The precursor
Years before I imagined any of the Geekery series books there was, apparently, an ancestor. I don’t have it anymore, it was a gift for a friend (or, more precisely, sold to a friend who gave it to another friend.) Compared to my current bindings, it is primitive. Another ancestral trait. And ever since my mind made the connection, I can’t stop thinking of that first one. So, I have decided to make another one. The book in question was a lovely little conception; the covers featured some of my favorite opening lines from memorable novels. Some quite famous, like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice,
and others more obscure. Not all were classics, nor necessarily polite or suitable for children. All were left without sources or annotation, leaving the observer to discover, divine, remember, or research the origins. A game, a quiz, a puzzle, a point of pride, or just a reason to waste some time on Google. If memory serves there were about twenty odd opening sentences on the covers. My graphic design was a bit crude, as was my bibliopegy compared to what I’m doing now. I can promise that my binding skills have evolved significantly since I made the original “Opening Lines” book… I’m afraid I won’t make that same promise regarding my graphic design. But I will give it a try. And this time with more first sentences.
The friend who was the final recipient of the book is quite a writer himself, Adam Hunault. Someday I might be adding one of his opening lines to my “Opening Lines 4.0” book or something. You can check his out blog. Or perhaps you’ve already read some of his short stories or plays. Hey Adam, if you’re reading this, have you figured out all the opening lines yet? When he and I last spoke of it, I believe he knew almost all of them within the first few days of receiving it, but was stumped on a couple. And he didn’t seem keen on figuring them out simply by Googling them.
So, my next book, coming soon… “Opening Lines 2.0”
(Unfortunately, I actually can’t find any photos of the original Opening Lines books… I’ll keep looking and post any I find.)
