This week's selection is to be released in October (Crown) and is by one of my favorite authors. (I've read all of his books). I am 1/3 of the way into this one and it has held my interest.
The Night Strangers; Chris Bohjalian
" You see the long, wide, perfectly straight strip of asphalt before you, the hanger to your right with the words GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS painted in billboard-size letters along the side. You recognize it as Burlington's runway 33, facing to the northwest. When your first officer lifts your plane off the ground, you know there will be a slight bump in about eight or nine seconds as you rise up and cross over the ravine churned out by the Winooski River. There is always a slight updraft there, even on a muggy afternoon such as today's. The sun has begun its descent in the west but is still high above the Adirondacks."
Does this opening paragraph draw you in? Not for me, but I kept reading and am now hooked.
Here's the Book's Overview -
In a dusty corner of a
basement in a rambling Victorian house in northern New Hampshire, a door
has long been sealed shut with 39 six-inch-long carriage bolts.
The home's new owners are Chip and Emily Linton and their twin
ten-year-old daughters. Together they hope to rebuild their lives there
after Chip, an airline pilot, has to ditch his 70-seat regional jet in
Lake Champlain due to double engine failure. The body count?
Thirty-nine.
What follow is a riveting ghost story with all the hallmarks readers
have come to expect from bestselling, award-winning novelist Chris
Bohjalian: a palpable sense of place, meticulous research, an unerring
sense of the demons that drive us, and characters we care about deeply.
The difference this time? Some of those characters are dead.
I don't think that I would have read it based on that first paragraph, but I am glad that you continued onwards and found something you liked!
ReplyDeleteThat would not draw me in at all. Glad to see you are liking it as you go further. Have a great week, Diane.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the first paragraph doesn't catch me. This author doesn't usually write spooky books does he? Just the twin girls makes it spooky.
ReplyDeleteHere's Mine
It does draw me in because of the excitement of an aircraft taking off and it is well described, which is always a draw for me.
ReplyDeleteI( just had to peek at your taster before heading off to Ireland for a week. Be back soon!
I'm curious about that bolted door and the ghosts behind it!
ReplyDeleteThe first paragraph doesn't grab me either, but I've read other novels by Bohjalian and really enjoyed them, so I would keep reading.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the others, but the summary made it sound much more interesting!
ReplyDeleteI must be strange because that sort of opening paragraph does pull me in. I like the way the author makes me feel like I'm in that plane, seeing what the character sees. I love good characters but I also need a sense of place and feeling.
ReplyDeleteHere's mine: http://abigailannreading.blogspot.com/2011/09/first-chapter-first-paragraph.html
ReplyDeleteThe first paragraph doesn't grab me, but I've enjoyed several of Bohjalian's books and would read more before making a decision.
ReplyDeleteTrying to decide whether I should read Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close today:
http://lakesidemusing.blogspot.com/2011/09/tuesday-intro-extremely-loud-incredibly.html
I'd have to keep reading as well! I have not read any of Bohjalian's books.
ReplyDeleteMine is here
I am a huge fan of Chris Bohjalian and, although I haven't read all of his books yet (I recently acquired The Law of Similars and can't wait to read it!) but I haven't been disappointed by any that I've read, they've all been fantastic. So, although I'll read the books summary just to know what it's about, I'll always give Bohjalian's books a try!
ReplyDeleteThere's not much to this first paragraph but for that reason and because the narrator obviously knows this area and knows planes very well, I want to know more and would keep reading.
The Overview is fantastic! Thank you!
I have posted my First Chapter...
Amy's 9.6 First Chapter
Not an author I'm familiar with, but the blurb sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteMine is also a haunting story with a similar title!
http://the-book-addict.blogspot.com/2011/09/tuesday-intros-little-stranger-by-sarah.html
I'm glad you felt the same way that I did about that opener!!! But knowing that you're hooked is all I need!!
ReplyDeleteI've not read anything by Bohjalian yet, though I own Skeletons At The Feast. So glad to know that you 'endorse' him, which makes me all the more eager to begin my own encounter with his work.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you … the first paragraph wouldn't draw me in … but the author's name and the book description would.
ReplyDeleteYes it does. The description of the book has drawn me in.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of ghosts, but I like Chris, so I'll read his work. :)
ReplyDelete