First Lines
OK, I've added a clue to the last one
I haven't done a meme since my first post so thought I'd try this one stolen from A little bit of babbling about nothing. Basically the idea is I pick ten of my favourite books or series and then copy out the first lines. Then you (dear reader) can make guesses as to what they are. I suspect my readership will have encountered many of these before so no googling and away you go.
- Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita mi ritrovai per una selva oscura, che la diritta via era smarrita. Dante's Inferno, guessed by Mike
- The late twentieth century has witnessed a scientific gold rush of astonishing proportions: the headlong and furious haste to commercialize genetic engineering. Jurassic Park (I couldn't resist), guessed by Mike
- Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun. Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, guessed by Sarah
- Idle reader: Without my swearing to it, you can believe that I would like this book, the child of my understanding, to be the most beautiful, the most brilliant, and the most discreet that anyone could imagine. [Clue: windmills]
- On 24 May 1863, which was a Sunday, my uncle, Professor Lidenbrock, came rushing back towards his little house, No. 19 Konigstrasse, one of the oldest streets in the old quarter of Hamburg. Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, guessed by Carlos
- They put the behemoths in the hold along with the rhinos, the hippos and the elephants. A History Of The World In 10 1/2 Chapters, guessed by Sarda
- It was 7 minutes after midnight. The dog was lying in the grass in the middle of the lawn in front of Mrs Shears' house. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night, guessed by Sarah
- It seems increasingly likely that I really will undertake the expedition that has been preoccupying my imagination now for some days. Remains Of The Day, guessed by Sarah (covertly) and Jenny (via Facebook)
- The escalator strained slowly upward. In an old station like this what else would you expect? Night Watch, guessed by Rachel
- You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but that ain't no matter. Huck Finn (OK, major clue in this one, but not as easy as the opening line from Lolita I almost included), guessed by Sarah
12 comments:
Wow! I actually know some of these.
3. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
7. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
Skipping those already gotten:
1) Dante's Inferno?? semi-wild guess
2) Jurassic Park, I think.
Well done! You're both right. 5 to go...
I also know 8 but only because someone else chose that line.
I thought you might. At least two others you know I've read because I remember discussing them in your company!
Is 5 "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" by Jules Verne?
Splendid!
6. They put the behemoths in the hold along with the rhinos, the hippos and the elephants.
History of the world in 10 1/2 chapters.
Yep! Only two left although I doubt anyone will get number 9.
Is number 9 from Night Watch? It's the only series of Russian books I can think of that have been made into movies!
Yes! Well done.
Wa-hey! And I've neither read the books or seen the films!
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