Here is the first paragraph of A Tale of Two Cities…

“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.”

…Much human drama ensues… Blah, blah, blah, blah… until…

“I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy… It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.”

Go read (or reread) it. There are some very good paragraphs in between these two. Don’t let the first 3 pages discourage you. If you need an outline of the story first, try this one. Yes, I know, my book reviews are not what you might call ‘comprehensive.’ Too bad.