Metaphors and Similes in Belong To Me [ Edited ]

[IBIS]

I had to start this thread specifically to highlight the amazingly exquisite writing in Belong to Me.

These metaphors and similes are from the early pages. As we move further into the story, I'll pick out some others:

p. 5
At her first neighborhood party, Cornelia encounters... "a pastel-colored prairie of linen pants and sleeveless tops stretching in every direction as far as the eye could see. I stood on its edge and felt myself turning -- subtly, like an early autumn leaf or a days-old open bottle of red wine -- from easy and elegant to overreaching and tarty."

p.8
"Hush," said Piper... and that's when she cocked her head again and gave me a small, puzzled, pitying, faintly disapproving frown, the kind of look one might give a stain on one's blouse or a bearded lady at the circus.

p.45
"Oh," It was a forlorn "oh" for sure but at least I didn't do what I felt like doing, which was bleat like a lost lamb.

p. 46
I held out my hand. It looked undersized and flimsy compared to hers, like a little breakable starfish...

p.50
Piper's eyes took on a... "nervous, almost stricken look, like Tippi Hedren's eyes when she first begins to think the birds are after her."

p.63
Dev's teacher compliments him with a sentence of praise .... "and the sentence stretched over him like a rainbow only he could see."

p.96
Cornelia watches Dev as he talks about Robert Frost's poetry. She watched as his... "ideas and thoughts forming, folding, pleating itself, like origami paper, into something intricate and surprising."


p.99
Lake says to Cornelia about Dev's intelligence: "Sometimes, I felt like his brain was this hungry pacing animal, and I had to keep throwing it chunks of meat."

More to come....

Message Edited by IBIS on 05-05-2008 11:50 PM

[SandyS]

One of my favorites:

pg 66, Dev raking leaves:  "When the sun was out, the leaves caught in Dev's rake were the reddest and goldest things he's ever seen, so much color rubbing up against itself on the surface of each leaf, Dev imagined he could smell smoke."

I could smell the smoke too!

SandyS

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IBIS wrote:
I had to start this thread specifically to highlight the amazingly exquisite writing in Belong to Me.

[Fozzie]

My quote doesn't fit into the category of metaphor and simile, but I will put it here for the sake of consolidating our favorite passages.

"Lake," said Piper, flapping her lashes.  "Now, that's a different name!"

Lake swept her gaze around the restaurant, as though to make sure no one was listening.  Then, in a loud, conspiratorial whisper, she replied, "Actually, it's my middle name.  My first name is ridiculous.  Just god-awful.  I don't know what my parents were thinking."

"Oh, tell us what it is!" burbled Kate.

"Yes, do." Piper made it sound like a command.

Lake didn't pause to blink or swallow; the words slipped off her tongue as innocently as you please.  "Piper," she said, "can you imagine?"  If Kate's gasp hadn't been so loud, my gasp would've echoed through the restaurant like thunder.  Lake handed Piper the wine list.  "Piper.  Like 'Viper' with a P." 

I literally shrieked with laughter reading this passage!  As if saying Piper was her ridiculous first name wasn't enough, the rhyme with Viper, coupled with what Lake had heard about Piper's personality, was over the top!  Hilarious!

[Rachel-K]

Hi guys,

I love this thread! Also started a "favorite passages" thread for anything that might not seem to fit here--

Rachel