Discussion: Hooked Right from the Start

[neonpossibilities]

I just started a book I had in my reading list for a while and this is the very first paragraph:

The monk heard that a ship had arrived carrying one of the dog-headed people whom travelers speak of when they tell tall tales of the one-eyed and the winged, and he went out to the docks to see if it was true. This is how he first laid eyes on the relic thief; this is how the voyage to steal the corpse of Saint Nicholas began.

The book is "Nicked" by M. T. Anderson and I was immediately sucked into the story!

Did you ever read a book that grabbed your interest right from the first few lines/chapter? Or, on the other hand, were there any books you found boring and uninteresting at the beginning that revealed their potential later on?

Comments

[silversea]

A weak beginning isn't completely detrimental to me, and I'm willing to keep reading, just much slower. That being said, if a book doesn't grab my interest by the 25-40% mark, I'll drop the book.

Gideon the Ninth's opening was rather memorable and hooked me in immediately. Gideon's narration is so distinctive and fun, setting up her character very well.

As much as I love The Spear Cuts Through Water, it admittedly took me a few attempts to get through the beginning. There's quite a lot of worldbuilding, the narration is different from what I'm used to, and I was preoccupied with other things when I first read it. I did like the beginning, it just demanded more attention than what I had at the time. When I finally came back and read it earlier this year, I was thrilled to love it.

Here's the thing though, I liked the beginning, I just recognized it wasn't the best time for me to read. If I didn't like the beginning, I don't think I would have bothered trying again at all.

[neonpossibilities]

Gideon definitely hooked me right up, mostly in a "WTF am I reading?" way. I just had to know what was going on!

I just recognized it wasn't the best time for me to read

I really feel that! There's a nonfiction book I've been wanting to read for a while, "Pigeons" by Andrew D. Blechman. I love animals and learning about them, so it seems like it would be the perfect book for me! Alas, I started it a month or two ago and my brain just would not let me enjoy it. In the end I gave up and shelved in for later. I know there will come a time when I'll enjoy this, but not right now.