotes that explain the background, institutions, and society of the revolutionary period.
In particular, to preserve the smoothness, accuracy, and Dickens's unique rhythm, which were the most regrettable aspects of the translation for existing readers, translator Jeong Hoe-seong meticulously restored the sentence structure, tone, and even foreshadowing of the original text.

This tragic and redemptive narrative, set in 18th-century Paris and London, remains relevant today.
In an age where disparity, hatred, and polarization are the norm, Dickens asks:
“What will we choose in this age of division?”
This book is not a story about 'two cities', but about 'this city now'.

It sets a new standard for the most reliable complete translation of A Tale of Two Cities for Korean readers.

◇ Why You Should Read the Modern Intellectual Edition of "A Tale of Two Cities" Now
- The only GK in the country
Includes Chesterton's Preface: An authoritative guide that provides the most accurate interpretation of the work's depth.
- The definitive edition of Jeong Hoe-seong's translation: the most readable Korean edition that preserves Dickens's sentences, rhythm, and nuances.
- 41 original illustrations: Visuals that 'show even the emotions' that faithfully recreate the scene of the revolution.
- A classic for today's readers: A much-needed narrative, reread in an age of division and hatred.

Despite all these disadvantages, Dickens achieved something remarkable.
He wrote a book about two cities, knowing one but not the other.
But surprisingly, the description of a city I knew nothing about was far superior to that of a city I knew well and was very familiar with.
It is here that Dickens's genius is undoubtedly revealed.
Genius is something that cannot be precisely described, but is instantly recognizable to anyone who encounters it.
--- p.14 「GK
From the "Chesterton Preface"

It was the best of times and the worst of times.
It was an age of wisdom and an age of foolishness.
It was a time when faith was rising and a time when distrust was falling.
It was a season of light and a season of darkness.
And it was a spring of hope and a winter of despair.
Everything was laid out before the people, and also nothing.
It seemed like everyone was heading towards heaven, and at the same time, everyone was running in the opposite direction.
In short, that era was so similar to our own present that some vocal authorities have argued that only by making extreme comparisons, for better or worse, can we understand the contemporary situation.
--- p.25 「Part 1.
Come back to life.
Chapter 1.
From "The Era"

A large wine barrel fell to the ground and broke into pieces.
The barrel fell down while being unloaded from the cart.
The wine cask rolled over, its iron rim bursting, and it shattered like a walnut shell on the stone floor in front of the tavern door.
Then, people who were working or lounging around there came rushing in and competing to drink the wine.
The rough, uneven stone floor blocked the path as if deliberately trying to make approaching people limp, and the overflowing wine formed a small puddle in the gap.
Depending on the size of the pool, several people, or groups of people, gathered together, pushing and screaming.
--- p.64 「Part 1.
Come back to life.
Chapter 5.
From "Bar"

There were also many nobles and people unrelated to government affairs.
They had no concern for practical matters, and lived their lives without regard for the true destination on earth.
Doctors who amassed vast fortunes by deceiving patients with delicate techniques and claiming to cure diseases that did not even exist, smiled constantly at patients from the royal court in the reception rooms of noble families.
Theorists were quick to trumpet their various countermeasures for addressing petty corruption that undermined national policy.
But not even a single crime was solved.
--- p.182 「Part 2.
Golden thread.
Chapter 7.
Among the "city nobles"

None of the countless people gathered there knew who distributed the weapons, where they came from, or by what route they were thrown into the crowd, dozens at a time.
The plain fact was that muskets, cartridges, gunpowder, bullets, iron bars, wooden sticks, swords, axes, and spears were being supplied.
In the hands of those possessed by madness, every tool at their disposal becomes a weapon.
Those who had nothing to gain had their hands covered in blood as they pulled out stones and bricks from the wall with their bare hands.
Every heart and pulse of Saint-Antoine was seething with the heat of an explosion.
--- p.351 「Part 2.
Golden thread.
Chapter 21.
From "Echoing Footsteps"

It was late at night that the men and women returned to the children who were crying from hunger.
Even though it was a dark night, there were long lines at every shabby bakery.
People waited patiently to buy even bad bread.
They embraced each other, savoring the day's victory even though they were dizzy and hungry.
We spent the boring time reminiscing about our victories and chatting about this and that.
As time went on, the line of shabby people gradually shortened, and here and there, empty seats appeared. At those times, a faint light leaked out from the tall windows, and small, weak bonfires burned in the street.
The residents cooked food with the fire and shared it with their neighbors.
It was an extremely shabby meal, with no meat, only dried and torn bread, and no dipping sauce.
Nevertheless, human solidarity and camaraderie infused the sandy meal with nutrients and lifted the spirits of those sharing the meal.
The parents, despite having poured their passion into a fierce and cruel day, played tenderly with their poor, thin children.
Even in this world, lovers loved each other and hoped for tomorrow.
--- p.371 「Part 2.
Golden thread.
Chapter 22.
From "The sea continues to get rougher"

In the season of plague, some people are secretly drawn to the disease.
It makes me feel a terrible, momentary urge to die.
We all live with such impulses secretly in our hearts, just waiting for the right circumstances to bring them out.
--- p.462 「Part 3.
The path of the storm.
Chapter 6.
From "Victory"

Sydney looked at the lit windows with a gloomy look.
People were immersed in rest, dreaming of a few hours of peace, forgetting the terrible reality surrounding them.
In the church with the bell tower, prayers had long ceased.
The people's anger against corrupt priests, plunderers, and debaucherous people continued for many years, destroying the very foundations of the faith.
At the entrance to the cemetery, visible in the distance, was written, 'Rest in peace forever.'
The prisons were overflowing, and sixty or so people were being driven to their deaths on the streets.
Because death has become so common and so present a reality, the sad stories of souls wandering the underworld have become unheard of.
All this was thanks to the guillotine's tireless work.
--- p.513 「Part 3.
The path of the storm.
Chapter 9.
From "Start the Game"

I see Basard and Cly, Defarge and Bangjangs, the jury and the judge.
And we see a long line of new oppressors born on the ruins of the old ones.
Before the instrument of vengeance can fulfill its appointed role, they all see it destroyed by that instrument.
I see a beautiful city and dazzling people rising from the abyss of despair.
And we see them struggling for true freedom over a long period of time, going through victories and defeats, and we see the sins of this age and the sins of past ages that conceived them being self-absolved and consumed.

--- p.613 「Part 3.
The path of the storm.
Chapter 15.
From "The Sound of Footsteps Disappears Forever"