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| March 2017 |
It was one of those kind of March days around here today. Mr. Dickens (1812-1870) hit it right on the mark from where he wrote all those years ago. His description makes me want to revisit his books. It's been many years since I've read either Great Expectations or A Tale of Two Cities. I'm thinking maybe it's time?
Opening words to whet the appetite:
Great Expectations: "My Father's family name being Pirrip, and my christian name Phillip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip."
A Tale of Two Cities: "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..."
If you were to revisit a classic, which title would you choose? What about the classics is special to you? How are the opening lines of your books (short stories, poetry, memoirs) coming along?
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The only classics I have much time for these days are children's classics. Some I have read multiple times, but I can't point to a lot of wonderful openings lines. For example, the award winning A WRINKLE IN TIME actually begins with a cliche: "It was a dark and stormy night." HARRY POTTER, a newer classic (I've read the whole set many times), has a rather uninspiring beginning: "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."
ReplyDeleteNot a classic, but with a great beginning, is SAVVY by Ingrid Law: "When my brother Fish turned thirteen, we moved to the deepest part of inland because of the hurricane and. of course, the fact that he'd caused it." That certainly caught my attention! And then there's THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater (one of my favorite books of all time), which has a terrific beginning: "Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she'd been told that she would kill her true love." (And that's one of my favorite beginnings of all time.)
As you can see, I'm a sucker for a good beginning. When I'm trying to write one, I often take out some of my favorite books to get inspiration. Just this week I've been working on my opening line/s for my WIP. This time I was inspired by a chance comment someone made. How's it coming? It's... coming. :-)
Peggy, thanks so much for the examples of opening lines :-) I've read two of the four you mention, A Wrinkle and Savvy. Confession time--I haven't read any Harry Potter books. Guess I've had my nose in too much historical fiction to take the time? But an opening line that sticks with me (I think I've mentioned it before) is from Tuck Everlasting, "The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning." It's one of my favorites. And to think you could turn a chance comment into an opening line, now that sounds interesting! Enjoyed your note. Have a great week ahead.
DeleteWhen I was younger, I would've gone with the opening of A Tale of Two Cities. It's philosophical, which I like, but to my ears today, it seems overblown and terribly melodramatic. I know it's a good book, but I wonder if those qualities might detract from the story. So today, the opening of Great Expectations sounded lighter, cheerier. Maybe I'm in the mood to be cheered, having lived in the shadow of death for nearly two years. The shadow doesn't go away once the person is gone, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteI like classics because they're not only entertaining, but they are infused with enduring moral truths.
As to the opening of my current WIP, I leave perfecting the first line until I'm well into the process ... unless I plan to enter it into contests, which I am gearing up to do. So ... I guess I'll be thinking about which hook(s) to employ, soon.
Cathy, you gave me pause to think with your take on the opening of A Tale of Two Cities. I think the lines stayed with me all these years because of the rhythm and contrasts of the words, but I can see how it could be seen as melodramatic. I'm wondering if I went back and read the book all over again, what I would think of it. Here's one for you, Richard Peck's Fair Weather: "It was the last day of our old lives, and we didn't even know it." A line that starts out remarkably similar to the first few words of Dicken's Tale of Two Cities, but shorter and more to the point! I can also appreciate how selective you might be about your reading material after a time of great loss....Great to hear you are writing and plan to enter another contest. Hope this one is as successful as your previous winning entry! Wishing you all the best...
DeleteKenda, your mention of Richard Peck reminded me of another of his book intros that always amused me: "If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of year for it." That's from THE TEACHER'S FUNERAL. Isn't that a great first line?
DeleteAnother good one, Peggy, thanks! And now I need to read The Teacher's Funeral. Hadn't heard of that one. Once again, so many good books, so little time :-)
DeleteOh, good question! I don't know - would have to give it some thought. Not sure if they're officially classics, but I do like L.M. Montgomery's works. Then of course, I wanted to visit Prince Edward Island after reading her books. It'd be fun to imagine her characters roaming the island. :) Have a lovely week!
ReplyDeleteKaren, I'd say Montgomery's 'Anne of Green Gables' is a classic. I know of at least three generations who love the book--mother (me), daughter and now 8-year old granddaughter! Thanks for the reminder of a favorite book for many. Wishing you a great week, too :-)
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