Famous First and Last Lines

“They shoot the white girl first”

            This quote appears as the first phrase in Paradise, a novel written in 1997 by Toni Morrison. Born as Chloe Ardelia Wofford in 1931 she is now 84 years old and still works as a professor and active writer. According to the author, Paradise is the third and final book in a series that includes the Beloved and Jazz, also written by Morrison. The book takes place in Ruby, Oklahoma and follows a quarrel between a group of men and women. Each chapter follows a different character from the book and includes flashbacks of important moments in the town’s history.

            I’m not very interested in reading this book. Although she has received many awards and the book is highly praised by many people, it does not spark my interest. Many books that shift perspective after each chapter leave it hard for me to stay involved in the book.

“After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain.”

          This quote appears at the end of A Farewell to Arms, a book written in 1929 by Ernest Hemingway. Regarded as one of the greatest American authors of all time, Hemingway has greatly influenced the fiction genre. He was born in 1899 and died in Ketchum, Idaho in 1961. The books follows an American ambulance driver named Fredric Henry. While working in the Italian army he meets a girl named Catherine Barkley. They start a love affair together and the book follows these characters throughout their experiences during WWI.

                I would considered reading this book. I have read several Ernest Hemingway books in the past and I have always enjoyed his writing style.