The calm before the storm, finding calm in the chaos, it’s a dark and stormy night – all of this evoke vivid imagery for me every time I read these words somewhere. And even when I am reading the phrase “a dark and stormy night” – the one that evokes (melo)drama and mystery, parody and posterity, and so much more – there’s a semblance of calm in the reading itself.

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The Story of the Story-Starter: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

Origins: Where It All Began

This iconic phrase made its popular appearance as a literary first-line in 1830, in Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s novel Paul Clifford. According to a Wikipedia article, it made an earlier appearance in the Doddington shipwreck’s journal (published in 1757), and in Washington Irving’s satirical 1809 book, A History of New York (but not as an opening line).

as well as in a chapter of The Three Musketeers (though in reverse – It was a stormy and dark night...)

Here is the full opening line from Paul Clifford for your leisurely perusal (for it is long!)
“It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.”

But if you think Bulwer-Lytton only wrote this, you would be wrong. He coined other gems like “the pen is mightier than the sword.” Isn’t that such an amazing phrase? And then he also gave us “the almighty dollar!“

The Legacy of a Dark and Stormy Night: Like a Storm in Teacup?

This line sure has a turbulent legacy of sorts. On the one hand, the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest was born in 1982, challenging writers to create the most hilariously bad opening sentences.

On the other, many writers paid a salute to this line by using it as the first lines in their books, including Madeline L’Engle in A Wrinkle in Time, and Ray Bradbury in Let’s All Kill Constance. Neil Gaiman references it with a twist a few times in Good Omens, like below:

Most famously (for me), Snoopy – in Peanuts – often started his novels with “It was a dark and stormy night…” before spiraling into canine chaos. Let’s be real—if Snoopy wrote it, we’d read it.

And I saw this reference to it in a Star Trek episode (which I kind of recall watching, but need to go see it again, simply because…) Then we have these repetitive stories people often say at campfires that go like this: ‘It was a dark and stormy night and the brigands were gathered round the fire. The Captain said “Antonious, Antonius, tell us a tale”. And this was the tale he told’. “It was a dark and stormy night…”

So there you have it: this is a line that teeters on the edge of absurdity and brilliance, chaos and calm, like a storm in a teacup with chamomile tea!

‘A Dark and Stormy Night’ Quotes and Uses

The Quotes

Here are some more quotes that use this phrase to dramatic effect(or not, you decide!):

• Charles M. Schulz/Snoopy! – It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly a scream pierced the air’. . . . Good writing takes enormous concentration.
• It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly, a shot rang out! A door slammed. The maid screamed. Suddenly, a pirate ship appeared on the horizon! While millions of people were starving, the king lived in luxury. Meanwhile, on a small farm in Kansas, a boy was growing up. ~ Charles M. Schulz
• Irving’s use mentioned above: “It was a dark and stormy night when the good Antony arrived at the creek (sagely denominated Haerlem river) which separates the island of Manna-hata from the mainland.”
• Edgar Allen Poe used it in his short story The Bargain Lost (later republished as Bon-Bon where it lost this line!): It was a dark and stormy night. The rain fell in cataracts; and drowsy citizens started, from dreams of the deluge, to gaze upon the boisterous sea, which foamed and bellowed for admittance into the proud towers and marble palaces.
• For more, check out these uses on this TVTropes page

And it Has Some Uses Too

I do believe a dark and stormy night has its uses! With one atmospheric / natural benefit of the rains it brings to us, here are a few others I could think of – some tongue-in-cheek, others cozy and warm!

• To read or narrate gothic stories, ghostly tales, and such – with only the glow of a flashlight or maybe the fire in the fireplace burning low
• For the thrill-seekers here, maybe you will venture out? Camp out even for the ultimate wilderness survival experience. I would not recommend it though (remember I said tongue-in-cheek)..
• Knowing that the thunder can block out the sounds of crinkling bags, indulge in your favorite snacks freely, and happily!
• Simply cozy up under your favorite blanket with a loved one and binge-watch on movies (now whether you watch horror, thriller, or weepy romances is all up to you)
• Brew a hot cup of tea or make yourself some hot chocolate, and dive into that book you’ve been meaning to read (I have enough recommendations below)
• Bring out the board games and have a great family night
• Or simply watch the storm from the comfort of your home and marvel at the wonders of nature.

References and Further Reading: Wikipedia / azquotes.com

Reads For a Dark and Stormy Night

I decided to pick books that have something to do with storms in their title for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday.

• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett and iIllustrated by Ronald Barrett (Illustrator) (3 – 7 years, and up). Of course, I had to include this family favorite.
• Hurricane by David Wiesner (4 – 7 years, and up). I am wondering how I missed reading Wiesner earlier. I am sure I have read him but not reviewed the books. Be sure to check out his books, and for more things falling from the sky (like Cloudy above), you have to read 06/29/1999 (that is the title).
• I am the Storm by Jane Yolen & Heidi E. Y. Stemple, and iIllustrated by Kristen & Kevin Howdeshell (3 – 5 years, and up). I enjoy Yolen’s writing, and this was no different.
• It Was a Dark and Stormy Night, Snoopy by Charles M Schulz. Snoopy, so yes!
• Lost in the Storm by Carol Carrick and Donald Carrick (7 – 9 years). Of a boy, and his dog.
• The Night the Storm Came by Gladys Relyea (7 – 9 years, and up). I loved this classic read which is partly a heartwarming read of family and overcoming fears and then some scientific learning of thunder and lightning as well.
• Storm in the Night by Mary Stolz and iIllustrated by Pat Cummings (4 – 8 years, and up). A beautifully told intergenerational tale of storytelling and connection during a stormy night. And the illustrations are stunning.
• Up from the Sea by Leza Lowitz (Novels in Verse | 12 – 15 years, and up). I loved this story of survival (based on the 2011 tsunami in Japan)
• When Lightning Comes in a Jar by Ernest L. Polacco and iIllustrated by Patricia Polacco (5 – 8 years, and up)
• Zap! Clap! Boom! by Laura Purdie Salas and iIllustrated by Elly MacKay(3 – 6 years, and up). A rhythmic and vibrant exploration of a thunderstorm’s sights and sounds from a favorite writer.

Extra, Extra, Extra: for a Long Dark and Stormy Night!

• It Was a Dark and Stormy Night: The Best (?) from the Bulwer-Lytton Contest edited by Scott Rice. So much fun!
• Make Me Rain: Poems & Prose by Nikki Giovanni. As my salute to her. Giovanni died December 9th, 2024)
• The Storm: Stories and Prose Poems by Kahlil Gibran and translated by John Walbridge. Kahlil Gibran is always worth a read, and this one is beautiful and insightful.

Related Reads and More

• This board game – It Was a Dark & Stormy Night – A Game of First Lines for People Who Love to Read (though says unavailable currently)!! Check out more such fun games in this post
• Books with Snow on the Cover: Perfect Cozy Reads

And Now, the End of This Post

Dear reader, have you read any of the books mentioned here? Which one would you recommend to others/be on your stormy night reads/or pick first to read today? How about your reading recommendations for a dark and stormy night? Do let me know