'Boredom?' Not a Chance

 

"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.” -
Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities

Despite its “run-on” nature, Dickens' beginning of A Tale of Two Cities remains one of the most famous opening lines.   It not only introduces what would become one of the 100 greatest books of all time but also the universal nature of the book, the French Revolution, and the drama depicted within its pages. 

 

Born on this date in 1812, Dickens became the most popular novelist of his time and remains one of the best known and most read.  His works have never gone out of print and have been adapted continually for both the big screen and television with 200-plus such adaptations (and counting).  Many of his works also have been adapted for the stage, the most famous being A Christmas Carol.

 

What made him (and still makes him) one of the best novelists was his creation of memorable characters and great expressions and words that live on in our venacular.    Everybody thinks of “Scrooge” as an example, but he also invented "boredom," "butterfingers," "devil-may-care," "rampage," "the creeps," and, of course, "Bah, Humbug!"    He captured the imagery of his era and gave the world a view of Victorian England that remains as vivid today as it was in its own time. 

 

Perhaps anticipating where we were headed with our communication tools, Dickens said shortly before his death in 1870, "Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true."