Shimmering Like a Butterfly's Wing

I love the morning series (here) . . . anyone who reads this site must know that by now. Heck, I'm even thinking about making a book that is nothing more than a compendium of morning quotes from novels.

Nevertheless, there was a second morning description in The Fourth Deadly Sin by Lawrence Sanders to go along with this one (here). In fact it was after I read this one that I realized that Sanders starts many of his chapters with descriptions of the morning. The man just loved mornings I guess.

The next morning Delaney felt equally optimistic as he and Monica set out with the Boones for Diane Ellerbee’s country home. “Looks like a splendid day,” Delaney gloated. And so it was. 

A blue sky shimmered like a butterfly’s wing. The sun was a hot plate and there, to the east, one could see a faint smudge of white moon. The sharp air bit like ether, and the whole world seemed scrubbed and polished.

Sanders, Lawrence - The Fourth Deadly Sin

Then a few pages later there was this one:

He lumbered over to Samuelson’s office at 79th Street and Madison Avenue. It was a harshly cold morning, the air still but the temperature in the teens. Delaney was thankful for his flannel muffler, vested suit, and balbriggan underwear. He thrust his gloved hands into his overcoat pockets, but he felt the cold in his feet, a numbing chill from the frozen pavement.

Sanders, Lawrence - The Fourth Deadly Sin

This second one occurs when the detective is on the way to confront the murderer. I like that he uses the morning as a springboard to give insight into the characters mood as well as his demeanor, and one other truly Sanderian aspect of characterization: the characters wardrobe.

Count me in the column of those who like it. He's got a way with words, why not lend that capability to descriptions of mornings.

In the upcoming book I predict Sanders may have a whole chapter to himself.