most beautiful novel opening
Ian (Hank Kimble) Scuffling
scuffling at gmail.com
Fri Nov 9 14:02:18 CST 2007
One of my favorites, also; magical/musical/beautiful and evocative. 30 years
ago I heard a recording on the radio of a woman reading that first chapter
of PotAaaYM, and I still remember the sound of her voice.
On Nov 9, 2007 2:54 PM, Richard Ryan <richardryannyc at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I agree with Robert - on every score - beauty, skill,
> creation of anticipation, setting of scene,
> establishment of themes, pick your category or
> superlative - Moby Dick is the heavyweight champion of
> the world.
>
> In re Joyce - you know, the intro passage of Ulysses
> is a fine thing, but for sheer bedazzlement and
> originality, methinks Portrait tops it:
>
> Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was
> a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow
> that was coming down along the road met a nicens
> little boy named baby tuckoo...
>
> His father told him that story: his father looked at
> him through a glass: he had a hairy face.
>
> He was baby tuckoo. The moocow came down the road
> where Betty Byrne lived: she sold lemon platt.
>
> O, the wild rose blossoms
> On the little green place.
>
> He sang that song. That was his song.
>
> O, the green wothe botheth.
>
> When you wet the bed first it is warm then it gets
> cold. His mother put on the oilsheet. That had the
> queer smell.
>
> His mother had a nicer smell than his father. She
> played on the piano the sailor's hornpipe for him to
> dance. He danced:
>
> Tralala lala,
> Tralala tralaladdy,
> Tralala lala,
> Tralala lala.
>
> Uncle Charles and Dante clapped. They were older than
> his father and mother but uncle Charles was older than
> Dante.
>
> Dante had two brushes in her press. The brush with the
> maroon velvet back was for Michael Davitt and the
> brush with the green velvet back was for Parnell.
> Dante gave him a cachou every time he brought her a
> piece of tissue paper.
>
> The Vances lived in number seven. They had a different
> father and mother. They were Eileen's father and
> mother. When they were grown up he was going to marry
> Eileen. He hid under the table. His mother said:
>
> --O, Stephen will apologize.
>
> Dante said:
>
> --O, if not, the eagles will come and pull out his
> eyes.--
>
>
> Pull out his eyes,
> Apologize,
> Apologize,
> Pull out his eyes.
> Apologize,
> Pull out his eyes,
> Pull out his eyes,
> Apologize.
>
> http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/4217
>
>
>
> --- "Ian (Hank Kimble) Scuffling"
> <scuffling at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I thought we were talking "beautiful" rather than
> > great or even
> > wonderful. Who of us P-listers doesn't love the the
> > opening of MD
> > (that's Moby Dick, not M&D) and of GR, but are they
> > beautiful, i.e is
> > the image described or the sound of the words (or
> > preferably both)
> > beautiful in the same way as "Stately, plump Buck
> > Mulligan came from
> > the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a
> > mirror and a razor
> > lay crossed," or the opening lines of any number of
> > Shakespeare's
> > play?
> >
> > AsB4,
> >
> > Henry Mu
> > http://www.urdomain.us/kcuf.htm
> >
> > On Nov 9, 2007 10:37 AM, Robert Mahnke wrote:
> > > I like the first paragraph of the book I'm reading
> > right now:
> > >
> > > Call me Ishmael. Some years ago - never mind how
> > long precisely - having little or no money in my
> > purse, and nothing particular to interest me on
> > shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see
> > the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of
> > driving off the spleen and regulating the
> > circulation.
> >
>
>
--
AsB4,
Henry
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