Sign that I’m still tinkering with the first chapter of my novel
February 24, 2004 | Comments Off
First sentences from a number of random books I’ve enjoyed:
“At school I was careful not to look like I watched everything, but I did.”
– Amanda Davis, Wonder When You’ll Miss Me“Everyone had always said that John would be a preacher when he grew up, just like his father.”
– James Baldwin, Go Tell it on the Mountain“The day my wife left, she gave me a list of who I was.”
– Chang-Rae Lee, Native Speaker“Some real things have happened lately.”
– Joan Didion, The Last Thing He Wanted“At a flag stop in Louisiana, a big, yellow-haired man named Jules stepped off a day coach at a settlement of twelve houses and a shoebox station.”
– Tim Gautreaux, The Clearing“It was, gentlemen, after a long absence — seven years to be exact, during which time I was studying in Europe — that I returned to my people.”
– Tayeb Salih, Season of Migration to the North“It is my contention that everyone is profoundly eccentric.”
– Anita Brookner, Undue Influence“For reasons that will become obvious, I find it difficult to write about Stewart.”
– John Colapinto, About the Author“When I was fifteen, I got hepatitis.”
– Bernhard Schlink, The Reader“What are you wearing?” he asked.
– Nicholson Baker, Vox“How did I find out?”
– Nadine Gordimer, My Son’s Story
Here’s a prior collection of first sentences.