Tuesday, January 29, 2013

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros



Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where I share the first paragraph or (2) of a book I am reading or thinking about reading soon.  Care to join us? Feel free to grab the image and link your post below. 

This week I'm featuring an intro from Walter's Muse by Jean Davies Okimoto.


"By the time Maggie heard the wail, she was convinced she'd really better check on Walter.  At first she hadn't been too concerned; the odd noise sounded a bit like the foghorn on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge only with a higher note, like a falsetto foghorn.  Maybe they'd been working on it and the horn had ended up with a higher pitch, maybe they installed some type of new fancy digital equipment.  Or would it be analog?  She got all that sort of thing mixed up and frankly didn't know the difference.  Then Maggie looked out at the water and realized this didn't make sense.  There wasn't any fog.  Not a trace or even a misty wisp.  A brisk wind rippled the surface of the cove, but the evening was perfectly clear with the sky the deepening blue of dusk and at least another hour 'til sunset.  Probably a boat horn somewhere had gotten stuck was more like it, she decided.  But as the wind picked up and Maggie listened more closely, the wail got louder and she knew that cry had to come from the lungs of a living creature.  Part wolf howl and part Bessie Smith bone-crushing blues, it completely unnerved her. And although she couldn't pinpoint the exact location, she was pretty sure it was coming from Walter's place, which unnerved her even more."

What do you think ? -- Would you keep reading?  (I have not started this one yet - but hope to later this week)

Please feel free to link below:



18 comments:

  1. I probably wouldn't keep reading... it seems a little obviously provocative to me... but I may give it one chapter to be sure!

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  2. I guess I'm a sucker for a provocative beginning...I appreciated her slow realization that the howl could only come from the lungs of a living creature'. 'I'd certainly give it a go since you have it already.

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  3. I'd give it a go...I'm a sucker too :p

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  4. How mysterious! You had me at Maggie's narrative "voice." She sounds like someone I'd want to spend time with.

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  5. The opening doesn't do much for me, but I do like the setting and the cover. Doubt I would continue...

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  6. Walter's Muse is one of my favorite books about retirees. The setting is beautifully described and the people are true characters.

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  7. I'm hooked--I've got to know more. Great opening paragraph. kelley—the road goes ever ever on

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  8. I'm on the fence. The mystery of what's making that sound would force me to continue, but the fact that the first paragraph is long-winded really doesn't do much for me.

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  9. I enjoyed this book. There's lots of descriptive prose like the intro but also great characters and a lovely story about relationships and starting over. (Maggie's a retired librarian).

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  10. I'm intrigued by the sound, wonder what it is. I remember this book received good reviews last year but I couldn't decide if I wanted to read it. Now you've got me interested, Thanks, Diane!

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  11. Yes, I'd definitely keep reading. I've heard that horn on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. It is a scary crossing in fog and/or wind!

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  12. I probably wouldn't...seems like an over use of words.

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  13. I would definitely keep reading. It sounds suspenseful!

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  14. The situation sounds interesting, but that's an awful long-winded first paragraph. Not sure if I'd dig in to this one!

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  15. I read this book when it first came out. I'm a big fan of this author. I'd actually read it again. I'd love the characters in this book.

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  16. Sounds good, and I don't remember hearing about this one before, so thanks for sharing the opening!

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