Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Tuesday Intros -- The American Lover


Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the first paragraph of her current read. Anyone can join in. Go to Diane's website for the image and share the first paragraph of the current book you are reading.
This collection of short stories, The American Lover by Rose Tremain, has a first story that takes place in 1960s Paris, so, of course, I'm intrigued. But it doesn't start there.
All day long, lying on the sofa in the sitting room of her parents' London mansion flat, Beth hears the clunk of the elevator doors opening and closing.
Sometimes, she hears voices on the landing -- the people arriving or departing -- and then the long sigh of the elevator descending. She wishes there were no people, no elevator, no pain. She stares at the old-fashioned room. She stares at her crutches, propped up against a wing chair. In a few month's time she is going to be thirty. 
I don't know. Sounds kind of like first-world problems -- in her parents' mansion flat and she hates everything. I hope I enjoy the book and that the main character isn't a whiner. The cover is striking, but apparently it only came with the hardcover book.  
Looking forward to everyone else's books today.

6 comments:

Monica's Bookish Life said...

This opening doesn't really grab me, but I'd keep reading because I'm curious to see what's going on. And the story is set in Paris! The cover reminds me of Grace Kelly.

Sandra Nachlinger said...

I like the 1960s vibe of the book's cover, but the opening didn't especially make me want to keep reading. However, I do like short stories. I'll add this to my TBR list.
My Tuesday post features a classic: OF HUMAN BONDAGE.

Literary Feline said...

I actually like the intro quite a bit. She may be privileged, but that isn't something that bothers me. I can't help but wonder what's happened to make her feel the way she does.

Kay said...

That cover is gorgeous. I'd take a look for that reason alone. :-)

Girl Who Reads said...

It made me think of The Great Gatsby. Girl Who Reads

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

This has been on my wishlist, when the price gets cheap enough on Amazon I'll buy it LOL. I kinda like that intro too.

Cockadoodle Doo or Cocorico?

 We stood in the middle of the road, having walked together 13 miles that day and Claudine grasped my forearm. "Mais non! It doesn'...