After watching the TV series "Lost" a couple of years ago, I was inspired by Desmond. If you're a fan of the show, you know that Desmond was first seen guarding the underground bunker. We find out later that one of his goals in life was to read the complete works of Charles Dickens. He had read everything except "Our Mutual Friend." And yes, this is a metaphor, if you're familiar with the series.
This intrigued me. I decided to take the Desmond challenge. Why not? The fact that "A Christmas Carol" is one of my favorite stories of all time makes this venture even more exciting. I have already read several of Dickens's stories including "Oliver Twist" and "The Pickwick Papers." Yet, I have only placed my toe in the waters of Dickens's world.
I am currently reading "A Tale of Two Cities," which, if I'm not careful, can drown me if I don't come up for air every so often.
The opening lines are sublime:
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...
I'm not familiar with the show Lost but think reading everything Dickens would be fun. Although there are a couple of his stories I would not want to slog through a second time just because I find the story so sad.
ReplyDeleteSusan: Yes, there are some sad stories. For me it's Dickens's skill at weaving words together to tell a story that only he can. Such a treat. This is the kind of reading I would like if I were on desert island. Something substantial and sometimes difficult to chew.
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