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Isn't this a creepy-but-excellent opening paragraph to a book?


~ the opening to Shirley Jackson's "The Sundial"


After the funeral they came back to the house, now indisputably Mrs. Halloran's. They stood uneasily, without any certainty, in the large lovely entrance hall, and watched Mrs. Halloran go into the right wing of the house to let Mr. Halloran know that Lionel's last rites had gone off without melodrama. Young Mrs. Halloran, looking after her mother-in-law, said without hope, "Maybe she will drop dead on the doorstep. Fancy dear, would you like to see Granny drop dead on the doorstep?"
    "Yes, mother."

Posted - August 8, 2018

Responses


  • 5835
    Wow, that gets the cockles of my heart all cockley.
      August 8, 2018 2:21 PM MDT
    2

  • 22853
    That's a great description of the entire book for me! I've read it three times -- the book fascinates the hel* out of me!
    :)
      August 8, 2018 5:21 PM MDT
    1

  • 2052
    OOOO, I wanna see that. 
      August 9, 2018 6:08 AM MDT
    2

  • 22853
    Ha!
    :)
      August 9, 2018 11:30 AM MDT
    1

  • 22891
    sounds like it
      August 8, 2018 5:25 PM MDT
    1

  • 22853
    Agreed.

    :)
      August 8, 2018 5:43 PM MDT
    1

  • 5835
    A few years back I noticed that my eyes no longer focused on a printed page. I really want to hit CTRL-+ to make the print larger. That's when I stopped reading books. Most of my life I have read around 2,000 to 3,000 words per minute, and I get bored at any lower speed, so I just haven't done much reading for a long time, except websites. And the websites had better be either pretty good or pretty short.
      August 8, 2018 6:10 PM MDT
    2

  • 22853
    Hi Not Sure! I "liked" your answer but did not respond to it, sorry. It sounds to me that that would be potentially frustrating for you, about the reading, in general!
      August 15, 2018 11:37 AM MDT
    1

  • 1340
    Anything that gets people out of reading is a real bummer. Are e-books an option?
      August 15, 2018 11:47 AM MDT
    1

  • 16197
    He was a dark and stormy knight.
      August 8, 2018 6:16 PM MDT
    3

  • 22853
    Ha!
    :)
      August 8, 2018 6:17 PM MDT
    1

  • 2052
    ...who came to clean the pool.  hahahahaha
      August 9, 2018 6:09 AM MDT
    2

  • 10026
    While spraying rust-oleum all over his armor, (he didn't want to end up like the tin man) he noticed a small child in their pajamas lurking around the corner.....  
      August 9, 2018 7:28 PM MDT
    1

  • 10026
    Yes Welby.  That IS a very intriguing way to start a book.  Now I want to read it. :) :)
      August 9, 2018 7:29 PM MDT
    1

  • 22853
    I highly, highly recommend it! I've read it three times, the only book I've done that to. Each time was eye-opening. It's fiction. To me, Shirley Jackson is practically perfect in everything she writes.

    Image result for the sundial shirley jackson This post was edited by WelbyQuentin at August 10, 2018 5:45 PM MDT
      August 10, 2018 5:42 PM MDT
    1

  • 537
    That is a great beginning paragraph. It makes me want to put it on the reading list for my local book club.
      August 10, 2018 2:49 PM MDT
    1

  • 22853
    This is what I wrote to Merlin who had a similar response as you did ~

    I highly, highly recommend it! I've read it three times, the only book I've done that to. Each time was eye-opening. It's fiction. To me, Shirley Jackson is practically perfect in everything she writes.

    Image result for the sundial shirley jackson This post was edited by WelbyQuentin at August 10, 2018 5:45 PM MDT
      August 10, 2018 5:43 PM MDT
    1

  • 423
    Shirley Jackson is a favourite author of mine. A tragically early death.
      September 7, 2019 12:58 PM MDT
    0