Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Tuesday Intros

An Opening Lines meme hosted by Diane at Bibliophile By The Sea.




This week I'm all into Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. And let me tell you, I almost didn't keep going after the opening lines because it just went on and on and on for pages and pages about this silly play the characters were acting in instead of just getting on with the story. It's like the book starts out with a tangent, and how annoying is that!? And then, using the word 'raspingly' to describe moving a ladder? Please.

Anyway, I did keep reading and, wow, this is a really good story! The characters and their relationships are so interesting and I've actually grown quite fond of his writing style. Funny how things can turn around like that.

"The final dying sounds of their dress rehearsal left the Laurel Players with nothing to do but stand there, silent and helpless, blinking out over the footlights of an empty auditorium. They hardly dared to breathe as the short, solemn figure of their director emerged from the naked seats to join them on stage, as he pulled a stepladder raspingly from the wings and climbed halfway up its rungs to turn and tell them, with several clearings of his throat, that they were a damned talented group of people to work with."

6 comments:

BookQuoter said...

I read this a while ago, perhaps, it is time to reread it. Thanks.

Martha@Hey, I want to read that said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I haven't read this one but I have Northwest Corner, which is the sequel, to read. I hope your didn't have to read the first to read the second. But I should read the first soon.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

I loved this book, and well I loved Yate's writing period.

Martha...Northwest Corner is by Robert Schwartz, not Yates (he's another author I do enjoy).

Trish said...

bookquoter - I'm glad to hear it's good enough for a reread!

martha & diane - Robert Schwartz? Well now I'll have to look out for him too.

Tracy said...

Actually, this intro would make me want to read more, Trish.

Trish said...

tracy - yes it did pull me in at first, but after several pages of nothing but this play I was ready to move on. Thankfully it didn't take too much longer for the actual story to get under way.