First Impressions

This week's competition, in which you have to identify a book from its opening sentence, is from a sensational novel by an American Nobel laureate who spent most of his life in Oxford:

"From beyond the screen of bushes which surrounded the spring, Popeye watched the man drinking."

* Entries, including postal address, should be sent to First Impressions, The Times Higher , Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1W 1BX, faxed to 020 7782 3300 or emailed to theschat@thes.co.uk

The winner receives a £25 book voucher.

The closing date is November 29.

The winner of last week's competition, who identified Samuel Butler's Erewhon , was Jie Na of the Wellcome Trust /CRUK Gurdon Institute at Cambridge University.

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