Silly game- anyone up for it?

Ooh, I think that's one of the Anne of Green Gables books. I loved those and read them heaps of times.

"Achilles' wrath to Greece the direful spring
Of woes unnumbered, heavenly goddess sing"

Persuasion. Jane Austen.

It was a vibrant blue-skied Afghan morning, the kind that made Yazmina stop to loosen her scarf and tilt her face to the sun.

Some first lines do just make such an impression that they stay with you for life - Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, A Tale of two Cities, A Christmas Carol are some that resonate with me.

Some certainly do. Not many of the obscure titles we've had on here though.

Is that "The little coffee shop of Kabul"??

How about "Nous sommes en 50 avant Jesus-Christ. Toute la Gaule est occupee par les Romains.....Toute? Non! "
A bit unfair for some, but I don't have it in translation!

It's either Julius Caesar or Asterix

'Obscure'? These? Part of the canon, I would have said.

There are many books mentioned on this thread that I have not yet read, but that doesn't mean other people have not read them and been impressed by their opening lines.

It was indeed Asterix le Gaulois!

I have lots of what people might call "obscure" books on my shelves - some are there because I had, at some stage, to read them as part of my studies. I am glad that I did, because some, like those by Dostoevsky, I would never have chosen to read; and they made an impression on me. I am enjoying sharing them and talking about them, and all the others.

Me too Ariadne, and I have all my father's books and my grandfathers' books too. Not much space for anything else in fact. Now, you hotfoot it to your shelves and tell me the answer to my last quote. It's quite easy as there are lots of internal clues.

Oh.... I thought going over to the bookcase and looking at the book was effectively the same as googling. Silly me.

Everyone knew the party was for someone, but no-one quite knew for whom.

Ooh bags, you have to check your memory . And you have to ensure your quotes are accurate.

Yes, but you can do it on google if you don't own the book because, say, you borrowed it from a library. No?

Do you know the party one? Vaguely?

No

All the ones I've answered (and I got one wrong) are on my shelves.

Now, Bags, have a go at mine. It's REALLY easy. Even if you haven't read it.

Yes, you can google. But if you've absolutely no idea at all, then it's a bit, just a bit, like cheating. And I don't do that.

Oh, I agree if you've no idea at all, but if you have a clue, it's OK, as is checking the book if you own it.

Do you know, I often don't even remember the title of the book I'm reading, so the first line has no chance! I just plunge in for the story and the lovely insights that jump out of the page and the beautiful turns of phrase ditto, that you stop and read again and even copy down or underline so you can get at them again. Warm feeling . Love good writing.

I am often told I need a Kindle, but I love the feel and smell of a book.

I only went to the bookcase and picked out a book I hadn't read once, bags and that was "The story of Pi" which I chose especially for you as a small, but obviously ineffective joke. See earlier posts.

This is all such a pity, as I was really enjoying the thread, and going back to my beloved books. Maybe this time I'll learn not to join in too freely. But I doubt it.

HeyAriadne don't give up on this thread! Some years ago my book cub compiled a " first line" quiz which we all enjoyed I thought it worth a try!

Pity? Why? Good grief! What is there to be upset about? I wasn't being nasty or unfirendly. I even donated one of my own from a fairly famous Ruth Prawer Jhabvala book!

Yikes, talk about touchy! I'm stunned that anyone has found anything problematic about my posts on this thread!!!!!!!!!!!

I saw that googling stuff was frowned upon and put in a view that in certain circumstances it was the same as checking a book.

THAT's ALL!!!

God! I can see why jings loses patience sometimes and tells people to fuck off.

For pity's SAKE! I rarely get this angry.