Great Beginnings: Season of Migration to the North
Posted by David Duhr in 
It’s been too long since we’ve gotten our Great Beginnings groove on. We writers place a lot of pressure on ourselves to write a killer opening line, a killer opening paragraph, a killer opening page. Sometimes too much pressure! So much pressure that it can color our pleasure reading and numb our appreciation for truly great beginnings. That’s part of why I’d like to resuscitate this series and make it a regular feature — many of us could use such a reminder. Consider it a mini book club.
This week I want to take a peek at the first three lines of Tayeb Salih’s novel Season of Migration to the North, first published in Arabic in 1967, translated into English by Denys Johnson-Davies in 1969, reissued by NYRB Classics in 2009, and read, with delight, by me in the first few days of this new year.
First the lines from Season of Migration to the North, and then some discussion questions:
It was, gentlemen, after a long absence — seven years to be exact, during which time I was studying in Europe — that I returned to my people. I learnt much and much passed me by — but that’s another story. The important thing is that I returned with a great yearning for my people in that small village at the bend of the Nile.
So, does this make you want to read further? Why or why not? What are some of the key words in these lines? What do we learn here, and what questions does this passage bring to mind? Let us know in the comments below.
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I like it. I would read on, maybe to find out who the
Gentlemen are, and to find out why he went from Egypt
to Europe for seven years and came back.
Thanks for playing, Betty. Yeah, “gentlemen” is a key word here. Who are they, what do they want. Is he on trial, like Alex asks below? Maybe he’s just hanging out with friends, or with village elders or something.
(I know the answer!)
Ooh, I like this great beginning series. This is an easy one for me: I’m drawn to the direct address. “Gentlemen.” This kind of beginning is so evocative: the reader immediately feels a part of the story; the bar for intimacy is set. And then, the sly layering of information. Crafty!
And “gentlemen” is so formal, innit? It’s much different than, say, “It was, fellas, after a long absence…”
“Yo, dudemeisters, after this, like, long absence and shit…”
I was hooked on this one pretty quickly.
Thanks for joining the chat.
agreed on “gentleman.” Also, where is he? In court? It’s impossible to tell if he’s back in Egypt now or in Europe or anywhere. He doesn’t say “back here in my village” or “I studied seven years here in Europe.” No place, no time. It’s interesting and I would read more. It’s worth a look?
Hey Alex. Thanks for the comment, buddy. It’s definitely worth reading, this book. I liked it immensely, and quickly bought the next of his books NYRB put out. I saved this one, if you want to borrow it. It’s actually set in Sudan (*The* Sudan?), if that matters to you. But yeah, it’s good and tight. And quick! What are you reading now?
Nothi
Ug. Nothing, I was going to say. Yeah, I’d read this one, Sudan or The Sudan, regardless. I like a tight(?) read. I was going to read that novel A Little Life, or whatever, but I kinda just keep staring at it.
By “tight” I just mean little excess. It’s a pretty short novel, definitely not overwritten/flowery in any way. Just a good story, with some interesting tactics with chronology.
For me, the hook is “but that’s another story.” Who is this narrator with so many stories to tell? Will I eventually hear this other story? Of course, the seemingly innocent mention of it makes me want to. What he is telling me by not telling me? I’m intrigued!
“But that’s another story” is a fitting thing for him to say. There are several storylines that run through this one, past and present, that he delivers in a unique way. And as you might guess, this narrator isn’t the featured character. He’s a storyteller, so he tells us stories about other people … one of his fellow villagers in particular, another Sudanese who studied in Europe and returned. And boy does he know how to draw a story out and build suspense.
Beauty! Yes, I can see why, from just this opening, why this was a favorite for you. There is an international, expansive, ambiance to it that is so appealing. The idea that the author, after some time in elevated studies, wanted to return to his roots (“at the bend of the Nile”) is very much a sympathetic emotion for a lot of people. I can feel it. And the words that evoke the attitude of a global traveler: “studying in Europe…returned to my people…small village at the bend of the Nile.” These can only pull the fervor for travel that… Read more »
Raymundo! It’s great to hear from you. I hope the writing has been going well. Yeah, it’s interesting that someone who spent seven years in metropolitan Europe should be so eager to return to a small village, which, from what he tells us about it, is pretty much as you’d envision; lots of small farming, bartering, sitting around with village elders who share a bottle and some stories. Not much industry to speak of, etc. But this narrator becomes fascinated with someone who appeared in the village during his absence, another man who studied in Europe and returned, perhaps on… Read more »
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