Thursday, August 19, 2010

Book Beginnings on Friday

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read and make sure you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. If you like, share the reason you do or do not like the sentence. Go to the link (clickable at the beginning of this post) and add yourself to the list.

Here's mine from Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser:

"The winter of 1541 was marked by tempestuous weather throughout the British Isles: in the north, on the borders of Scotland and England, there were heavy snow-falls in December and frost so savage that by January the ships were frozen into the harbour at Newcastle."

I both do and do not like this sentence. Quite frankly, I think there must have been a more relevant way to start this biography of Mary, Queen of Scots. But I love the imagery of the "ships frozen into the the harbor" (with my American spelling)....

3 comments:

Rebecca Chapman said...

I get what you mean about there being a more relevant way to start, but I can't help but like that opener anyway. It is setting the scene, if not the story

Tales of Whimsy said...

Ooo I love how it sets the scene.

Here is my BBF :)

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

The imagery is beautiful...but yes, wouldn't we expect something more dramatic? But then, perhaps the weather is a big deal. It certainly can become an obstacle.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's mine:

http://laurelrainsnowswonderland.wordpress.com/2010/08/20/friday-memes-56-and-book-beginnings/