Back a week or so ago, someone had a blog post about first sentences with some great examples. I lucked into finding a copy of "Meet Me at the Morgue" by John Ross Macdonald at the last book sale and I have to say that his first sentence sucks you right into the book.
"I met the boy on the morning of the kidnapping" Your heart skips a beat, and you feel the darkness creeping in. What Mr. Macdonald does next just makes the world bleaker. "It was a bright and blowing day. The wind was fresh from the sea, and the piled white cubes of the city sparkled under a swept of blue sky. I had to force myself to go to work."
And there you are, wondering how anything so frightening can happen on such a beautiful day. I love how he did that. The story proceeds with a meeting with the kidnapper and the child and you're off and running, chasing clues and turning over dead bodies. What a great storyteller!
2 comments:
I love Macdonald's work. He violates Leonard's rule about the weather report in great style here.
Yes, he does, Bill! He's that rare author for me where I can get lost in the story and still admire the writing.
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