Week 6 – And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Last year on Mondays we had fun with books. This year, we'll look at most of the same books but also some new ones, and see if the first line [or first paragraph] met the goal of a first line which is ==> to hook the reader's attention.

Here are some tips on writing a first line

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-the-opening-line-of-your-novel

Week 6 – And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

https://www.agathachristie.com/stories/and-then-there-were-none

First published: November 6, 1939

Here's what the story is about: Eight people are invited to a small, isolated island off the coast of England. A framed copy of the rhyme Ten Little Indians hangs in every guest's room, and ten figurines sit on the dining table. After dinner, a recording accuses each visitor, along with the butler and the housekeeper, of having committed murder. Then, following the lines of the rhyme, the guests are killed one by one until none remain.

First line/paragraph: In the corner of a first-class smoking carriage, Mr. Justice Wargrave, lately retired from the bench, puffed at a cigar and ran an interested eye through the political news in the Times.

This story starts with introduction of one character, a retired judge. He's on a train smoking and reading the political section of the newspaper. We also have the POV [third person or omniscient]. Based on this information, we can form a preliminary opinion of who this character is, and we probably wonder where he's traveling to. The story starts “in media res”, unlike many stories of the time.

Does this first line/paragraph hook your attention? If you had never heard of this story, would you buy this story in 2024? Knowing the story, would you change the first line? Tell us in the comments!