# Yet another "Guess the book from the opening line" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 22, 2007, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408 "2007-11-22T06:32:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/21 "2007-11-23T03:42:10Z")
I forgot to add an opening line: News item from the Westover (Me.) weekly _Enterprise_, August 19, 1966: RAIN OF STONES REPORTED. ---
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/22 "2007-11-23T04:24:07Z")
[QUOTE=Savannah] A Child’s Christmas in Wales, Dylan Thomas. TellmeIgotit, tellmeIgotit! [/QUOTE] Oh yeah, you got it! 🙂 I love it. If/when I have kids, that’s their bedtime story every Christmas Eve. Thanks, Mr. Burns, for making me read that in 6th grade. ---
**Author:** ![meenie7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@meenie7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meenie7)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/23 "2007-11-23T05:24:45Z")
[QUOTE=Savannah] I forgot to add an opening line: News item from the Westover (Me.) weekly _Enterprise_, August 19, 1966: RAIN OF STONES REPORTED. [/QUOTE] _Carrie_ by Stephen King 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![meenie7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@meenie7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meenie7)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/24 "2007-11-23T05:33:03Z")
I really think I am probably right, so here’s my line: “It begins, as most things begin, with a song.” ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/25 "2007-11-23T06:02:35Z")
[QUOTE=meenie7] \*\*Originally Posted by Savannah: I forgot to add an opening line: News item from the Westover (Me.) weekly Enterprise, August 19, 1966: RAIN OF STONES REPORTED.\*\* _Carrie_ by Stephen King 🙂 [/QUOTE] Yep. 🙂 I thought I’d throw everyone off by delving into pop culture, but you’re too clever for that! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/26 "2007-11-23T06:10:21Z")
I’m drawing a blank on the others, but I’ll toss in some more anyway. “She was born a thing and as such would be condemned if she failed to pass the encephalograph test required of all newborn babies.” “Death came for him by mistake.” “The first facet was **purpose**.” ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/27 "2007-11-23T08:05:07Z")
[QUOTE=ianzin] My favourite, and an easy one: “I am always drawn back to places where I have lived, the houses and their neighbourhoods”. [/QUOTE] That’s _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_ by Truman Capote. ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/28 "2007-11-23T08:16:46Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] I’m drawing a blank on the others, but I’ll toss in some more anyway. “She was born a thing and as such would be condemned if she failed to pass the encephalograph test required of all newborn babies.” [/QUOTE] Yay, one I know! _The Ship Who Sang_ by Anne McCaffrey. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/29 "2007-11-23T09:32:13Z")
[QUOTE=Achren] Yay, one I know! _The Ship Who Sang_ by Anne McCaffrey. [/QUOTE] That’s it ! ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/30 "2007-11-23T12:57:17Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] “Death was driving an emerald green Lexus.” [/QUOTE] _Winter Moon_, Dean Koontz. (I’m not a big fan of his stuff. :() “The primroses were over.” " ‘There are dragons in the twins’ vegetable garden.’ " “I went down to the Piraeus yesterday with Glaucon, son of Ariston, to pray to the goddess; and, at the same time, I wanted to observe how they would put on the festival, since they were now holding it for the first time.” ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/31 "2007-11-23T13:10:47Z")
Two of my favorite opening lines are very similar, even though the authors are two _very_ different writers. “This all started because of a clerical error” & “It began as a mistake.” ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/32 "2007-11-23T13:36:42Z")
More : \*‘The essential Saltes of Animals may be so prepared and preserved, that an ingenious Man may have the whole Ark of Noah in his own Studie, and raise the fine Shape of an Animal out of its Ashes at his Pleasure; and by the lyke Method from the essential Saltes of humane Dust, a Philosopher may, without any criminal Necromancy, call up the Shape of any dead Ancestour from the Dust whereinto his Bodie has been incinerated.’ \* “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had bourne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” “In a distant and second-hand set of dimensions, in an astral plane that was never meant to fly, the curling star-mists waver and part . . .” ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/33 "2007-11-23T14:44:03Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had bourne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” [/QUOTE] That **must** be “The Cask of Amontillado”. [I recognized the Dean Koontz opening even though I’ve never read the book.] ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/34 "2007-11-23T14:46:35Z")
[QUOTE=j666] That **must** be “The Cask of Amontillado”. [/QUOTE] Yup ! ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/35 "2007-11-23T14:46:51Z")
[QUOTE=bbs2k] “This all started because of a clerical error” [/QUOTE] Is that _The Screwtape Letters_ by C.S. Lewis? [Oh, Poe wrote 'The Cask of Amontillado?] ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/36 "2007-11-23T14:57:04Z")
[QUOTE=j666] Is that _The Screwtape Letters_ by C.S. Lewis? [/QUOTE] No sorry. I may have chosen a novel a little too innocuous, but it is one of my favorite’s with a well-known author (hint, he’s not well known for being an author). ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/37 "2007-11-23T15:02:44Z")
[QUOTE=j666] Oh, Poe wrote 'The Cask of Amontillado? [/QUOTE] Yes. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/38 "2007-11-23T15:12:12Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] More : \*‘The essential Saltes of Animals may be so prepared and preserved, that an ingenious Man may have the whole Ark of Noah in his own Studie, and raise the fine Shape of an Animal out of its Ashes at his Pleasure; and by the lyke Method from the essential Saltes of humane Dust, a Philosopher may, without any criminal Necromancy, call up the Shape of any dead Ancestour from the Dust whereinto his Bodie has been incinerated.’ \* [/QUOTE] H. P. Lovecraft’s THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD… of course. ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/39 "2007-11-23T15:21:11Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] _Winter Moon_ " ‘There are dragons in the twins’ vegetable garden.’ " [/QUOTE] Is this _A Wind in the Door_? And, right or wrong, I will add one: “THERE were four of us - George, and William Samuel Harris, and myself, and Montmorency. We were sitting in my room, smoking, and talking about how bad we were - bad from a medical point of view I mean, of course.” ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408/40 "2007-11-23T15:32:16Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] H. P. Lovecraft’s THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD… [/QUOTE] Yog Sothoth is pleased with your perceptiveness. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-guess-the-book-from-the-opening-line/427408.md?page=3)