The Ballad of Peckham Rye, by Muriel Spark (first published 1960). This is the book's first sentence:
"Get away from here, you dirty swine," she said.
About the Book:
A man of devilish charm and enterprising spirit, Dougal Douglas is employed to revitalize the ailing firm of Meadows, Meade & Grindley. He succeeds, but not quite in the way his employer intended. Strange things begin to happen as Dougal exerts an uncanny influence on the inhabitants of Peckham Rye and brings lies, tears, blackmail and even murder into the lives of all he meets.Initial Thoughts:
I think that's a pretty neat opening. And if it's Dougal Douglas who's the dirty swine, I think I like him already.
I've had this book on my TBR list for decades now, and finally decided to read it for the Read Scotland Challenge over at GoodReads. Muriel Spark is one of my favorite writers, and I'm determined to read all her novels, eventually. This one is pretty short, so I'm hoping to get a review up in a day or two. Unless, of course, real life gets in the way.
Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday. As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc. It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.
Oh, it's been ages since I read any Spark! I'll have to do some digging and see about changing that :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Muriel Spark in a long while...and this one wasn't one of the ones I read. It sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteHere's mine: “HEARTBREAK HOTEL”