Famous First and Last Lines

Famous First Line

"Of all the things that drive men to sea, the most common disaster, I've come to learn, is women."

The author of Middle Passage is Charles R. Johnson. He was born on April 23, 1948. Johnson is an African American author with multiple awards. He went to  Stony Brook University Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Middle Passage was published in 1990.

This book follows the story of Rutherford Calhoun, a freed slave in America. He boards a ship as a stowaway to avoid being forced into a marriage. The ship, called the Republic is an illegal slave ship headed towards Africa. He is discovered and made to work on the ship, and is fully exposed to the hardships of slave life. Calhoun becomes humbled by his experiences with the captured African slaves and learns many lessons. By the end, the Republic is falling apart and only five people survive to be rescued. Calhoun eventually makes peace with his life and his internal conflicts.

I'm not entirely sure whether or not I'd enjoy reading this book. I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, especially if it's based on modern history. However, despite my general aversion to historical novels, this book sounds intriguing and I'd be willing to give it a try. The plot line seems very interesting, and the mystical touch of the alleged Allmuseri god is appealing to me.

Famous Last Line

"He was soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance."

This is the last line of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, published in 1818. Shelly was an English novelist. She was born on August 30, 1797, and died on February 1, 1851.

This novel is an example of Gothic literature. A monster, created by Dr. Frankenstein, is shunned by society and even his maker. He yearns for nothing more than to be accepted, and when this desire goes unrealized, he becomes a murderer, killing his maker's loved ones one by one.

I read this book at the beginning of this year for my AP English Literature class. I did not particularly enjoy reading it. I don't find Gothic literature appealing. However, the ideas and themes within the book were interesting, and I immensely enjoyed discussing them in class. The only roadblock for me was the writing style. However, definitely worth the read.