First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday is hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea – it’s a weekly meme where you share the first paragraph (or two) from a book you are considering reading.
Last year I mentioned my slightly OCD need to round-out my list of book reviews alphabetically. To date I’ve filled in the pesky X, Y and Z spots on my list and now only two spaces remain – Q and U. The letter U will be filled by some John Updike. In the meantime, I’m considering One True Thing by Anna Quindlen for the letter Q. It begins with this –
“Jail is not as bad as you might imagine. When I say jail, I don’t mean prison. Prison is the kind of place you see in old movies or public television documentaries, those enormous gray places with guard towers at each corner and curly strips of razor wire going round and round like a loop-the-loop atop the high fence. Prison is where they hit the bars with metal spoons, plan insurrection in the yard, take the smallest boy – the one in on a first offense – into the shower room, while the guards pretend not to look and leave him to find his own way out, blood trickling palely, crimson mixed with milky white, down the back of his hairless thighs, the shadows at the back of his eyes changed forever.”
Fairly gritty, don’t you think?
Yes, I think it might be to gritty for me.
I love Anna Quindlen, but I like her nonfiction more than her fiction.
I’m playing today here.
I haven’t read anything of hers but this one jumped out at me when I was looking through reviews on Goodreads.
I read this some time ago and liked it – good intro too. Enjoy and thanks for joining us.
Gruesome but factual I suppose. Strong intro.
I like Anna Quindlen…but this graphic intro gives me pause.
Here’s my Tuesday intro: http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2013/08/first-chapter-first-paragraph-27-and.html
I read this one a long time ago, but I always enjoy Quindlen. I don’t remember this passage at all….but I would keep reading because of the author.
Here’s MY TUESDAY MEMES POST
The passage is part of the prologue which may be why it seems disconnected from the story you remember. Good to hear I have a great read ahead with Quindlen.
If Diane and Laurel-Rain liked it, it must be ok to continue. It is a rather graphic intro. Guess I would have to check it out at the library, then I could always give up on it.
I like putting my trust in other readers too!
Anna Quindlen is a favorite! I read this one years ago.
hmmm . . . I think I would pass on this one. Enjoy your book.
This one sounds really good. I’ve heard so many great things about this author.