What are your favourite first sentences from books? Is there a book that you liked specially because of its first sentence? Or a book, perhaps that you didn’t like but still remember simply because of the first line?
My first thought was, I have no idea. Nothing comes to mind. Curious, I pulled a dozen or so of my favorite books from the shelves to read the first line...nope. Nothing. They were certainly books that I love, but (apparently) it wasn't because of their first sentences.
However, I keep a quote book, and I do have favorite lines in general from books. I love that feeling when I read a line and I think, "This has to go in the book. Immediately."
In no particular order, here are five favorites:
"Accept what people offer. Drink their milkshakes.
Take their love."
(She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb)
"Bread was what you wanted over the long haul, when you got right down to it. When you got right down to it, you wouldn't want a lifetime of cake."
(Charming Billy by Alice McDermott)
"Take the green bowl. Take all the green bowls. Love what you love without apology."
(The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg)
"I want to inhabit my life like a porch."
(Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells)
"I was remembering the way it feels at just that moment when you begin to turn, when you're poised exactly between the things in life you want to do and those you need to do, and it seems for a few blessed seconds that they are going to be the same."
(While I Was Gone by Sue Miller)
So, faithful readers, I'd love to hear one of yours!
Posts
12 comments:
I don't remember any! But yours are sure good!
:D
Here is my BTT post
oh how I love that you keep the lines that you love from books..... in a book....
I underline the words and sentences and paragraphs that I love or dog ear the page....but now I want to go back and save them all in one place !!!!
I occasionally have boughts of copying favorite lines from books, but I don't know where the pad's at right now. Obviously I'm not on that kick today
I have to start writing my favs down! I'm a big Alice McDermott fan and I love the Charming Billy opener. Thanks for the reminder.
Yes, I remember that line from Elizabeth Berg's novel. She can capture a lot in very little words. Great list!
I have only read She's Come Undone and had forgotten that line. I like the one from Ya Yas though.
These are some great lines. I don't remember many lines.
Here is my BTT post, I'm can't seem to leavea comment on the BTT site. :-(
That's a good idea with writing the quotes down although I don't think I'm organized enough for that. Anyway, I just remember a tiny piece of dialogue. It's from Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere:
Anasthesia: Do you like cat?
Richard Mayhew: Yes, I quite like cats.
Anasthesia: Leg or breast?
It's probably not funny if you haven't read the book though.
I haven't read any of the books you mentioned, but those are some interesting lines.
My post is here.
I referenced Stephen King's first line of his Dark Tower series in my post, and then when I went to grab the first line off the internet, I found this first line from It:
The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years -- if it ever did end -- began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with rain.
Tell me that's not totally creepy!
I posted something on my blog in response to yours. You can find it here
Fabulous post! I love to read other readers' favorite passage. These are great (and from some of my favorite books!). I haven't joined the Booking Through Thursday club yet, but in the meantime, perhaps I can blog about my favorite passages on a Thursday Thirteen day. I know I have at least 13!
Post a Comment