# Guess the book from the opening line **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 15, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963 "2003-04-15T22:28:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/21 "2003-04-16T11:11:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > \*\* > “It was a dark and stormy night.” > \*\* It’s not the answer you’re thinking of but: “It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents–except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.” –Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, Paul Clifford (1830) Is the inspiration for the Bulwer-lytton literary “contest” ---
**Author:** ![herwono](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9f8e36/32.png) [@herwono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herwono)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/22 "2003-04-16T11:17:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > “It was a dark and stormy night.” A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle. ---
**Author:** ![GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f1d935/32.png) [@GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GSV_Consolation_of_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/23 "2003-04-16T11:18:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tapioca Dextrin \* > \*\*The Long Goodnight by Raymond Chandler \*\* The Long Good **bye** actually. Mine: “The truth is, if old Major Dover hadn’t dropped dead at Taunton racesJim would never have come to Thursgood’s at all.” ---
**Author:** ![herwono](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9f8e36/32.png) [@herwono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herwono)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/24 "2003-04-16T11:19:49Z")
Here’s mine: “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” ---
**Author:** ![GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f1d935/32.png) [@GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GSV_Consolation_of_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/25 "2003-04-16T11:29:07Z")
Herwono: “The troublesome offspring of Cardinal Guzman” perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Fiat\_Lux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Fiat\_Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiat_Lux)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/26 "2003-04-16T11:37:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by herwono \* > \*\*Here’s mine: > > “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” \*\* One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez pseudotriton ruber ruber’s (cool user name, btw) is Catch 22, I believe. Mine: A mile below the lowest cloud, rock breaches water and the sea begins (chosen solely because I’ve been reading it, and have it beside the keyboard in front of me. I’ll be impressed if anyone can answer offhand) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/27 "2003-04-16T11:47:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by atarian \* > “The truth is, if old Major Dover hadn’t dropped dead at Taunton races Jim would never have come to Thursgood’s at all.” \*\* Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, John LeCarre ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/28 "2003-04-16T11:50:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fiat Lux \* > \*\*A mile below the lowest cloud, rock breaches water and the sea begins. > \*\* The Scar by China Mielville. Not as good as Perdido Street Station, which I’ve just finished. IMHO, of course. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/29 "2003-04-16T11:53:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fiat Lux \* > \*\*A mile below the lowest cloud, rock breaches water and the sea begins > > (chosen solely because I’ve been reading it, and have it beside the keyboard in front of me. I’ll be impressed if anyone can answer offhand) \*\* “The Scar” by China Miéville. I didn’t know it offhand, but had to go find the book. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/30 "2003-04-16T13:03:33Z")
> [@](#): > > It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. > [@](#): > > Listen. (If I gave the next sentence, it would be too easy. ) > [@](#): > > There was a wall. One of the great works of the twentieth century, and won a bunch of awards. > [@](#): > > It was a diamond, all right. I bet **Tapioca Dextrin** will get that one. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/31 "2003-04-16T13:12:03Z")
**Shodan’s** first one is _1984_. Three in return: 1. There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. 2. See the child. 3. It seems increasingly likely that I really will undertake the expidition that has been preoccupying my imagination now for some days. ---
**Author:** ![ignatius\_reilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/db5fbb/32.png) [@ignatius\_reilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ignatius_reilly)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/32 "2003-04-16T13:13:26Z")
“It was love at first sight” is _Catch-22_. I would offer up: “A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head.” But that would be too easy. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/33 "2003-04-16T13:16:24Z")
An easy one- Amergio Bonasera sat in New York Criminal Court Number 3 and waited for justice; vengeance on the men who had so cruelly hurt his daughter, who had tried to dishonor her. **Shodan’s** answer- It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.—_1984_, George Orwell ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/34 "2003-04-16T13:18:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by capacitor \* > \*\*“Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring!” \*\* \*_Native Son_, Richard Wright 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ignatius\_reilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/db5fbb/32.png) [@ignatius\_reilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ignatius_reilly)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/35 "2003-04-16T13:20:21Z")
On closer reading, Fiat Lux beat me to it a really really long time ago. D’oh. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/36 "2003-04-16T13:25:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pravnik \* > \*\*An easy one- > > Amergio Bonasera sat in New York Criminal Court Number 3 and waited for justice; vengeance on the men who had so cruelly hurt his daughter, who had tried to dishonor her. > > \*\* The Godfather, Mario Puzo ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/37 "2003-04-16T13:27:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ignatius\_reilly \* > \*\*I would offer up: “A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head.” But that would be too easy. \*\* Cofedracy of Dunces ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/38 "2003-04-16T13:31:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jabba \* > \*\* > > 1. There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. > > 2. See the child. > > 3. It seems increasingly likely that I really will undertake the expidition that has been preoccupying my imagination now for some days. \*\* 1 Jane Eyre by one of the Brontes. Charlotte? 2 Stumped ☹ 3 Stumped again ☹ ☹ ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/39 "2003-04-16T13:44:21Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. It seems increasingly likely that I really will undertake the expidition that has been preoccupying my imagination now for some days. Remains of the Day? Next… _3 May. Bistritz. - Left Munich at 8:35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46, but the train was an hour late. Buda-Pesth seems a wonderful place, from the glimpse which I got from the train and the little I could walk through the streets._ ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/168963/40 "2003-04-16T15:42:01Z")
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