This week my choice for a great first line is from The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
“The man billed as Prospero the Enchanter receives a fair amount of correspondence via the theater office, but this is the first envelope addressed to him that contains a suicide note, and it is also the first to arrive carefully pinned to the coat of a five-year-old girl.”
My mother-in-law and I always found common ground when talking about books. My husband, son and I looked forward to our monthly visits with the in-laws and a special part of this time together was sharing our latest bookstore finds. Early last year I happily brought my copy of The Night Circus and after dinner Lennie and I had a great conversation about Erin Morgenstern’s artfully crafted sentences and her ability to create fantastic visual pictures with words.
No one thought this would be last book Lennie finished before her passing in February 2012.
Her book collection came to me and I am always ready to share her favorites with anyone who will listen. In contrast to his mother’s love of fantasy, spy and adventure novels my husband’s reading tastes usually lean toward online articles and stacks of magazine. While he has a few favorite fiction authors he generally prefers to spend his reading time with something shorter than a full length book. This summer, his need to feel a connection to his mother led him to begin The Night Circus. He read it cover to cover in record time and this story now holds a special place in his heart.
I hope someone new decides to pick it up today.
I would love to hear your thoughts and first impressions. Does this opening line from The Night Circus catch your attention? Does it make you want to read more or set it down. What are some of your favorite first lines?
I can only say that I was thrilled that the rest of Morgenstern’s book lived up to the promise of these first lines. I like your First-line approach.
Thanks! I am having fun remembering my favorite first lines and am glad you like them too.
I loved this book! I could almost taste and smell the unique circus environment and wanted to be there. I don’t often wish books could become movies, but this one would be great. However, I think it would be difficult to truly capture the magic of the Night Circus. (I like your first line idea.)
You’re right, this would be a beautiful movie if done correctly! I’m glad you like the first line idea, I wanted to try something a little different but still keep it interesting.
I really hope they make movie on this. It’s a visual spectacle in words. Hope it delivers the same on screen.
I would love to see this story as a movie too and hope a director can capture her beautiful descriptions.
Apparently, David Heyman producer of the Harry Potter series had bought the rights a year back. Haven’t heard anything after that.
Well that is a good start! I will cross my fingers and hope for the best.