There was an Old Woman by Hallie Ephron

Mina Yetner sat in her living room, inspecting the death notices in the Daily News.

This sentence has an interesting angle. A character and a situation that suggest conflict. So this line gets a pass. The rest of the paragraph explains that the woman of the first line is looking for people older than her who've popped off before she finds the obituary of a neighbor.

However, the first page soon starts to show how ordinary it is as it soon feels about as exciting or interesting as visiting some old relative you barely know and who are so senile and smelly you start dreaming about anything else to take your mind off of where you are. Though for some people this would be a fine way to spend a Sunday afternoon. There is a charm to the narrative that feels familiar.

First thing said:

"Oh, shush up."

Verdict: Pass

Sincerely,
Theodore Moracht