Without further ado, here's the opening line from Hemingway's "Death in the Afternoon":
"At the first bullfight I ever went to I expected to be horrified and perhaps sickened by what I had been told would happen to the horses."
This opening line has everything that Hemingway intended. You feel that you don't really want to know what is going to happen to the horses, because you can pretty much guess. That said, you still kind of want to know and it makes you want to read on. Another example of Hemingway playing with you right away. A strong literary technique to open a book, in my opinion. What do you think?
8 comments:
That's probably the most powerful opening line I've ever heard. It can open the doors to so many stories: personal strife, sacrifice, power...This is going on the TBR list...thanks!
Interesting sentence -- I'd wonder why he wasn't concerned about what would happen to the bulls.
Just hopping by to say hello! I am following and can’t wait to read more from your blog. Here is my blog
Teacher/Learner,
So far, I'm not all that impressed with the work. It is definitely well written (and with a unique eye), but I had no idea I was setting myself up to read work of non-fiction.
It's not as quieting to me as Hemingway's fictional work... which seems to silence my everyday world and replace it with wonder and simplicity.
It is a strong opening but I'm not sure I would want to read on.
Blog-hopping by to visit and follow. A great opener--Hemingway always seemed to do a lot with a very few plainspoken words. I was more into Faulkner--lots of extra artistic (and Southern) language usage. :-)
http://tigersallconsumingbooks.blogspot.com
hi, im anew follower through the hop. have a great weekend!
booksarelikepeople.blogspot.com
I think that is the best opening line I have read this week, and for many weeks.
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