--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first sentence of every novel should…" description: "\"The first sentence of every novel should be: Trust me, this will take time but there is order here, very faint, very human.\" — Michael Ondaatje" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d72/michael-ondaatje-940_books_the-first-sentence-of-every-novel-should_2384801.png" --- # The first sentence of every novel should be: Trust me… ![“The first sentence of every novel should be: Trust me, this will take time but there is order here, very faint, very human.” quote by Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d72/michael-ondaatje-940_books_the-first-sentence-of-every-novel-should_2384801.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d72/michael-ondaatje-940_books_the-first-sentence-of-every-novel-should_2384801.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d72/michael-ondaatje-940_books_the-first-sentence-of-every-novel-should_2384801.png) > “The first sentence of every novel should be: Trust me, this will take time but there is order here, very faint, very human.” [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A novel should begin with a promise of time, order, and humanity, inviting patience. **In simple terms:** Begin with trust and humanity. Key Takeaway Craft patient, layered openings. Themes literature patience humanity Mood thoughtful encouraging Type creative educational When to use this quote - writing workshops - editing - publishing - reader engagement Key Concepts narrative voice trust order Questions to Reflect On - How does a measured opening affect reader commitment? - What balance of order and mystery engages audiences? A Different Perspective Not all readers appreciate slow builds. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) ## Related quotes > [The first sentence of every novel should be: Trust me, this will take time but there is order here, very faint, very human. Meander…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/the-first-sentence-of-every-novel-should-be-trust-me-this-will-take/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [“Trust me, this will take time but there is order here, very faint, very human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/trust-me-this-will-take-time-but-there-is-order-here-very-faint-very/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [I am proudest of that first novel, 'Trust,' of anything I have written. I don't think I've had such intense energy since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/i-am-proudest-of-that-first-novel-trust-of-anything-i-have-written-i/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [One should be able to return to the first sentence of a novel and find the resonances of the entire work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-naylor/one-should-be-able-to-return-to-the-first-sentence-of-a-novel-and/) [Gloria Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-naylor/) > [Why are you not smarter? It's only the rich who can't afford to be smart. They're compromised. They got locked years ago into privilege.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/why-are-you-not-smarter-it-s-only-the-rich-who-can-t-afford-to-be/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [A real dreamer must have a mutual trust with time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/a-real-dreamer-must-have-a-mutual-trust-with-time/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [Trust in time rather than timing,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burton-malkiel/trust-in-time-rather-than-timing/) [Burton Malkiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burton-malkiel/) > [Trust me, this time baby. I'll be bulletproof!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-siddiq-prince/trust-me-this-time-baby-i-ll-be-bulletproof/) [Young Siddiq Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-siddiq-prince/) > [My mom and I, we have trust within each other because at one time in our lives, we were kind of all that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalid/my-mom-and-i-we-have-trust-within-each-other-because-at-one-time-in/) [Khalid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalid/) > [I wish I could say something that would make you trust me, but if you give me time I can prove it to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-i-could-say-something-that-would-make-you-trust-me-but-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One can always trust to time. 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Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [It takes time, living in a world When you don't know who to trust Next time, slow it down And don't feel you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justice-garcia/it-takes-time-living-in-a-world-when-you-don-t-know-who-to-trust-next/) [Justice Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justice-garcia/) > [I trust the time is nigh when, with the universal assent of civilized people, all international differences shall be determined without resort to arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-a-arthur/i-trust-the-time-is-nigh-when-with-the-universal-assent-of-civilized/) [Chester A. Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-a-arthur/) ## More by Michael Ondaatje > [“In spite of this, our table's status on the Oronsay continued to be minimal, while those at the Captain's Table were constantly toasting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/in-spite-of-this-our-table-s-status-on-the-oronsay-continued-to-be/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [He will hear the rain before he feels it, a clicking on the dry grass, on the olive leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/he-will-hear-the-rain-before-he-feels-it-a-clicking-on-the-dry-grass/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [“Whenever her father was alone with a dog in a house he would lean over and smell the skin at the base of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/whenever-her-father-was-alone-with-a-dog-in-a-house-he-would-lean/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [“...those who had risked everything at a riverbend on a left turn and so discovered a fortune.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/those-who-had-risked-everything-at-a-riverbend-on-a-left-turn-and-so/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [“All over the world there must be people like us, Anna had said then, wounded in some way by falling in love - seemingly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/all-over-the-world-there-must-be-people-like-us-anna-had-said-then/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [Her father had taught her about hands. About a dog's paws. Whenever her father was alone with a dog in a house he would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/her-father-had-taught-her-about-hands-about-a-dog-s-paws-whenever-her/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [What is interesting and important happens mostly in secret, in places where there is no power. 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On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/the-time-around-scars-a-girl-whom-i-ve-not-spoken-to-or-shared-coffee/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [“- Daca ti-as incredinta viata mea, ai scapa-o pe jos. Nu-i asa?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/daca-ti-as-incredinta-viata-mea-ai-scapa-o-pe-jos-nu-i-asa/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) [Explore all 322 Michael Ondaatje quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. 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