First Lines and Last Lines

Robert Caro has published "The Passage of Power," the fourth volume in his marathon series on Lyndon B. Johnson. In an excellent article by Chris Jones in the May 2012 edition of "Esquire,"we learn that Caro cannot begin a book until he knows the last line. Caro told Jones "I'm not saying this is the right way to do it, but this is the right way for me to do it."

For Joseph Heller, best known for "Catch 22," the kick-start was always a single opening line. The plot, he believed, would follow. That, apparently, was the right way for him to do it.

So here are two of Heller's openings:

From "Catch 22": "It was love at first sight. The first time Yossarian saw the chaplain he fell madly in love with him."

From "Good as Gold": "Gold had been asked many times to write about the Jewish experience in America. This was not strictly true."

And three of Caro's closings:

From "The Power Broker": "Why weren't they grateful?"

From "Means of Ascent": "By 1955, with the barons' power broken and the Democrats back in the majority, Lyndon Johnson was the most powerful Majority Leader in history."

And from the new book: "But he had done it long enough."

As Maurice Chevalier said, and Stephane Grappelli liked to quote, "You must begin well and you must end well."