Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader. Every Friday, we share the first sentence (or more) of the book we are currently reading. Be sure to share your initial thoughts and impressions!
Here's mine:
"The litigation had seemed interminable and had in face been complicated; but by the decision on the appeal to the judgement of the divorce-court was confirmed as to the assignment of the child. The father, who, though bespattered from head to foot, had made good his case, was in pursuance of this triumph, appointed to keep her: it was not so much that the mother's character had been more absolutely damaged as that the brilliancy of a lady's complexion (and this lady's, in court, was immensely remarked) might be more regarded as showing the spots."
What Maisie Knew by Henry James
These first two sentences really set the stage for the novel. It shows the character of Maisie's parents. Further, it sets up the reader to see Maisie put in the middle of a power struggle between the divorcees. Aside from disgust I felt and compassion for Maisie, I didn't have any impressions when I originally read the first sentences.
Wow, I like the sound of this one! Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a complicated start. Thanks for visiting.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the court's choice is the better of the two? The descriptions in these first sentences caused me to ponder this. How are you enjoying this novel so far?
ReplyDeleteBook Beginnings on My Bookshelf
Not giving anything away (in the next few sentences, the author states this), the court decides that Maisie needs to split her time between the two parents. Half of the year is spend with her mother, and the other half is with her father.
DeleteI am actually enjoying the novel! It is a rather hard book to read. I find myself vacillating between bouts of rage focused towards Maisie's parents and tears of compassion for the child. However, being a Henry James novel, it is rather dense and hard to just read in a sitting. I have been working on this for about two weeks and am about a hundred pages from the end.