Sometimes an opening sentence contains the entire story:
"They were young, educated, and both virgins on this, their wedding night, and they lived in a time when a conversation about sexual difficulties was plainly impossible."
[Ian McEwan, On Chesil Beach]
Two others I like--the first for achieving the seemingly impossible--establishing a tone that makes such a story tolerable to read; and the other a great example of less is more:
"On the morning the last Lisbon daughter took her turn at suicide—it was Mary this time, and sleeping pills, like Therese—-the two paramedics arrived at the house knowing exactly where the knife drawer was, and the gas oven, and the beam in the basement from which it was possible to tie a rope. '
Those are great opening lines. I also thought Atonement's was terrific (still my favorite McEwan book - by far). I think Updike's Rabbit books all have great opening lines too (well, most of his books are just on their own plane! I think Villages' opening sentence too - no one wrote sentences as well as he did so consistently - I'm sure there would be arguments about this though. But he def. knew what he was doing and I remember hearing him say to Terry Gross that he aspired to write prose that read like poetry, i.e. a reader could choose a page at random and read it like a poem.)
Sometimes an opening sentence contains the entire story:
"They were young, educated, and both virgins on this, their wedding night, and they lived in a time when a conversation about sexual difficulties was plainly impossible."
[Ian McEwan, On Chesil Beach]
Two others I like--the first for achieving the seemingly impossible--establishing a tone that makes such a story tolerable to read; and the other a great example of less is more:
"On the morning the last Lisbon daughter took her turn at suicide—it was Mary this time, and sleeping pills, like Therese—-the two paramedics arrived at the house knowing exactly where the knife drawer was, and the gas oven, and the beam in the basement from which it was possible to tie a rope. '
[Jeffrey Eugenides, The Virgin Suicides]
In the dry places, men begin to dream.
[Wright Morris, Works of Love]
Those are great opening lines. I also thought Atonement's was terrific (still my favorite McEwan book - by far). I think Updike's Rabbit books all have great opening lines too (well, most of his books are just on their own plane! I think Villages' opening sentence too - no one wrote sentences as well as he did so consistently - I'm sure there would be arguments about this though. But he def. knew what he was doing and I remember hearing him say to Terry Gross that he aspired to write prose that read like poetry, i.e. a reader could choose a page at random and read it like a poem.)
Wonderful insights about short story writing here!
Thank you so much, Barbara!
Thank you, thank you!! I was away from here for a little bit, and when I came back I saw my subscriptions had increased unusually. Now I know why!
Your Substack is one of the best--truly.