The 10 best first lines in fiction. The 10 best first lines in fiction. Ulysses (1922)âStately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.â This is the classic third-person opening to the 20th-century novel that has shaped modern fiction, pro and anti, for almost a hundred years.
On the sign-in desk, however, was another announcement. This one detailed the funeral arrangements of the assistant supervisor of this shelter. His name was Ray Felix, and he died of a heart attack at age 60 on Sunday. It is curious that his life and death, and the life of Patrick Ewing should be juxtaposed here.
Abby is weary of turning a blind eye to Ray's philandering and the unusual demands of his job, and she tries everything she can think of to achieve happiness. Ray's wife Abby enjoys the spoils of Ray's success in LA but maintains a deep sense of commitment to her family. She desperately wants to get out of the Valley and into the neighborhoods, social circles, and schools of the true Hollywood elite, even though this South Boston woman often feels out of her league.