Fourth Friday Book Club to meet April 22
Fri, Apr 22 2022, 2pm
All are invited to a spirited and welcoming meeting of UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club from 2 to 3 p.m. on Friday, April 22, via Zoom to discuss the Dickens classic, “A Tale of Two Cities.”
The year 2022 marks the 210th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens. And what could be more appropriate to read, or reread, than the most widely read example of historical fiction, “A Tale of Two Cities.” In the hands of a master storyteller, it is an epic account of the conflict between democratic and aristocratic principles, the causes and effects of violence during the French Revolution.
The opening lines of the novel are among the most widely recognized quotes from the book: “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.”
And the very final line, spoken by Sidney Carton as he is about to be beheaded, is one of the most famous sentences in all English literature: “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.”
Beheading is by guillotine, one of the enduring symbols of the French Revolution. In “A Tale of Two Cities,” it symbolizes how revolutionary chaos became institutionalized. Killing is without emotion, it becomes automatic, human life becomes cheap.
“A Tale of Two Cities” is historical fiction at its best. Its insights are remarkably, and sadly, very relevant: on change, on abuse, on power corrupted, on power indifferent to suffering, on power perpetuating the many forms of inhumanity. A must read.
Email Dorothy Marden at [email protected] or Margaret Catambay at [email protected] for information about how to join the meeting.
Upcoming Events
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Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
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Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.