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Bulwer-Lytton Contestant

Read the worst sentence today, revealed to me by my coworker Stan, from Pat Conroy's new book, South of Broad. (Note: Have not read the rest of the book; it may be a literary success...)
It is on the first page of the novel and the narrator is discussing his loyalty to Charleston, South Carolina. Here is the sentence:

"I carry the delicate porcelain beauty of Charleston like the hinged shell of some soft-tissued mollusk. My soul is peninsula-shaped and sun-hardened and river-swollen."

I have many questions about the aptness of comparing the love of place to "soft-tissued mollusks". My soul is probably Mesa-shaped or Rainforest-hardened. Yours is probably Butte-shaped.

Comments

Anonymous said…
WHAT?! That line crosses all boundaries of riduclousness says my chicken pot pie-shaped soul.
Heather Bond said…
I now laugh every time I see this book. Thank you!

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