That Scene...

[RudeDawg]

You know the one. You've been reading a book for the first time. You may love, or hate it, or may not be sure yet. Then, you read the scene.

The scene that grabs you. The scene that you remember after you put the book down. The scene that twists. The scene you will always remember.

The scene may be a line, a phrase, or a character's speech. It conveys an image that haunts you.

The scene may, or may not, define the book. It may be pivotal, it may be splurious. But the scene is so well written, it's vivid. It sticks. It haunts.

Every great book has many great images, but there is that one that means something to you. Great books have them, mediocre books have at least one, and, sometimes, one scene is all that saves a bad book.

Share the scenes. One per post. Feel free to repost, but let's let everyone play.



The LitDawg

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The RudeDawg
Known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes
and my girlfriends, Pamila and Pfil

[This message has been edited by RudeDawg (edited 05-16-2001).]

[RudeDawg]

OK, I'll start

Neuromancer by William Gibson

This is not my favorite book, far from it. I like this book. I re-read it, every once in awhile, if I'm in the mood. A dark mood. It's great, but it is not my favorite. But there is a scene...

The first time I read this, I was trying to get to the end of a chapter, so I could go to sleep. I was kind of bored, actually. I liked the story, and loved the concept. But, I didn't like the characters. I wasn't hooked.

At the end of part two, Case is getting ready to go with the crew to start the big operation against Wintermute, the Artificial Intelligence that is the enemy. He stops to buys some cigarettes from a vending machine. Then:

*quoting from Neuromancer:

He fumbled through a pocketful of lirasi, slotting the small dull alloy coins one after another, vaguely amused by the anachronism of the process. The phone nearest him rang.

Automatically, he picked it up.

"Yeah?"

Faint harmonics, tiny inaudible voices rattling across some orbital link, and then a sound like wind.

"Hello. Case."

A fifty-lirasi coin fell from his hand, bounced, and rolled out of sight across Hilton carpeting.

"Wintermute, Case. It's time we talk."

It was a chip voice.

"Don't you want to talk, Case?"

He hung up.

On his way back to the lobby, his cigarettes forgotten, he had to walk the length of the ranked phones. Each rang in turn, but only once, as he passed.

*end quote*

That scene replayed itself in my dreams, for many days afterwards. Sometmes, it does still. The final sentence in the chapter sent chills up my spine. Still does.

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The RudeDawg
Known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes
and my girlfriends, Pamila and Pfil

[This message has been edited by RudeDawg (edited 05-16-2001).]

[Throntar]

I've got a scene that I remember quite distinctly...it is from George R.R. Martin's recently released "Storm of Swords". However, if I relate it here, it will completely ruin the story for anyone who has not read it...

But, I know exactly what you mean in your original post!

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Now where did I leave that doughnut?!

[Aurican]

I'd not want to ruin the story for some that may have not read it but
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The scene where Drizzt confronts his undead father sent after him by his mother Matron Malice. That point that his father steals control for that pivotal moment to save his son. I thought that was awesome...

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Can an elf get a break anywhere these days?

[Axterix]

The description of the choir in Elric: Song of the Black Sword. In a single paragraph, that description sums up the whole of his people... the cruelty, the beauty, the perfection, the evil. Haven't read anything by any other author that sums up the whole of a race anywhere near as well. I'd love to see it put into a movie... but could any movie possibly do the scene and the music it would require justice?

I think it was probably the Ship of destiny Book by Robin hobb, The whole of that book really brings the trilogy together. And gives it a really fitting epic conclusion etc.they are one of the few fantasy books i've ever read that tryed to portray charecters realisticly with complex emotions etc.

And there are no Dirty old men pretending to be wizards.

[Tancred]

From T.H.White's 'The Once And Future King', of the healing of the cursed knight, Sir Urre, by 'the best knight of the world'.

'Lancelot had not hanged himself. He had broken his taboo, decieved his friend and king, returned to Guenevere, and murdered Sir Meliagrance in a wrong quarrel. Now he was ready to take his punishment. He went to the long avenue of knights who waited in the sun. By the very attempt to evade notice, he had brought upon himself the conspicuous place of Last. He walked down the curious ranks, ugly as ever, self-conscious, ashamed, a veteran about to be broken. Mordred and Agravaine grinned.
When Lancelot was kneeling in front of Urre, he said to King Arthur: 'Need I do this, after everyone has failed?'
'Of course you must do it. I command you.'
'If you command me, I must. But it would be presumptuous to try - after everybody. Could I not be let off?'
'You are taking it the wrong way, said the King. 'Of course it is not presumptuous to try. If you can't do it, nobody can.'
Sir Urre, weak by now, raised himself on one elbow.
'Please, he said. 'I came for you to do it.'
Lancelot had tears in his eyes.
'Oh, Sir Urre,' he said, 'if only I could help you, how willingly I would. But you don't understand, you don't understand.'
'For God's sake,' said Sir Urre.
Lancelot looked into the East, where he thought God lived, and said something in his mind. It was more or less like this: 'I don't want glory, but please can you save our honesty? And if you will heal this knight for the knight's sake, please do.'
And then he asked Sir Urre to show him the wound.

Guenevere, who was watching from the pavilion like a hawk, saw Lancelot kneel to Urre. Then she saw a movement in the people near, and a mutter came, and yells. Gentlemen began throwing their caps about, and shouting, and shaking hands. Arthur was crying the same words again and again, holding gruff Gawaine by the elbow and putting them into his ear. 'It shut like a box! It shut like a box!' Some elderly knights were dancing around, banging their shields together as if playing Pease Pudding Hot,and poking each other in the ribs. Many of the squires were laughing like madmen and slapping each other on the back. Sir Bors gave King Angwish of Ireland a kiss, who resented it. Sir Galahault, the Hault Prince, fell over his scabbard. Generous Sir Belleus, who had borne no grudge for having his liver cut open on that distant evening beside the pavilion of red sendal, was making a horrible noise by blowing on a grass blade held edgewise between his thumbs. Sir Bedivere, frightfully repentant ever since his visit to the Pope, was rattling some holy bones which he had brought home as a souvenir of his pilgrimage; they had written on them in curly letters, 'A Present From Rome'. Sir Bliant, remembering the gentle Wild Man Lancelot had once been, was embracing Sir Castor, who had never forgotten Lancelot's Knightly rebuke. Kind and sensitive Aglovale, the knight who had ended the Pellinore-Orkney feud, was exchanging hearty thumps with the young Gareth. Mordred and Agravaine scowelled. Sir Mador, red as a turkey cock, was making it up with Sir Pinel the poisoner, who had come back incognito. King Pelles was promising a new cloak all round, on him. The snowy-haired Uncle Gwenbors, so old as tro be almost fabulous, was trying to jump over his walking-stick. The tents were being let down, the banners waved. The cheers which now began, round after around, were like drum-fire or thunder, rolling around the turrets of Carlisle. All the field, and all the people in the field, and all the towers of the castle, seemed to be jumping up and down like the surface of a lake under rain.
In the middle, quite forgotten, her lover was kneeling by himself. This lonely and motionless figure knew a secret that was hidden from the others. The miracle was that he had been allowed to perform a miracle. 'And ever,' says Malory, 'Sir Lancelot wept, as he were a child that had been beaten.'

That's the end of 'The Ill-Made Knight', Lancelot's tale. The build-up to this piece, and the sudden joy at the end - followed by the poigniant, solitary image at the end - makes me cry every time I read it.

Tancred

[RudeDawg]

Originally posted by Tancred: From T.H.White's 'The Once And Future King', of the healing of the cursed knight, Sir Urre, by 'the best knight of the world'. *HUGE snip* That's the end of 'The Ill-Made Knight', Lancelot's tale. The build-up to this piece, and the sudden joy at the end - followed by the poigniant, solitary image at the end - makes me cry every time I read it. Tancred

I love White's rendering of the Arthurian legends. This passage is so powerful, showing Lancelot's longing for redemption. Good choice... Thanks for reminding me ...

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The RudeDawg
Known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes
and my girlfriends, Pamila and Pfil

[Black Knight]

Wow, narrow it down to one, huh ... it will have to be the entire Scene in War of the Lance Series where Sturm dies to the point where the funeral is done with full honors from the Knights of Solamnia. I cried almost the entire read through. Beautiful.

BK

[jabidas]

In robin hobs Farseer trilogy in the second book there this scene where the main charecter kills a bunch of Crazy people who are eating a child alive its one of the most hideous and violent scenes iv read and so stark, the book is just filled with that kind of stuff

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