Initial Reaction

The Echo Maker starts off with a vivid description about migratory cranes. Richard Powers goes into great detail in his images of the way countless numbers of cranes gather together to rest by the river at night before continuing their migration for the coming spring. His images are haunting and beautiful such as when he describes "the blood-red head bows and the wings sweep together, a cloaked priest giving benediction" (3).

"As darkness falls for real, it's a beginner's world again, the same evening as that day sixty million years ago when this migration began" (3-4). This and many of the other images are used to set the eerie and solemn tone that continues through the first several pages. They catch the reader's attention and hook them into the story.

Also, just following the description of the birds is a short section describing a car accident. This caught me by surprise because it was so sudden and it broke into the tranquility that had been established in the part about the cranes before returning to that sense of calm once again. That scene is short and abrupt and the diction is full of words such as "squeal", "crunch", and "scream" that greatly stand out in contrast to the smooth and flowing words used to talk about the cranes. But again, this sudden urgency and action is ended as quickly as it was started when the author returns to the former mood by stating that "by morning, that sound had never happened" (4).

All together, the opening scene creates a sense of mystery that evokes curiosity from the reader and draws them in, making them want to read more.