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Friday, May 4, 2012

Book Beginnings: A Coffin for Dimitrios

Book Beginnings on Fridays is a meme with this theme: Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Visit the post at Rose City Reader and viewing the other links and get a glimpse of books you may not be familiar with.



The first two sentences in the book I am currently reading are:
A Frenchman named Chamfort, who should have known better, once said that chance was a nickname for Providence.

It is one of those convenient, question-begging aphorisms coined to discredit the unpleasant truth that chance plays an important, if not predominant, part in human affairs.
The book is A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler.

I am only a few pages into the book, but I already know I will like it. I don't think this is the first time I read this book or this author, but if I did read it, I was very young. So it will be a new experience.

The book cover pictured is not the one I have. I am reading the book in a Quality Paperback Book Club edition that combines it with two other books by Ambler, Journey into Fear and The Light of Day. But I would love to have that copy. I collect vintage paperbacks.

The excerpt above reminds me of a quote from an Astaire and Rogers film (The Gay Divorcee): 
Chance is the fool's name for fate.
I enjoy both vintage mysteries and vintage movies.
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3 comments:

  1. KristinMay 5, 2012 at 4:14 AM

    I'm not familiar with this book or author...hope you are enjoying it.

    Here's my Book Beginnings post.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gilion at Rose City ReaderMay 5, 2012 at 3:16 PM

    This is the second time I've come across this book recently. I am definitely adding it to my wish list because I am on a tear with vintage mysteries.

    Thanks for posting the opening lines on Book Beginnings.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Peggy AnnMay 10, 2012 at 6:08 AM

    Yippee a new vintage author for me!

    ReplyDelete

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