A discussion of the first lines of novels
Part of a series in which very short bits of novels are taken and unpicked, with a real focus on first lines. I aim to do this fairly accessibly, because I’ve always been frustrated at how dense and opaque critical writing can be. The first line of a novel always takes on a different aspect after reading it, and with my writer’s hat on, I feel like there is always something to learn. I try my best to avoid properly gratuitous spoilers – He’s been dead all along! – but I make no promises. And please do comment or engage – consider these short articles the beginnings of conversations, rather than any pretense on my part to offer any ‘definitive’ take on these lines or the novels themselves.
John Corrigan Writes 