Version One

          Vast waves, each the size of a small house, were rolling in rapidly, close on each other's heels. Crossing the beach the wave would rise even higher, its crest curling in a question mark, then throw itself against the foot of the cliff in a rage.

Version Two

          Rapidly, vast waves rolled in. Each was the size of a house. They were close, and as a wave crossed the beach, it would rise even higher. The wave's crest would curl. The curl looked like a question mark. Then, against the foot of the cliff, in a rage, the wave would throw itself.

          Which did you perceive as more effective? The first was a carefully crafted passage from Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett; the second was a randomly scrambled rewrite.