The Economic Meltdown

Dickens opened his novel about the French Revolution â€" actually about much more, but set in that time â€" with those famous words about it being the best of times, and, simultaneously, the worst of times. Everyone knows that opening paragraph, which of course is about how all times seem extraordinary, and dire, at the time â€" but they’re not, really, expect when they are. His hero does go to the guillotine in the end, and does lose his head, so those particular times do count as extraordinary.