Favorite opening paragraph/sentence/passages etc.

Discussion in 'Books' started by Ombak, Oct 23, 2005.

  1. Ian Lozada

    Ian Lozada Member

    May 29, 2001
    The Pick Four Pool
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I hated it more the further I went along. All the tangents. If I never read Melville again, it'll be too soon.

    And don't get me started on Billy f*ckin' Budd.
     
  2. bojendyk

    bojendyk New Member

    Jan 4, 2002
    South Loop, Chicago
    Same here. Absolutely floors me.
     
  3. Anthony

    Anthony Member+

    Chelsea
    United States
    Aug 20, 1999
    Chicago
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    The only book I have ever felt pure unadulterated hatred for was Wuthering Heights.
     
    guignol repped this.
  4. irvine

    irvine Member

    Nov 24, 1998
    S. Portland, ME
    Starship Troopers is mine.

     
  5. Ian Lozada

    Ian Lozada Member

    May 29, 2001
    The Pick Four Pool
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, you could always try Battlefield Earth. :p
     
  6. ASU55RR

    ASU55RR Member+

    Jul 31, 2004
    Brooklyn, NY/Brno,CZ
    Club:
    FC Zbrojovka Brno
    Nat'l Team:
    Czechia
    Osudy Dobreho Vojaka Svejka

    "Tak nám zabili Ferdinanda," øekla posluhovaèka panu Švejkovi, který opustiv pøed léty vojenskou službu, když byl definitivnì prohlášen vojenskou lékaøskou komisí za blba, živil se prodejem psù, ošklivých neèistokrevných oblud, kterým padìlal rodokmeny.
    Kromì tohoto zamìstnání byl stižen revmatismem a mazal si právì kolena opodeldokem.
    "Kterýho Ferdinanda, paní Müllerová?" otázal se Švejk, nepøestávaje si masírovat kolena, "já znám dva Ferdinandy. Jednoho, ten je sluhou u drogisty Prùši a vypil mu tam jednou omylem láhev nìjakého mazání na vlasy, a potom znám ještì Ferdinanda Kokošku, co sbírá ty psí hovínka. Vobou není žádná škoda."
    "Ale, milostpane, pana arcivévodu Ferdinanda, toho z Konopištì, toho tlustýho, nábožnýho:"
    "jezismarija"

    translation:

    The Good Soldier Svejk

    "Well the killed our Ferdinand", said Mrs Muller to Svejk, who had left military service years before after having been certified by the medical board as an imbecile, and now lived by selling dogs- ugly, mongrel monstrosities whose pedigrees he forged.
    "Which Ferdinand Mrs Muller? I know two Ferdinands: 1 who works for Prusa the chemist, and once by mistake drank a bottle of hair oil there. And the other is Ferdinand Kokoska who cleans dog manure- neither of them is really a loss"
    "Oh no, sir, it's His Imperial Highness, Archduke Ferdinand, from Konopiste, the plump churchy one."
    "Holy crap"



    Not the most beautifully written passage, but I easily remember it. It sets the subversive and nihilistic tone of the story fairly well.
     
  7. maturin

    maturin Member

    Jun 8, 2004
    "The music-room in the governor's house at Port Mahon, a tall, handsome, pillared octagon, was filled with the triumphant first movement of Locatelli's C-Major quartet."

    Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander

    Had me from the first.
     
  8. guignol

    guignol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 28, 2005
    mermoz-les-boss
    Club:
    Olympique Lyonnais
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    non-fiction: je hais les voyages et les explorateurs (i hate voyages and explorers).

    fiction: longtemps, je me suis couché de bonne heure (for a long time i'd to bed early).
     
  9. Skippysasquirrel

    May 11, 2012
    San Diego, CA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    To be fair, it's a simple, and terrific intro lol omnia gallia and whatnot...
     
  10. beckham22

    beckham22 New Member

    Oct 4, 2012
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time. (Fight Club book and movie)..
     
  11. HartwickFan

    HartwickFan Member

    Jul 31, 1999
    Climax, MI
    Club:
    VfR Wormatia 08 Worms
    Nat'l Team:
    Tuvalu
    I love love love the opening paragraph of Moby Dick! :)

     

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