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Paul Clifford
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Lord Lytton Omnibus edition - incl. "Paul Clifford" |
|
| Author | Edward Bulwer-Lytton |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | George Routledge & Sons |
| Released | 1830 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | NA |
Paul Clifford is a novel published in 1830 by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
It contains the famous opening sentence:
"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents — except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."
The opening of the book was the inspiration for San Jose State University's annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, which celebrates the worst in English writing. The contest includes a "Dark and Stormy night" section, which is intended to find the worst introduction that can be made from the beginning of that sentence. The competition highlights literary achievements of the most dubious sort; "We want writers with a little talent but no taste," says San Jose State English Professor Scott Rice.
The line was also frequently parodied in Charles Schulz' Peanuts comic strip by showing Snoopy repeatedly starting a novel that starts with the first part of the opening sentence. It was also spoofed in an episode of The Simpsons.
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