Friday, February 17, 2012

First Line Friday!

Lately, I've been more intrigued by short first lines than their long counterparts. Short first lines seem to pack a swifter kick to the crotch then a more wordy first line. So have a look at this one:

Now I believe they will leave me alone.

What? Who will leave you alone? And Booooom, you're into the novel. This first line comes from one of my all time favorites: The Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. The rest of the novel is perhaps one of the more artfully configured works of literature that I have ever laid eyes upon . . . and it has a good first line to boot!

1 comment:

  1. First of all, is that a bow-tie and a sear-sucker? The man had panache!!!

    Second, that is a great first line, and an even greater book. The curmudgeonly old narrator was the highlight of the read for me. This line sets the tone immediately. Good stuff.

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