"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Friday Quotes: La Belle Sauvage

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City ReaderShare the opening quote from the book.
Th
e Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's VoiceFind a quote from page 56.

Check out the links for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Participants don't select their favorite, coolest, or most intellectual books, they just use the one they are currently reading. This is the book I'm reading right now---


Title: The Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust #1) by Philip Pullman

Book Beginnings:
Three miles up the river Thames from the center of Oxford, some distance from where the great colleges of Jordan, Gabriel, Balliol, and two dozen others contended for mastery in the boat races, out where the city was only a collection of towers and spires in the distance over the misty levels of Port Meadow, there stood the Priory of Godstow, where the gentle nuns went about their holy business; and on the opposite bank from the priory there was an inn called the Trout.
Friday 56:
'I see,' said Coram. 'And what did the prophecy say? Did you happen to overhear?''No, alas. I believe it was simply that the child was of supreme importance in some way. That is what I heard.'
Comments: I just picked up this book from the library yesterday and have only read the first three pages so far. I have heard good things about it and I look forward to getting to it when I return from China in ten days. Hopefully I will have time to finish it before it is due once I return from my trip.

The opening sentence cracks me up not because it is funny but because it is so long. And the 56th page quote makes me wonder if this book is related somehow to Pullman;s wonderful series: His Dark Materials (The Golden Compass). Does anyone know?

13 comments:

  1. This looks great! I've not read it either. That opening sentence IS really long! And it does sound rather like they're mentioning The Golden Compass...

    Have a wonderful reading weekend, full of books, Anne! x

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  2. Wonderful 56 and beginning! I've been wanting to read this, but as it is a prequel of sorts to His Dark Materials I want to reread the trilogy first. I hope you enjoy The Book of Dust.

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  3. I've heard good things about this one as well and I love the cover. Hopefully it'll be a fast read so you can zip through it when you get back. Have a wonderful trip!

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  4. Interesting cover. Enjoy your trip.
    sherry @ fundinmental Friday Memes

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  5. This one sounds fascinating. Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

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  6. You have got me curious for more!! :-) Happy weekend!

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  7. Despite the long first sentence, I think I would enjoy this one. This week I am featuring Unholy City by Carrie Smith. Happy reading!

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  8. This sounds very interesting! Thanks for sharing! :)

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  9. I haven't read anything by this author, but I hear wonderful things about his stories. I hope you are enjoying your trip!

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  10. Hi Anne,

    Despite that dramatic cover art and alluring premise, this definitely isn't a book for me.

    However, as I used to live quite close to the area Philip describes in the book, I just had to check out Godstow Priory, as I have never come across the name before. I obviously just didn't get out to the right places at the time, as Godstow is very much a real place and the Abbey ruins are still quite in evidence ..

    http://www.britainexpress.com/cities/oxford/godstow-abbey.htm

    I too, don't mind the lengthy opening sentence, as I seem to find my own sentences stretching out on occasion, if I can't find a natural break to end one and begin another.

    Enjoy the book and your Chinese trip :)

    Yvonne

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  11. Yes, it's a prequel. Lyra is a baby in this one.

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  12. One of these days, I'll read Pullman! :)

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  13. I don't know if you got my other comment, but yes, it's a prequel. Lyra is a baby in this one; she is the main character of the Golden Compass.

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