I give you fair warning; I can boast you no battlefields; this is no murder's story; there is no great romance. But before all this, back on land, I did an extraordinary thing. An impossible thing.
-- Geppetto (chapter 1)

Importance: This opening quote sets the tone for the rest of The Swallowed Man. Geppetto speaks in a quasi-mythical tone and draws on elements of heroic and fantastical narratives. At the same time, he promises that this is a mundane tale except for one impossible act. The rest of the novel will continue to revisit and reevaluate Geppetto’s assessment of his own story.

How shall I ever find him now? I shall never see him again.”
-- Geppetto (chapter 1)

Importance: Geppetto speaks these words early on in his narrative, before he ever introduces his son Pinocchio. The quote helps provide insight into Geppetto’s frame of mind, where he does not need to refer to Pinocchio by name...