Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Tuesday Intros: Embers by Sandor Marai

 
Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where  participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.  Today's selection is from Embers Sandor Marai's beautiful and elegiac novel I am rereading for our First Sunday book group.





 

"In the morning, the old general spent a considerable time in the wine cellars with his winegrower inspecting two casks of wine that had begun to ferment.  He had gone there at first light, and it was past eleven o'clock before he had finished drawing off the wine and returned home.  Between the columns of the veranda, which exuded a musty smell from its damp flagstones, his gamekeeper was standing waiting for him, holding a letter."

14 comments:

gautami tripathy said...

This sounds good to me...

Here is my post

James said...

Thanks for your comment. The opening provides a glimpse of the aura that exudes from every page of this novel.

Literary Feline said...

The opening has me curious enough to want to know more. I like the attention to detail.

James said...

Thanks for your observation. The detail is very important in Marai's novel.

kayerj said...

sounds enchanting. kelley—the road goes ever ever on

James said...

Kelley,
Thanks. Enchanting is a good word to use in describing this dramatic novel.

JoAnn said...

Very atmospheric - wine cellars, musty smells, columns on the veranda, plus the intrigue of a letter. I already want more! Hope you are enjoying this novel.

James said...

JoAnn,
Thanks for your recognition of some important markers. The letter begins the suspense.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

I like that James, hope the rest is good as well ---enjoy and thanks for joining us.

Margot said...

That first paragraph drew me right in. I'd like to see that vineyard and also know what's in the letter.

This is my first time visiting your blog. I especially like your Marcel Proust quote.

James said...

Diane,
Thanks for the encouragement.

James said...

Margot,
Glad you like the Proust quote - great writers are great readers.

Brian Joseph said...

Nice beginning. perhaps it is my automatic interest when I hear about the crafting of food or beverages but this grabs me.

James said...

It is a mesmerizing novel about two friends with a past that is slowly unveiled as they meet with each other for the first time in more than four decades. Highly recommended.