Tuesday, 27 January 2009

TWO SENTENCE TUESDAY

The first sentence is from The Maltese Falcon:

"Samual Spade's jaw was long and bony, his chin a jutting v under the more flexible v of his mouth. His nostrils curved back to make another, smaller v. His yellow-grey eyes were horizontal. The v motif was picked up again by thickish brows rising outward from twin creases above a hooked nose, and his pale brown hair grew down - from high flat temples-in a point on his forehead. He looked rather pleasantly like a blond satan."

I love that sentence - it's all description but the punch line makes it so emotive. After that description you know this guy could be nasty.


My own sentence below is from a short story I am currently working on and hope to offer to a webzine.

It's a very dark piece by my standards.


"Of Course he knew that killing and then consuming one's wife was frowned upon in polite society; indeed in the eyes of the law it was positively forbidden and could bring grave consequences. But all the same, he thought of maybe adding a little seasoning, as he chomped down on another finger."

8 comments:

pattinase (abbott) said...

Yikes. I want to see the rest of that story.

Scott D. Parker said...

Friggin' A! That's a whopper (or is it a double whopper?). I get the impression of buffalo wings and sauce... Gruesomely yummy!

Barrie said...

Okay. That does sound dark!

Barrie said...

Hey, could you email me? I want to send out a remainder email for The Book Review Club. Our first of our monthly reviews to go up Feb 4. My email: barrie.summy@gmail.com

I think you were a maybe, but I didn't want to leave you off the email. :)

Charles Gramlich said...

I just finished reading the Maltese falcon. Great book. Some of the most interesting writing and characterization I've seen,

Danny-K said...

Hey! That's five sentences. (Maltese Falcon).

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

Danny - yeah I know but who could split it?

David Cranmer said...

I missed these lines earlier this week. And damn your two lines are kicking!