(Untitled)

[wwidsith]

The ability to write a memorable opening sentence is a real art form, and the mark of a brilliant writer, a fact in no way negated by the lacklustre example you are currently reading. I think it was García Márquez who said he spends months working on his opening line, writing and rewriting it, playing with the punctuation and so on - after which,

Comments

[hobnobofjoy]

Ooh, that's a good idea... And I'd have to agree to a certain degree, but in a different way... I have the hardest time writing the first line but after that it gets easier. Wel, sometimes.

I recognise the first two. Is #2 Camus? And I know Pride and Prejudice!

Jeff Buckly's Hallelujia (which I now realise I can't spell). And the Pogues' Fairy Tale of New York...

[wwidsith]

+10 points for getting Camus! (It's from L'étranger.) Unfortunately, -5 for mentioning Buckley in the context of Hallelujah, which was actually written by the great Leonard Cohen (and his version's better!).

Thanks for that Beowulf link btw, I'm still trying to get Quicktime to play it properly but it should be working soon...

[hobnobofjoy]

I was going to say L'etranger but I couldn't remember the title! Dammit, I coulda won the world there...

I also knew Leonard Cohen but I heard the Buckley version first... I'm so ashamed :(

Try getting "Media Player Classic" - it plays everything. If not K-lite media pack (i think it's called) which installs codecs for windows media player. If you've got a mac then ignore this paragraph and I have no idea! Hope it works...

[witchsis]

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
I think, I know this one. Which book is it from?

[mimms_1013]

Pride & Prejudice. :)

BOOKS:
1 - Brighton Rock
2 - L'Etranger (you've already posted that)
3 - Earthly Powers
4 - No idea at all!
5 - No idea again
6 - Pride & Prejudice
7 - Um...
8 - Finnegan's Wake??
9 - No idea
10 - *shrug*
11 - Philip Pullman - can't remember the title
12 - Don't know
13 - Don't even understand
14 - Capture the Castle

SONGS:
I only knew Halleluia (I prefer the less gospel Jeff Buckley version) and Fairytale. Not good with songs, me.

[wwidsith]

Very good, I'm quite impressed! Did you google anything or did you really know it? Hee hee. The Pullman one is from er...the first book, what's it called...Northern Lights. And yes it is Finnegans Wake (no apostrophe). How are you?

[mimms_1013]

I googled the Earthly Powers one because I knew it but couldn't remember the title. I read most of the others at uni...although I don't remember reading Northern Lights or L'Etranger. Mind you, I don't even remember reading P&P. English Lit made me hate reading for at least two years after I left uni, so I literally read nothing for that time.

1, 6 and 14 are very, very well known. :)

I'm fine, thank you. Completing on my new house on Friday. Just need to sell the flat, now. And soon. Hope you're okay, too.

[vorgefuhl]

gawd, the only ones I know are the camus and jane austen. oh, and the regina spektor at the bottom. I have been listening to begin to hope recently, at first I didn't like it because it's very...upbeat? which I automatically passed off as too fluffy and insubstantial. I must be in a better state of mind because I really like it now.

[wwidsith]

I'm so pleased someone got the Regina Spektor line, I think that's such a great song. I haven't heard the new album yet, people say it's more "mainstream" but I want to get it anyway

[water_method]

got Camus (currently studying it in french), pride and prejudice (who wouldn't?) northern lights, i capture the castle and halleluja (you know what - it is hard to spell).
overall a pretty dismal effort.

[wwidsith]

No, that's pretty good! I can't believe so many people know the Camus line, I didn't even think it was a very famous opening

[anonymous]

How about 'It was seven minutes past midnight'?

and what about a rubbish opening line followed by a wasted next para:

eg 'she stands up in the garden where she has been working and looks into the distance' (who cares) followed by 'Every four days she washes his black body, beginning at the destroyed feet' Gives it away doesn't it?

[wwidsith]

I don't know the first one, but the second one's The English Patient. It was actually quite surprizing when I was writing this entry to realise how many good books have got quite rubbish first lines. PS who are you?

[anonymous]

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

and that would be mum to you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx