Apr 22, 2014 the opening line summarises the premise of the novel, at the same time as forcing the reader to recall the times they too have awoken from uneasy dreams. The luck of the bodkins was originally annotated by mark hodson aka the efficient baxter. Well, its hilarious, and that alone justifies the inclusion of the luck of the bodkins opening line in this list. Now, with every one of my own books, i spend a lot of time on the first line, the first paragraph, the first page. Seize this wonderful chance to embark on a wodehousian voyage on the luxurious liner s. Wodehouse is still able to produce a nigh flawless novel without his two most wellknown characters. Jun 03, 2016 the idea that things are easily lost in translation is reflected in the opening line of p.
It was serialised in the saturday evening post us from 16 july to 3 september 1938 and in the london daily mail from 14 september to 6 october 1938. Apr 28, 2017 in one hundred years of solitude by gabriel garcia marquez, the opening lines present fire and ice. I have to draw the line somewhere to ensure i have time to write, time for friends and. Kat is a midwestbased freelance writer, covering topics related to careers, productivity, and the freelance life. Shop pg wodehouse the luck of the bodkins opening lines womens vest. The luck of the bodkins by pelham grenville wodehouse and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. When i started the luck of the bodkins, my first novel by p. The 27 best opening lines in books, from rebecca to the great. The luck of the bodkins by pg wodehouse 9 it was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the rosenbergs, and i didnt know what i was doing in new york. On the ship there was a long line of semiconscious figures in chairs. Buy the luck of the bodkins opening line mug bone china at amazon uk. Our guide to the greatest opening lines of novels in the english. Pg wodehouse the luck of the bodkins opening lines womens. These are the answer for dk quiz famous first lines in novels question and answers, cheats, for easy, medium, hard on all level of the game.
Gertrude butterwick had impressed upon monty bodkin when he left for this. Well give you the first line of a novel, and you have to choose the book it comes from. Into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the hotel magnifique at cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty, hangdog look which announces that an englishman is about to speak. The luck of the bodkins 1935into the face of the young man who sat on the. The first occurrence in this book of montys famous catchphrase. I even tore out the first three pages of one of my favorite novels the poisonwood bible when i came to reread it.
So, along with a few of our own personal favourites, here are fourteen fantastic first lines. With wellmeaning but unhelpful ships steward albert peasemarch and a toy mouse with a screwtop head thrown in for good measure, it will, indeed, take the luck of the bodkins to sort it all out. On our instagram weve been asking people for the first lines that have grabbed them. The 10 best first lines in fiction books the guardian. This game is developed by dorling kindersley at dorling kindersley ltd. Anyway, we thought wed test your knowledge with these memorable openers to famous songs. One of the best opening of any novel every written. Can you identify the famous song from the opening line. Wodehouses the luck of the bodkins, as a briton confronts the daunting prospect of having to. Sep 06, 2019 our selection of wise and witty opening words from 30 brilliant classic novels.
And in the luck of the bodkins, the action spans london, new york, hollywood, and several transatlantic liners, as three dapper young men find themselves in various wodehousian predicaments concerning their love lives and finances. Into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the hotel magnifique at cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty, hangdog look which announces that an englishman is about to talk french. Sep 21, 2016 the luck of the bodkins by pg wodehouse 9 it was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the rosenbergs, and i didnt know what i was doing in new york. But clouds massing east of eden suggested that the first thunderstorm was. Put your skills to the test, and take this quiz on memorable literary sentences. Following yesterdays ridiculous beginnings, eminent wodehouse reader sudheer tambe noted my omission.
The best opening lines in literature page 3 show list info collected by buzzfeed and supplemented by additional online lists, these are books with some of the greatest, most enticing, surprising, poetic, starkly insidious, darkly comic, or deliciously clever opening lines of all time. Richard bodkins, founder richard got into the contract furniture industry back in 1960 when he purchased mueller furniture in grand rapids, michigan from fritz mueller. The white star line, which lost its independent identity in 1935, used names. Wodehouse, plum pickings, world of wodehouse 3 comments. One of many items available from our vests department here at fruugo. Aug 20, 2018 a strong first line is necessary whether it hooks you in your gut and sends you torpedoing through the books pages, takes your hand and gently leads you into a characters soul, or quietly dissolves your surroundings into a new world. The luck of the bodkins november 29, 2015 preet kaur comedy, comedy fiction, first lines, p g wodehouse, quotes, the luck of the bodkins 8 comments into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the hotel magnifique at cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty, hangdog look which announces that. Okay, so maybe it isnt one of the best opening lines in literature, but its most definitely one. The luck of the bodkins opening line mug bone china.
I agree the best first lines can be an epitome of whats to come, as the opening paragraphs of a book can frame it however ironically. The first line of the poem serves as the title and the inspiration for the short story the boy stood on the burning deck by c. Wodehouse is at his creative peak with this comic soap opera about several folks on a transatlantic cruise. Harry potter and the philosophers stone by jk rowling. He designed many of the products in the mueller line and some are now timeless classics. Oct 17, 2019 the 27 best opening lines in books 127 harry potter and the philosophers stone by jk rowling mr. The plot of the luck of the bodkins continues into pearls, girls and monty bodkin 1972, in which monty, the object of his affections, hockeyplaying gertrude butterwick, and moviemogul ivor llewellyn all return. He was the first nonfamily member to own the company. They say the first line is one of the most important parts of a book. Into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the hotel magnifique at cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty. To which book does this unforgettable first line belong.
First class accommodation was normally on the upper few levels under the main deck, well above the waterline. Wodehouse 1935 into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the hotel magnifique at cannes there. Each volume has been reset and printed on scottish creamwove, acidfree paper, sewn and bound in cloth. There may be no jeeves or wooster, but the luck of the bodkins shows that p. All you have to do is guess the song, artist or year good luck. And yes, we chose fourteen entirely so we could have a pleasingly alliterative headline. Atlantic in the company of monty bodkin, whose passion for gertrude butterwick knows no bounds except those set by the wildatheart hollywood starlet lotus blossom and her pet alligator. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a.
With a strength born of the decision that had just come to her in the middle of the night, avery johnson forced the suitcase shut on the clothes piled inside and slid the lock in. Wodehouse, first published on 7 october 1938, in the united kingdom by herbert jenkins, london, and in the united states by doubleday, doran, new york. In addition to the muse, shes a contributor all over the web and dishes out researchbacked advice for places like atlassian, trello, toggl, wrike, the everygirl, flexjobs, and more. Would you believe, i bought this book for the first paragraph but much. A collection of opening lines from pop songs ranging from the mid70s to 2008. A first line is your introduction to a story you are committing to spend time on.
On july 1, 20 january 1, 2019 by honoria plum in p. Behind every man now alive stand 30 ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living. More of the best opening lines in literature keeping up with. His own preferences include those of lolita light of my life, fire of my loins and p g wodehouses the luck of the bodkins.
The luck of the bodkins 1935into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the hotel magnifique at cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty, hangdog look which. I wish i could find george eliots rewrite of austens first line. Apr 28, 2012 the luck of the bodkins 1935into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the hotel magnifique at cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty, hangdog look which. The luck of the bodkins annotations madame eulalie. The first line itself creates the surreal environment that is book presents inuch greater detail while describing the lives of seven generations of the buendias, the younger ones doomed to repeat the mistakes of their ancestors. A quote from the luck of the bodkins goodreads meet your. That prologue was so dreary i almost gave up on the book that first time. Dursley of number four, privet drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal. Quiet as its kept, there were no marigolds in the fall of 1941. The misattribution of the poem serves as both a key plot device, and a running gag, in p.