Friday, December 7, 2007

Wanna Play?

I'll give you the first line; you give me the title and author. Ready?

I'll start with the easiest one in the history of good first lines, but after that, I'm going to make you pay attention.

1. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

Okay, now let's get serious! No more freebies!

2. "As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place where there was a den, and laid me down in that place to sleep; and as I slept, I dreamed a dream."

3. "How dreadfully old I am getting! Sixteen! Well, I don't see as I can help it." 
(If you need help with this one, visit my blog. This is my favorite book. It's one of those books women should read once a year, and men should read to understand women.)

4. "Lee Chong's grocery, while not a model of neatness, was a miracle of supply."

5. "In an old house in Paris that was coved with vines,
Lived twelve little girls in two straight lines."

Bonus question: (If you get this one, I will give you serious kudos! I only know about five people who have actually heard of this book. But it was written by one of the greatest [and most famous] Christian writers of all time. Fell in love with it in high school.)

Bonus: "I am old now and have not much to fear from the anger of gods."

Have a great weekend thinking up your own history-making first lines. :)

6 comments:

Betsy St. Amant said...

Oh oh!! I know the first one! Pride & Prejudice!! =) Great choices, Lori - I have to admit I'm not instantly recognizing them but now my TBR pile is even higher!! Drat!!!

Catherine West said...

First one is P&P
Second one I have no idea...
3. I'm thinking Little Women but I don't know.
4. No Idea
5. Madeline

Bonus one - again, no idea, sorry.
Fun!

Georgiana Daniels said...

Aw man! The only ones I know are one and five, but have been covered by Betsy and Cathy. Maybe I need to broaden my TBR pile!

Lori said...

Hints:
2. The main character of the dream is named Christian.
3. Sorry, you have to check my "About Me" page. I can't think of a good hint. (If I know you for any length of time, I will at some point give you a copy of this book. In fact, I may have already. Check your bookshelf. :D )
4. I only read this famous book after visiting Monterey, CA.
Bonus: Google C.S. Lewis

Catherine West said...

I was thinking of CS Lewis!!
We should do this every week!

Lori said...

Okay, so here are the correct answers:
1. P&P (Austen)
2. Pilgrim's Progress (John Bunyan)
3. Stepping Heavenward (Elizabeth Prentiss)
4. Cannery Row (John Steinbeck)
5. Madeline (Ludwig Bemelmans)
Bonus: Till We Have Faces (C.S. Lewis)