I was reading the book Drive your Plough Over the Bones of the Dead, which is a mystery story. In this quote the protagonist, Janina, discovers the dead body of her neighbour, which I found highly descriptive and delightful to read.
He was lying twisted in a bizarre position, with his hands to his neck, as if struggling to pull off a collar that was pinching him. Gradually I went closer, as if hypnotized. I saw his open eyes fixed on a point somewhere under the table. His dirty vest was ripped at the throat. It looked as if the body had turned on itself, lost the fight and been killed. It made me feel cold with Horror—the blood froze in my veins and I felt as if it had withdrawn deep inside my body.
This quotation shows how to build suspense and keep the reader engaged. It gradually gives more and more details about the situation to ensure that it remains mysterious. The use of metaphors and similes are also highly prominent in this quotation. “with his hands to his neck, as if struggling to pull off a collar that was pinching him.” “His dirty vest was ripped at the throat. It looked as if the body had turned on itself, lost the fight and been killed.” This quotation shows the importance of having a wide vocabulary as it keeps the reader hooked and it doesn’t get monotonous. Overall, I enjoyed reading this quote due to its thrilling nature, wide vocabulary and literary devices. It goes to show how important each little step is to make a text entertaining.