Dickens, Charles) - The most popular and perhaps
greatest English novelist and short-story writer, he drew on his
experiences as a poor child to produce extremely realistic stories.
Origianlly published in 1859, this novel depicts London and Paris
before and during the French Revolution. It tells the story of Dr.
Alexander Manette and the events following his release from an
unjust imprisonment.
Excerpt (opening paragraph)
IT WAS the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age
of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief,
it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was
the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter
of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,
we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the
other way- in short, the period was so far like the present period,
that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received,
for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face,
on the throne of England; there were a king with a large jaw and a
queen with a fair face, on the throne of France. In both countries it
was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves
and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever. |
A Tale Of Two Cities
