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 to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--

Do many people still automatically know who wrote that passage, I wonder?

Have you ever seen such extravagant comma splices?

Don't you think that's a brave and biblical opening for a novel?

Doesn't it feel exactly like your life right at this moment?