First Impressions

This week's competition, in which you have to identify a book from its opening sentence, is from a work by a Russian who emigrated to America:

"The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness."

* 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 September 5.

The winner of last week's competition, who identified A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka, is Avril Goodwin of Chrichton University.

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