Tuesday, May 31, 2016

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Mercury, Margot Livesey


Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where I share the first paragraph sometimes two, of a book that I'm reading or plan to read soon.  


Mercury; Margot Livesey
Harper - 2016
Part One
Donald

"My mother called me after a favorite uncle, who was in turn called after a Scottish king.  Donald III was sixty when he first ascended the throne in 1093.  He went on to reign twice, briefly and disastrously.  As a child I hated my name--other children sang Donald, where's y'er troosers? in the playground--but as an adult I have come to appreciate being named after a valiant late bloomer: a man who seized the day.  Of course most Americans, when I introduce myself, are thinking not about Scottish history but about a cartoon duck.  They are surprised when I tell them that a Scot invented penicillin and that James VI, for whom the Bible was so gloriously translated, was a keen amateur dentist.  I used to believe that in my modest fashion, I was contributing to the spread of Scottish values: thrift, industry, integrity.  I have my own business, a full-service optometrist's, in a town outside of Boston.  More than most people, I have tested the hypothesis that the eye is the window of the soul"


What do you think -- keep reading or pass? 
(Feel free to join in this week by posting your intro below?


27 comments:

  1. Ah, ha! I've just learned about the book's clever cover. It sounds like it will be a very interesting story.

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    1. The plot seems very different, really looking forward to this one.

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  2. I am definitely curious. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. I admit my first thought as I read your intro was of Donald Duck. I can relate. Most people either associate me with Peter Pan or the Wendy's Hamburger restaurants. This does sound like it will be an interesting book, Diane. I hope you enjoy it!

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    1. It's funny how we do associate some names with something from our past.

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  4. Donald sounds like an interesting character. I like the tie-in of the cover with his job as an optometrist. Clever!
    Thank you for hosting.

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  5. I do like the sound of this one particularly because I do think some names through up certain associations (when you have an unusual one like I do I suppose it is even more obvious) I do like the narrative voice of this one, it sounds like a book to cosy down into and enjoy.

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    1. I like the voice as well and yes, it's funny how we do associate some names with something from our past.

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  6. I like how the narrator introduces himself in that first paragraph. I'd like to read more.

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  7. I like this opening too. I must admit that the name Donald makes me think of a cartoon duck rather than the Scottish king. The cover is very eye-catching!

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    1. Totally agree with "duck" versus "king" when you think of name Donald.

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  8. I like this intro - there is humour too it, though having read the blurb I think it will be more than a humorous story. I'd keep reading.

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  9. Not my usual genre but it's an interesting intro.

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  10. I don't like going to the dentist, so this book may not be for me!

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  11. I really like the excerpt! I would keep reading. Enjoy!

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  12. I really like the voice in this one, so I say keep reading. This is new to me, but I really think it's one I'd enjoy.

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  13. Yes, keep reading! I first heard about this one during the fall bloggers preview event.

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  14. Yes I would keep reading. I have seen this book on several blogs and lists. And I have always heard of Margot Livesey but have never read her.

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