Here is a list of 150 of the most compelling opening lines in literature. “The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices on …Famous Novels, First Lines Quiz Question: “All children, except one, grow up.” Answer: J.M. Barrie based his 1911 novel Peter and Wendy on his hit 1904 play Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up.In some later printings, the novel is titled Peter Pan. Question: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want …100 Best First Lines of Novels. Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff. The titles range from Don Quixote to Middlesex. The editors of American Book Review …Screw up the opening, screw up the book. Like chess, it's really that simple. With a good opening line though, you just know the rest will follow suit. It was like that the other day when I read ...Books shelved as best-first-lines: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, 1984 by George Orwell, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, a...100 Best First Lines from Novels Volume 27, Number 2 January-February 2006 Excerpts available through Project Muse; full articles available to Project Muse subscribers. Charles B. Harris’s “Introduction to Focus: In the Beginning Was the Word” and “100 Best First Lines from Novels” Michael Bérubé, Stephen Burn, David Cowart, Jeffrey R. Di Leo,The 22 Best First Lines Of Books. Literally, Darling » Blog » 1984 » The 22 Best First Lines Of Books. The 22 Best First Lines Of Books. by Kirstie Renae. 0. …To riff on the classic opening line of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859), they are the best of lines, they are the worst of lines. Whether you are an …The Stranger - Albert Camus (1942) “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know.”. Raghav Modi Writer. Tweet. Share. A list of 15 legendary opening lines from classics across distinct genres, tackling diverse human emotions. The 20 Best Book Blogs to Read in 2020. Whether you are a reader or a writer, these book blogs can give you just the inspiration and information you need. The first lines of a story set the mood and draw readers in. This infographic features first lines from some of the most famous books of all time. Best debut novels. 1. The Hobbit - J.R.R Tolkien (1937) Buy now from Amazon. "In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit." The words that kickstarted one of the biggest fantasy book and, in turn, movie franchises of all time.Seems to me we don’t never come to nothin’. Always on the way.”. — John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath. 17. “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”. — Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights. 18. “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”.Oct 18, 2019 · The first line of a book is a written invitation addressed to the reader. If the reader likes the invitation, they read on. If they don't like it, they close the book and read something else. Finding the best combination of words for that first line can take a while. Some authors devote months of time to develop the opening line of their book. May 7, 2022 · So I browsed through the subreddit r/books and rounded up this list of the very best opening lines in literature (and I even added a few of my own favorites). Getty Images. 1. "Here is a small ... From “The Hellion Bride” by Catherine Coulter. Susan/DC says: October 19, 2007 at 1:29 am. +1. My favorite opening line is from Diana Norman’s “The Vizard Mask”, which definitely is romantic, even if not officially categorized as Romance: “Penitence Hurd and the plague arrived in London on the same day.”.The Unemployed Philosophers Guild First Lines of Literature Coffee Mug - Famous Openings from Books, Novellas, and Short-Stories, Comes in a Box, 14oz ... CafePress Literature: 100 Best Books Of All Time Mugs 11 oz (325 ml) Ceramic Coffee Mug. Literary Cat Mug ...Some of our favorite first lines this year came in sequels, some came in new standalones, some from new debut authors and some from old favorites. But all of them provided us the excitement and magic that only a great first line can provide. 22 Stunning Opening Lines. FROM BOOKS OF 2020 . 1. Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez6. "Too much light has come out of my darkness." — Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan. Suggested by katelynf4787a7cd3. 7. "The man in black fled across the desert, and the ...10 Tantalizing Opening Lines in Books. 1. “We must, by law, keep a record of the innocents we kill.”. Scythe, by Neal Shusterman. Talk about an opening line that makes you want to keep reading to find out what the heck is going on! 2. “The circus arrives without warning.1. “Call Me Ishmael.”. – Moby Dick, Herman Melville. This is perhaps the most iconic non-crappy opening line in history. While it doesn’t tell you anything about Captain Ahab and the whale, it still paints an intriguing picture.Top 10 first lines in fiction. The first words of a story have to do a lot of work in snaring the reader. Novelist Liz Nugent considers some of her favourites. Liz Nugent. …Don’t you just love it when the first line of a book hooks you instantaneously? You settle in and start reading, devouring the story one chapter at a time. Suddenly you’re flipping pages with a feverish urgency, unable to put the book down. You’re neglecting all your real-life responsibilities. You haven’t answered anyone’s texts in days.50 Best Closing Lines of Books in Literature. 1. East of Eden. “And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.”. 2. The Great Gatsby. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”. 3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.Jan 17, 2024 · 12 Breathtaking First Lines in YA. “The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts.”. – CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare. “On the day Emma Carstairs’s parents were killed, the weather was perfect.”. – CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE by Cassandra Clare. “On the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of Weep, a girl fell from the sky ... The opening sentence of a science fiction novel, perhaps more than any other genre, has a lot of work to do. Like all good fiction, it needs to hook you, jolt you into the story and establish the tone. Yet it also needs to get you interested in a whole new alternative world, a place where you'll live for the duration of the …Posted by u/Bluecheeseur - 16 votes and 86 comments12 Breathtaking First Lines in YA ... “The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts.” ... “On the day Emma Carstairs's parents were killed, the weather was ...Aug 31, 2018 · Gideon the Ninth. By Tasmyn Muir. Similar to All Systems Red, the opening line of Gideon the Ninth combines traditional sci-fi/ fantasy staples with a seemingly out-of-place object—dirty magazines. It bends the genre with a weird new. The first line helps sum up this book, which features badass lesbian necromancers in space. 12 Breathtaking First Lines in YA. “The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts.” – CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare. “On the day Emma Carstairs’s …Here are some spectacular lines from 2020 books. 1. “I sing the city.”. 2. “The harvest begins, and all that exists is fear.”. 3. “In the deep wilds of the north, there is a Shrine cut ...1. Call me Ishmael. —Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (1851) 2. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. —Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice …I'm on my second novel of the series. Really good stuff. Here's the opening paragraph from the first book in the series, "Killing FLoor": "I was arrested in Eno's Diner. At twelve o'clock. I was eating eggs and drinking coffee. A late breakfast, not lunch. I was wet and tired after a long walk in heavy rain.12 of the best opening lines in books. “This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it.”. William Goldman wrote this first line for his book, The Princess Bride —a sentence that sounds more like a riddle as he later explains how such a thing is possible in his timeless fantasy classic. A great first line can be ...Posted by u/Bluecheeseur - 16 votes and 86 commentsThese hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it." - Alan Paton, "Cry, the Beloved Country" (1948) "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." - William Gibson, "Neuromancer" (1984) The first lines of novels are often memorable. Just reading the words can be enough to …21. A Midwife’s Tale By Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. Pulitzer Prize winner A Midwife's Tale strays away from the typical depiction of historical books. Instead, the book, … I’m definitely going to read this book. Below are fifty great opening lines for you to ponder. We’d love to know if any of these first lines are enough to pique your interest to read the full book. Let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the page. 50 of the most impactful opening sentences in literature: Metamorphosis by Kafka: Aug 28, 2023 · Literature's greatest opening paragraphs. 1. A Tale Of Two Cities (Charles Dickens) Read now on Kindle. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the ... Screw up the opening, screw up the book. Like chess, it's really that simple. With a good opening line though, you just know the rest will follow suit. It was like that the other day when I read .... I’m definitely going to read this book. Below are fifty great opening lines for you to ponder. We’d love to know if any of these first lines are enough to pique your interest to read the full book. Let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the page. 50 of the most impactful opening sentences in literature: Metamorphosis by Kafka: Aug 31, 2018 · Gideon the Ninth. By Tasmyn Muir. Similar to All Systems Red, the opening line of Gideon the Ninth combines traditional sci-fi/ fantasy staples with a seemingly out-of-place object—dirty magazines. It bends the genre with a weird new. The first line helps sum up this book, which features badass lesbian necromancers in space. How often have you picked up a book and judged it solely by its first few lines? It may be a little short-sighted, but it's natural. As readers, we want to feel …Once upon a time…is not the only way to begin a children’s book. L.M. Montgomery opted for a daring 148-word sentence to open her classic Anne of Green Gables, while J. M. Barrie introduced ...As the first thing you lay eyes upon when opening up a new book, the first line needs to be impactful, enticing, ... Top 10 first lines in children's and teen books. Read more.Jan 29, 2019 ... The clue: The very beginning of a tale that spanned seven magical books and reinvented KidLit. The line: “I am always drawn back to places where ...Quotes tagged as "first-lines" Showing 1-30 of 311. “It was a pleasure to burn.”. ― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451. tags: first-lines , opening-lines. 942 likes. Like. “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.”. ― William Gibson, Neuromancer. tags: first-lines.Tags. 1984 A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man A Series of Unfortunate Events anthem Art of War austen Ayn Rand Bell Jar Book Book Thief books C.S. Lewis CS Lewis Daniel Handler Dante Dante Alighieri Dante's Inferno David Nicholls Delirium Dr. Seuss f. scott fitzgerald Friedrich Nietzsche gatsby …Following are what I consider to be 25 of the best opening lines in literature, in no particular order: 1) “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” – 1984 by George Orwell. 2) “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can’t be sure.”. – The Stranger by Albert Camus.Stuart Gilbert, a British scholar and a friend of James Joyce, was the first person to attempt Camus’s “L’Étranger” in English. In 1946, Gilbert translated the book’s title as “The ... Two Questions to Check if Your First Line Is Good Enough. When your reader picks up your book and reads the first sentence, they want to know two things: 1. What is your book about? The first sentence is often a great place to introduce your premise or core idea. Look back at the examples above. The first line of Moby-Dick, “Call me Ishmael,” is among the most instantly recognizable in all of classic Western literature. Other famous first lines in books may have more in the way of literary fireworks, but “Call me Ishmael” is more like one of those fireworks that’s just a bright flash and a loud bang: it gets your …I'm on my second novel of the series. Really good stuff. Here's the opening paragraph from the first book in the series, "Killing FLoor": "I was arrested in Eno's Diner. At twelve o'clock. I was eating eggs and drinking coffee. A late breakfast, not lunch. I was wet and tired after a long walk in heavy rain.The opening sentence of a science fiction novel, perhaps more than any other genre, has a lot of work to do. Like all good fiction, it needs to hook you, jolt you into the story and establish the tone. Yet it also needs to get you interested in a whole new alternative world, a place where you'll live for the duration of the …I’m definitely going to read this book. Below are fifty great opening lines for you to ponder. We’d love to know if any of these first lines are enough to pique your interest to read the full book. Let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the page. 50 of the most impactful opening sentences in literature: Metamorphosis by Kafka:Jun 24, 2022 ... Great opening lines give me a sense of the narrator's voice, the tone of the tale, and a hook that captures my imagination. A funny cartoon ...6. "Too much light has come out of my darkness." — Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan. Suggested by katelynf4787a7cd3. 7. "The man in black fled across the desert, and the ...The Nightmare before Christmas - Tim Burton. “It was late one fall in Halloweenland, and the air had quite a chill. Against the moon a skeleton sat, alone upon a hill. He was tall and thing with ...In today’s fast-paced world, convenience and ease are of utmost importance when it comes to booking flights. Travelers no longer want to spend hours on the phone or wait in long li... In the spirit of the 2006 list of best first lines of novels, American Book Review Volume 29, No. 2, published in 2008, featured a list of 100 best last lines of novels. . Editor Charlie Harris contacted reviewers, critics, professors, writers, and readers to submit last lines for consideration and then vote to rank the “top 100” last li Aug 30, 2016 ... I am in invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allen Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man ...George Orwell’s first line of 1984 starts off like a typical opening sentence but ends with an unexpected twist, giving readers a creepy, “I’m missing something here” feeling. (And in a few lines, we also get an even creepier “I’m being watched” feeling too.) It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.If you own a piece of land, it’s important to know exactly where your property lines are located. This information can help you avoid disputes with neighbors and ensure that you’re...First line: “Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways.”. This is, perhaps, the most on the nose way for Rowling to echo the previous opening Harry Potter sentences. In case you forgot or didn’t read the previous two books in the series: HARRY POTTER IS WEIRD. He’s weird and he doesn’t belong in the world of the Dursley family.First Words: 10 Great Opening Lines From Literature · 1. "Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, ...12 Breathtaking First Lines in YA. “The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts.” – CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare. “On the day Emma Carstairs’s …Has it happened to you? That moment when you open a book, let your eyes rest on the first page, and suddenly, you're transported. Or shocked. Or laughing.When telling a story, your opening sentence needs to be catchy, so readers continue. The best first lines of books show us the common devices authors use to grab our curiosity. We analyzed …As the first thing you lay eyes upon when opening up a new book, the first line needs to be impactful, enticing, ... Top 10 first lines in children's and teen books. Read more.12 Breathtaking First Lines in YA. “The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts.”. – CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare. “On the day Emma Carstairs’s parents were killed, the weather was perfect.”. – CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE by Cassandra Clare. “On the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of Weep, a girl fell from the skyPride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813) Another classic first line from one of the classics of western literature, this opening gives a fair indication of what is to come in this novel that has been cherished by millions of people across the decades. One of the best-loved novels of all time, Austen’s character development of protagonist ...Spider-Man is action-packed and always thrilling, with a script that was written by David Koepp and then rewritten multiple times until it was perfect. The open lines reflect the dynamic, comic book fun of the rest of the movie and lampshade the origin story it is about to tell. 9. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.Barry Lancet’s latest Jim Brodie mystery-thriller, PACIFIC BURN (Simon & Schuster Feb. 9, 2016), opens with the line“The phone call came far too early to herald anything good.”The first book in the series, JAPANTOWN, won the Barry Award for “Best First Novel,” and the second, TOKYO KILL, was a finalist for a Shamus Award for “Best P.I. Novel of the Year.”Has it happened to you? That moment when you open a book, let your eyes rest on the first page, and suddenly, you're transported. Or shocked. Or laughing.12 powerful first lines from YA books that promise a great read. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) Those first few words are everything. As Brandon Sanderson has taught (and many others have said), the beginning of a book is where the author and the reader come into an agreement. The author … 13. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. “The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world.”. 14. Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting. “My dad and I live in an airport.”. 15. The Teacher’s Funeral by Richard Peck. “If your teacher has to die, August isn’t a bad time of year for it.”. Two intersecting lines are always coplanar. Each line exists in many planes, but the fact that the two intersect means they share at least one plane. The two lines will not always ...Oct 19, 2023 · From Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities to Melville's Moby Dick, often the opening sentence or two of a book will become the most frequently quoted and iconic passage from the entire novel. This list has the best n ovels with great first lines, bound to make the best impression on readers. These books of fiction are well known for their opening ... The 100 most powerful and poignant closing lines from literature. From classics such as George Orwell’s Animal Farm to L. Frank Baum’s T he Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Stylist rounds up the most ... 12 powerful first lines from YA books that promise a great read. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) Those first few words are everything. As Brandon Sanderson has taught (and many others have said), the beginning of a book is where the author and the reader come into an agreement. The author …Aug 30, 2016 ... I am in invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allen Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man ...The Great Gatsby . Even if you haven’t read the classic, you probably recognize the opening line (“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…. A Tale of Two Cities ), because ...Apr 25, 2010 ... What if I wrote a book that began: “My name's Andy”? I don't think it would make the 100 best list of anything. Why didn't Melville start with ...Lolita. (Image credit: Everett/REX_Shutterstock) 'Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap ...Sep 6, 2019 ... 30 great opening lines in literature · 1. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in .....The first line of a novel is arguably the most important of the entire work. As any author knows, the first line can be the difference between a reader won over and a book cast aside. It sets the tone, reveals character, and exposes themes. But some first lines go even further and become part of the collective memory of culture all on their won.Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813) Another classic first line from one of the classics of western literature, this opening gives a fair indication of what is to come in this novel that has been cherished by millions of people across the decades. One of the best-loved novels of all time, Austen’s character development of protagonist ...12 Breathtaking First Lines in YA. “The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts.”. – CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare. “On the day Emma Carstairs’s parents were killed, the weather was perfect.”. – CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE by Cassandra Clare. “On the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of Weep, a girl fell from the skyI’m definitely going to read this book. Below are fifty great opening lines for you to ponder. We’d love to know if any of these first lines are enough to pique your interest to read the full book. Let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the page. 50 of the most impactful opening sentences in literature: Metamorphosis by Kafka:What makes a good first line? I'm sharing my thoughts/tips and a TON of examples, as well as going beyond the literal first line. In many cases, it's actuall... ---1