More on "It was a dark and stormy night"
Dates: 1/11/01,6:57 PM through 1/17/01,1:13 PM (9 postings)
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More on "It was a dark and stormy night"
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FROM: "Theresa L. Anderson" <[removed]@boulder.lib.co.us>
REC'D: 1/11/01, 6:57 PM
It seems a bit silly to me that I don't know this but is there really a novel out there that actually opens with the line, "It was a dark a stormy night...."? If so can someone please tell me what it is? A patron came in asking about it.
I remember there once was a discussion about famous opening lines but I believe it occurred in January of 2000 which predates the new FictionL archives (March 2000). I'm not sure this particular line was even mentioned.
Thanks in advance,
Tessa
Theresa Anderson
Boulder Public Library
Boulder, CO
[removed]@boulder.lib.co.us
FROM: "Pattie Piotrowski" <[removed]@iit.edu>
REC'D: 1/11/01, 7:13 PM
It was a dark and stormy night and the rain fell in torrents - except at
occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which
swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling
along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps
that struggled against the darkness.
Read the opening chapter at www.bulwer-lytton.com/clifford.htm
Pattie Piotrowski
-----Original Message-----
From: [removed]@maillist.webrary.org
[[removed]@maillist.webrary.org]On Behalf Of Theresa L. Anderson
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2001 6:52 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: opening line
Hi all,
It seems a bit silly to me that I don't know this but is there really a
novel out there that actually opens with the line, "It was a dark a stormy
night...."? If so can someone please tell me what it is? A patron came in
asking about it.
I remember there once was a discussion about famous opening lines but I
believe it occurred in January of 2000 which predates the new FictionL
archives (March 2000). I'm not sure this particular line was even
mentioned.
Thanks in advance,
Tessa
Theresa Anderson
Boulder Public Library
Boulder, CO
[removed]@boulder.lib.co.us
FROM: Vicki Biehl <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 1/11/01, 7:17 PM
Edward Bulwer-Lytton was an author famous for writing
badly, so much so that now there is a contest in his
name which annually chooses the WORST opening sentence
(unpublished) submitted that year. For examples see:
http://www.wap.org/ifaq/society/bulwerlytton.html
In any case, the opening "It was a dark and stormy
night" is attributed to this author's 1830 novel Paul
Clifford. Snoopy, of course, had much more fun with it
over the years.
Vicki Biehl
Pearl River Public Library
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FROM: Claudia C Breland <[removed]@juno.com>
REC'D: 1/12/01, 12:05 AM
Claudia Breland
King County Library System
Seattle, WA
[removed]@juno.com
> Hi all,
>
> It seems a bit silly to me that I don't know this but is there really
a
> novel out there that actually opens with the line, "It was a dark and
stormy
> night...."? If so can someone please tell me what it is? A patron
came in
> asking about it.
> I remember there once was a discussion about famous opening lines
> but I believe it occurred in January of 2000 which predates the new
> FictionL archives (March 2000). I'm not sure this particular line was
even
> mentioned.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Tessa
>
>
> Theresa Anderson
> Boulder Public Library
> Boulder, CO
> [removed]@boulder.lib.co.us
>
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
FROM: [removed]@aol.com
REC'D: 1/12/01, 9:01 AM
<<
Hi all,
It seems a bit silly to me that I don't know this but is there really a
novel out there that actually opens with the line, "It was a dark a stormy
night...."? If so can someone please tell me what it is? A patron came in
asking about it.
I remember there once was a discussion about famous opening lines but I
believe it occurred in January of 2000 which predates the new FictionL
archives (March 2000). I'm not sure this particular line was even mentioned.
Thanks in advance,
Tessa
Theresa Anderson
Boulder Public Library
Boulder, CO
[removed]@boulder.lib.co.us
>>
According to the Bulwer-Lytton web site (see URL below), the source of the
quote is a minor novel by a minor novelist.
"It was a dark and stormy night . . . and the rain fell in torrents-- except
at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which
swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling
along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps
that struggled against the darkness."
--Paul Clifford (1830) (He's the novelilst)
For background on the quote and for more information, go to the website which
has great fun with such prose: <http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/>
They sponsor a contest every year, devoted to the creation of over-written
prose.
Binnie Syril Braunstein
Romance novelist/former librarian
FROM: "Deb Warner" <[removed]@co.durham.nc.us>
REC'D: 1/12/01, 2:37 PM
> In a message dated 1/11/2001 7:52:54 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> [removed]@boulder.lib.co.us writes:
>
> <<
> Hi all,
>
> It seems a bit silly to me that I don't know this but is there really a
> novel out there that actually opens with the line, "It was a dark a stormy
> night...."? If so can someone please tell me what it is? A patron came
in
> asking about it.
> I remember there once was a discussion about famous opening lines but I
> believe it occurred in January of 2000 which predates the new FictionL
> archives (March 2000). I'm not sure this particular line was even
mentioned.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Tessa
>
>
> Theresa Anderson
> Boulder Public Library
> Boulder, CO
> [removed]@boulder.lib.co.us
> >>
>
> According to the Bulwer-Lytton web site (see URL below), the source of the
> quote is a minor novel by a minor novelist.
>
> "It was a dark and stormy night . . . and the rain fell in torrents--
except
> at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind
which
> swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling
> along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps
> that struggled against the darkness."
>
> --Paul Clifford (1830) (He's the novelilst)
>
> For background on the quote and for more information, go to the website
which
> has great fun with such prose: <http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/>
>
> They sponsor a contest every year, devoted to the creation of over-written
> prose.
>
> Binnie Syril Braunstein
> Romance novelist/former librarian
>
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
FROM: [removed]@aol.com
REC'D: 1/12/01, 6:20 PM
FROM: Robin Harwood <[removed]@dupagels.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 1/13/01, 9:53 AM
-----Original Message-----
[removed]@aol.com [[removed]@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, January 12, 2001 6:18 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Re: opening line
I can't check right now, but I'm almost positive that "A Wrinkle in Time"
by
L'Engle begins with that line.
FROM: "Doxtator, Jan" <[removed]@uwsp.edu>
REC'D: 1/17/01, 1:13 PM
Jan Doxtator
Portage County Public Library
Stevens Point, WI 54481
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