I started finding this tedious almost as soon as I started reading it. So I decided to set it aside for a few days and then come back to it. "A few days" turned into a week, and I didn't feel any strong desire to return to it. I figure that if I can start reading a book, put it down for a week, and still feel no interest in reading it, it's simply not for me and it's time to move on. ( )

I started finding this tedious almost as soon as I started reading it. So I decided to set it aside for a few days and then come back to it. "A few days" turned into a week, and I didn't feel any strong desire to return to it. I figure that if I can start reading a book, put it down for a week, and still feel no interest in reading it, it's simply not for me and it's time to move on. ( )

A couple of brief refs to Volney. He's not a character. His "gloomy" 3-year visit to the US is mentioned. He's variously described as "querulous" "timid" and "peevish"--not an unfair characterization.

Take me to another place, and another time. Sometimes looking back at other more violent times in history makes me feel not so terrible about our own times.
The aristocracy is weakened, and the masses have risen. The French Revolution is so important as a symbol of nationalism. I loved this book! ( )