Helena Halme Author

Nordic Fiction with a hint of Noir and Romance

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Book Beginnings on Fridays: House of Silence by Linda Gillard

October 4, 2013 by Helena Halme 11 Comments

I found Book Beginnings through a site called Jaffa Reads Too. It’s is a kind of a linked Round Robin, sharing the first chapters of the book that you are currently reading. This clever idea is hosted by Rose City Reader.

This is how Book Beginnings on Fridays works in the words of Rose:

Please join me every Friday to 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. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

There is a a Mr Linky on Rose’s site where you can add your Friday Book Beginnings post onto the thread. You can also share this post (or/and your own) on Twitter with the hashtag  #BookBeginnings.

Book Beginnings on Friday really appeals to me because I’m a great believer in the first chapter of any book being a taste of what’s to to come. It’s a contract that the author makes with the reader.

‘This is how the story is going to be; this is the style, setting and flavour of the novel’  

I’m averaging a book a week at the moment, so it makes great sense to share the beginning of the novel I’m reading each Friday.
My first book is House of Silence by Linda Gillard. This is how the novel starts:

A Beginning

Chapter One


Gwen

I used to wonder if Alfie chose me because I was an orphan and an only child. Was that part of the attraction? I came unencumbered, with no family.

We were kindred spirits in a way. Detached, self-centred , yet both obsessed with the past. Our past. The difference was, I had no family and Alfie did. He had a family – a large one – but mostly he behaved as if he didn’t, as if he wanted no part of them, however much they might want a piece of him.

I love this kind of retrospective beginning to a novel. The protagonist is writing about something which she has already experienced, but which still affects her deeply. From reading the blurb, I know this book is about Gwen’s boyfriend’s unusual family and their ramshackle Georgian home, which hides secrets that everyone, but most of all Alfie, want to forget. Even without knowing what the central story is, the reader will know from these first two paragraphs that this is a book about a troubled relationship, about a troubled past and about a troubled family. There’s a darkness to the words, such as ‘orphan’, ‘obsessed’ ‘past’ and ‘kindred spirits’. I cannot wait to read on!

House of Silence 
by Linda Gillard
Amazon Kindle edition £1.98
Paperback copy £6.19

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Comments

  1. Tea norman says

    October 4, 2013 at 3:40 pm

    Beautiful writing, a "piece" of him caught my eye. Perhaps, he has good reason to run from them. I love the title.

    Reply
  2. Helena Halme says

    October 4, 2013 at 3:41 pm

    I agree, the writing is excellent. That 'piece of him' caught my eye too.

    Reply
  3. Helena Halme says

    October 4, 2013 at 3:41 pm

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    Reply
  4. Elizabeth says

    October 4, 2013 at 9:22 pm

    Beautifully written. ENJOY!!

    Nice blog.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Book Beginnings

    Reply
  5. Gilion Dumas says

    October 5, 2013 at 7:50 am

    Thanks for taking part in Book Beginnings! Welcome!

    I am glad to find your blog. And I am following you on Twitter now. I'll go look up your book — I like the cover a lot.

    Reply
  6. Linda Gillard says

    October 5, 2013 at 11:25 am

    Thanks, Helena, for featuring my novel HOUSE OF SILENCE. I spent *such* a long time crafting that opening page. I was pleased to hear someone appreciated it. 😉

    Reply
  7. Helena Halme says

    October 5, 2013 at 11:27 am

    Thanks Elizabeth and Gillion, this is just my kind of fun!

    Linda, it's my pleasure!

    Hx

    Reply
  8. jaffareadstoo..... says

    October 5, 2013 at 11:29 am

    Beautiful book – Linda Gillard is one of my favourite authors.
    Have fun with Friday Book Beginings !!

    Reply
  9. JC Jones says

    October 5, 2013 at 11:29 am

    That opening goes with the title. Here is my post: Book Beginning at Mixed Book Bag

    Reply
  10. Joanne Phillips says

    October 6, 2013 at 2:37 pm

    Hi Helena,
    I love House of Silence too – Linda is one of my two favourite authors! – and this beginning is brilliant. What a great idea for a blog post – I'm going to join in 🙂
    Jo

    Reply
  11. Helena Halme says

    October 6, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    Jo, It is a brilliant idea, isn't? I look forward to seeing your Book Beginnings on Friday post!
    Hx

    Reply

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