If I’m interested in a book by an unfamiliar author, I usually glance at the first few sentences to ensure I dig his/her writing style.
I’ve never read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, but I’d seen in the New York Times there was some hulabaloo about a potential Broadway show getting canceled, so I thought I’d check it out.
I checked a snippet of the book online, and was greeted by this jewel:
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.
Now THAT is a first line. It’s simple and brief, but emotional and evocative. It makes me wonder why the narrator is dreaming of this place, and why she isn’t still there. What happened that made her leave it . . . and dream of it again?
Suffice it to say, Ms. du Maurier had me at “last night.” I’m looking forward to diving in to Rebecca . . . when HOUSE RULES is edited, of course. 🙂
Image source: Wikipedia.
You might be interested in this essay that dives deep into the very sentence you have quoted in your blog: http://ow.ly/e2SPI
One of my favorite books of all time!
This is definitely on my “Top 10 book list”. Chloe, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Then you need to watch the movie. This is one of those rare movies that is as good (or perhaps even better) than the book.
Huh, that’s what I’m reading right now! (Also, I really need to write an essay of her presentation of love due in for yesterday 😉 )
I was in Caterbury (Kent) yesterday and I saw a gem of a book shop which sold classics and so on from aroundabout the time they were first published and this is the gorgeous copy I found: http://www.etsy.com/listing/106628676/rebecca-by-daphne-du-maurier-twentieth