The Power Of Page 112!

I only read about this today, courtesy of an article in The Guardian this morning. It’s called Le Prix de la Page 112; a prize which asks its judges to read, at first, only page 112 of each novel.
 
The idea behind the prize was in inspired by a line from Woody Allen film 'Hannah and Her Sisters' – “Don’t forget the poem on page 112. It reminded me of you!” and voilà! The prize came to be!
 
But the real idea of this is based on the theory that many editors believe that by page 112 readers make up their mind whether they want to continue reading or are bored silly and decide to chuck the book away.
 
And so I thought, why not select a few books that I had thoroughly enjoyed these past few weeks and turn to their page 112 and see whether it would have inspired me to attempt the book altogether. So here’s a really small excerpt of page of 112 from the novels I’ve tweeted about and my verdict:

‘The Blue Between Sky and Water’ by Susan Abulhawa – excerpt (p. 112)

They would travel with her through the darkness before the sun, across two checkpoints lit with high-beam spotlights from guard towers, wild cats foraging nearby in garbage piles, until they reached the chartered Red Cross Bus, which other families of prisoners with the same prayers in their eyes would also board.
On the day she made the journey with news of Alwan's pending engagement, Abdel Qader's family joined them to see Hajje Nazmiyeh off. They brought sweets and letters, even though Nazmiyeh could take neither with her through Israeli security. Atiyeh touched her hand, invoking their private language, and they watched their fingers move in an ancient dance before he kissed Nazmiyeh's forehead. 'Allah ma'ek, habibti,' he said. Allah be with you, my love.
...One dreadful checkpoint after another rose on the horizon. Young soldiers with big guns would get on and off the bus, demanding to see ID cards, sometimes making everyone disembark, line up against this or that. Wait. And wait. Unpack what they were carrying. Wait. Show ID. Wait. Sweat or shiver. Wait. Answer questions: Why do you cover your hair? Why do you waste your time going through this? Have you ever tasted Jewish dick? It’s like candy’.

​Verdict: Definitely one to read! And I stand by my recommendation that this lyrical, beautifully written, evoking novel is a must-read. Reading these lines, makes me want to read the book again.
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‘That Other Me’ by Maha Gargash – excerpt (p.112)

I wipe the surface of the photograph. Although Hareb was nine years older than I, we look close in age: able-bodied men with pride-filled chests pushed so far out that the bottoms of our kandoras hang just above our ankles. David told us to smile, but not knowing how we'd look with our teeth showing, we had decided on manly frowns.
...‘Yes, he started this company, and he was lucky enough to secure its assets, but I’m the one who launched it to the highest level. It would be fine if it is only Diab Al-Mutawa who thinks that I caused Hareb’s death. But what if there are others, all those businessmen and acquaintances who have never once shown anything less than the highest regard for me?’
I examine my brother’s face, looking for the anguish I had dreamed was in his eyes. It’s hard to tell. His ghitra is slanted too low on his forehead, casting a shadow over most of his face. And with that I conclude that the bad dream was the result of nothing more than indigestion, to be expected after last night’s heavy supper of kebab and onions’.

​Verdict: bad dreams, hints of a crime, cultural references – yes, I would have definitely been intrigued to read this and this brings further confirmation that I am right in having recommended this book by one of the UAE’s brilliant authors.
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‘The Door’ by Magda Szabó – excerpt (p.112)

‘But Emerence had been prone to bitter outbursts all her life. I must have noticed how peculiar they were, a hostility almost without an object. She was as much against Franz Josef as she was against anyone else in a position to influence the history of the nation, even for the good. I didn’t tell him about the lawyer’s son. I sensed that the cause of her rage somehow lay with him. In the end it was the Lieutenant Colonel who provided an explanation: Emerence probably hated power no matter whose hands it was in. If the man existed who could solve the problems of the five continents, she would have taken against him too, because he was successful. In her mind everyone came down to a common denomination – God, the town clerk, the party worker, the king, the executioner, the lead of the UN. But if she experienced a sense of fellow feeling with anyone, her compassion was all-embracing, and this didn’t extend only to the deserving. It was for everyone. Absolutely everyone. Even the guilty.’

​Verdict: I would have been intrigued which guilty party Emerence had shown compassion to and would have read on. Also, the book is obviously set in Hungary and it’s a country I don’t know much about its history so that too would have urged me to go on. Lovely read that has been made into a film starring Helen Mirren.
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And here are excerpts (p.112) from books that are still on my TO READ list:
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‘A Spring Betrayal’ by Tom Callaghan – excerpt (p.112)

‘I still don’t understand why you’re personally involved, Minister,’ I said, keeping my face as expressionless as possible. ‘It’s not as if you don’t have more important matters to tend to.’
Tynaliev nodded.
‘You’re right, Inspector, normally I’d let the police handle the matter. But there’s a problem with this case.’
‘Which is?’
Tynaliev stared hard at me, a look saying I was about to take one step too far.
‘You’re the policeman. Murder Squad. I’ll let you figure it out.’
He looked around, satisfied with the outcome of his meeting, drained the last of his Baltika.
‘You still have my private number?’
I nodded. If Tynaliev didn’t want the police involved, some high-up people might be responsible for the porn, the murders ... With that, he and his bodyguard walked away, leaving me to face a woman I desired, feared and felt betrayed by.

Verdict: Foreign country, a cocky inspector, Baltika, a minister, high-up people, complicated love relationship. What more would I want? This is definitely going to be one to read for me. And Soon.
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‘Cuckoo Song’ by Frances Hardinge – excerpt (p.112)

‘There was no time to lie prone and breathless. The figures behind the screen were edging forward again.
‘Run!’ Triss scrambled to her feet, and beside her the small, flickering figure of her sister did likewise. As Triss dragged Pen towards the door, she cast a glance over her shoulder and caught sight of the picnickers, all reaching groping hands towards the fleeing girls. The gaggle now all shared one form, one face. They were all the Architect, eyes ice-bright with fury, screaming in silent rage.
The audience of children in the auditorium was making too much noise to notice two girls charging across the gallery. Even as the pair pelted down the stairs, Pen's feet made no sound at all, and it occurred to Triss's distracted mind that her own were not ringing loudly as she would have expected. Then they crashed through the door into the lobby, rushed past the woman at the counter before she could react and burst out into the street.'

​Verdict: God Yes! Can’t wait to get stuck into this YA novel
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‘Bloody Flies’ by Andrew J Keir – excerpt (p.112)

Red pain flashes in her skull. Momentarily insensible, she staggers sideways, loses her footing and drops to her knees. The flash of agony passes; it is replaced by a stabbing throb behind her right ear and rising nausea.
Manni stands over her as she stumbles to her feet. Experience tells her it’s not wise to stay down.
‘I’ve never got a fucking peso, eh?’ Manni’s eyes are wide, his teeth bared. ‘So, that’s how ya feel.’ He spits in her face. ‘Let’s see if the new guy’ll put up with a whore and a bastard kid for as long as I have.’ He closes his fist and draws his arm back. Joy shuts her eyes and waits for the impact … but it doesn’t come.
When she opens them, Manni’s already out the kitchen. She hears him laughing as the apartment door bangs shut.
Later in the afternoon, ignoring the tremor in her hands, Joy fixes her makeup in front of the bathroom mirror. She’s pleased when the welt on her brow disappears behind a thick layer of foundation.
Back in her room, she gets dressed for her date with Leo. After today’s events, everything has to be just right: the stockings; the underwear; the short skirt. Joy knows that love, real love, is built on security.’

​Verdict: I'm definitely intrigued and hate Manni already. But I'm wondering whether things are really what they seem. hmm, Will let you know when I'm done.