Dickens Anyone?

[maggiebee]

"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."

Could be writing this in 2023.

[Peter Pedant]

I can';t
if I cd write like Dickens, I wdnt be here.

hey when we were accused ( as one does) of forging the Latin papyrus
https://www.jstor.org/stable/299064
the fella in charge ( epigraphist) said:
"there is no one on this site who can write 1st century Latin"
cd ve been past tense

[Atheist]

The quote above is the actual first paragraph of A Tale of TWo Cities.
I think there's more detailed truth there than in all the books of Leviticus etc.

[naomi24]

What the dickens …?

[ToraToraTora]

Are you a bit Oliver Twist maggie?

[retrocop]

Wasn’t it an Abbey National or Natiowide advert on the tube?

[ichkeria]

It’s a great quiz question: which Dickens novel starts in France?

[naomi24]

I’d find that an easy question, ich. Maggiebee’s purpose in posting this would be a bit more of a problem.

[Atheist]

Naomi; Don't pretend you don't get it! :-)

[naomi24]

atheist, how rude! I haven’t a clue what maggiebee is on about. It all sounds a bit dramatic to me.

[jourdain2]

Dickens had a way with words. He saw life straight. Yes, the details may have changed, but people haven't (at least not very much) and history does keep repeating itself because of that.

I've known and referred to this quote all my life. (Mum was a huge Dickens fan.) I used to regard Dickens as simply a great storyteller - but as I get older I've realised that there was amazing perception and comprehension in what he wrote. He didn't have an easy life and knew what was what.
Yes, Maggiebee, it could be written about today.

[ToraToraTora]

If maggie had really been in either London or Paris at the time of the French revolution she'd have prayed for the luxury she enjoys today. She's just whining because neither referendum went the way she wanted.

[naomi24]

My thoughts exactly, TTT. No comparison.

[Tilly2]

but these is Hard Times.

[jourdain2]

I've obviously got the wrong end of the stick somewhere on this.
I thought it was not particularly directed at this country, but at the state of the world in general. Puzzled.

[naomi24]

Maggiebee had Great Expectations.

[choux]

His physician would have been astounding to have kept Mr D going all this time...

[Zacs-Master]

Anyone heard of Dickens Cider?
My wife loves a Dickens Cider.

[perseverer]

Some very presumptuous comments on this thread, methinks.

[Atheist]

TTT accuses maggie of whining and Naomi says "my thoughts exactly".
I say in relation to the OP "Naomi; Don't pretend you don't get it! :-)" And she accuses me of being rude!
If that's rude, In future I'd be better off accusing Naomi of 'whining', since 'whining' seems to be acceptable.
Back to the OP; I've always remembered the scene where a barrel of wine falls from a cart in the street, and the people flock around gulping at the spills, and even sucking the spongy insides of the barrel.

[Zacs-Master]

Reminds you of your childhood does it, atheist?