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As he ate the dog…
Author: Simon Sellars • Jan 31st, 2006 •Category: Ballardosphere, urban decay
LitLine, a ‘website for the Independant Literary Community’, has published its list of the 100 Best First Lines from Novels. Coming in at No. 1 is “Call me Ishmael” (Herman Melville, Moby Dick, 1851). Then, at No. 81 they have “Vaughan died yesterday in his last car crash” (J. G. Ballard, Crash, 1973).
A fine choice at no. 81, then, although I, like Will Self, would have preferred the opening line of Ballard’s High-Rise, preferably at No. 1: “Later, as he sat on the balcony eating the dog, Dr Robert Laing reflected on the unusual events that had taken place within this huge apartment building during the previous three months”.
Nothing beats it for totally disorienating (near)future-shock value.
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