15 Of The Most Famous First Sentences Across Literature

Forbes

18 hours ago

British novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870) sat in his study in Gads Hill near Rochester, Kent ... More circa 1860. He wrote one of the best first lines in literature.
Great opening lines to books set the tone for what's to come. Whether the beginning broaches a central issue in the book, creates the mood for the remainder of the novel, or introduces a character who will drive the action, the best first sentence of a book can make or break the reading experience. When readers feel intrigued by the start, they are much more likely to stick with a book. Plus, the best opening line of a book also establishes the narrator and suggests the perspective that will be presented going forward. This list of famous opening lines to books contains famous authors whose greatest gifts are on display.
Memorable First Lines In Literature
A good opening sentence usually tees up a story or a mood, or it tells a universal truth. People need to be hooked from the first line, or they may not continue with the book. If a book takes too long to make a point or begins with something unimportant, the reader loses interest.
Well-known authors who have mastered the exceptional opening line include many of the greatest writers in literature, including Jane Austen, Toni Morrison, Sylvia Plath and Charles Dickens. These rankings are based on the quality of the writing, the reputation of the opening sentence within literary criticism, the enduring popularity of these classic novels, and how well the line sets up the novel.
Jane Austen's classic novel concerning the roundabout courtship of the stubborn Elizabeth by the equally stubborn Mr. Darcy is nicely introduced by a truism about 19th-century marriage. Austen goes on to flout many rules of the era, but ultimately she unites her star-crossed lovers in accordance with tradition—thus proving that universal truth.
This book is best for romance novel fans. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is available from publisher Penguin Random House.
Cassandra Mortmain introduces herself to readers with an unexpected confession that establishes three things—she is small enough to still fit in a sink, she is unconventional and she is fearless. This coming-of-age tale about a teenage wannabe writer navigating an increasingly tumultuous home life maintains its fresh, unique point of view throughout.
This book is best for those who enjoy quirky perspectives. Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle is available from publisher Macmillan.
The opening line of this epic Latin American classic brilliantly uses foreshadowing to introduce the book's main character. Referencing childhood softens the colonel's military title, but looking ahead to his possible death suggests a chasm between childhood wonder and regret. The book spins the story of the Buendías spanning generations and examines themes of isolation.
This book is best for those who enjoy magical realism. Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude is available from publisher HarperCollins.
Truly, any of Morrison's books could make this list, but Paradise is particularly intriguing. Referring to 'the' white girl makes it clear everyone else is a different race—so why was she there and who else gets shot? The story of a small Black town facing white invaders answers those questions and more.
This book is best for those looking for nuanced books about race. Toni Morrison's Paradise is available from publisher Penguin Random House.
Talk about a universal truth. No matter what the reader's native tongue, they can understand the Russian author's point. Tolstoy weaves a narrative about an affair that could have been pure soap opera but instead explores the social mores of the 19th century while also examining the push and pull of societal norms and desires.
This book is best for anyone who wants a heavy read with historical heft. Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is available from publisher Penguin Random House.
Actress Alicia Vikander attends the premiere of the movie version of "Anna Karenina" at Florence ... More Gould Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 in New York City. The novel has one of the greatest opening lines of a book.
Most authors are coy when introducing an unreliable narrator. Not Vonnegut—he informs the reader right off the bat that some of what is told may be misleading or even untrue. Narrator Billy Pilgrim, a soldier, struggles after witnessing horrors during the war that threaten his relationship to time.
This book is best for anyone open to a strong anti-war message. Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five is available from publisher Penguin Random House.
This may be the best-ever example of laying out a novella's central conceit in one succinct sentence. Gregor has turned into an insect overnight, and of course, anyone who reads this wants to know why. The rest of Metamorphosis explains how he got there and whether he can return to human form.
This book is best for those who enjoy books about transformations (physical and/or metaphorical). Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis is available from Simon & Schuster.
The dichotomy between the first half of this opening sentence—just a brisk spring day—and the second part—the equivalent of pigs flying—forms a brilliant opener to Orwell's dystopian novel. Clearly, all is not right in this future where The Party controls everything, and one ordinary man dares to push back.
This book is best for anyone who's ever wondered where the phrase 'Big Brother is watching' comes from. George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four is available from publisher Simon & Schuster.
Neale Hurston's writing style is pure poetry, and this opener captures the romance of the unknown. When you can't touch something, it always carries the promise of being exactly what you want; but no 'ship' grants everyone's wish. This treatise on gender and race inequality follows Janie as she falls in love with Tea Cake.
This book is best for those who want to read a Harlem Renaissance classic. Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God is available from publisher HarperCollins.
If the title wasn't enough to warn the reader, the first line tips it—this is not a book for the faint of heart. The narrator is going on two trips, one from the drugs, one to the edge of the desert, and neither seems well-planned. The book follows the journalist's epic journeys.
This book is best for anyone interested in counterculture. Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is available from publisher Penguin Random House.
Hunter S Thompson at his ranch standing against a bookcase with a Ralph Steadman picture on the wall ... More on October 12, 1990. He wrote one of the best opening lines in a book.
Simple, to the point and unassuming, the opening line of Melville's whale of a tale introduces the plainspoken narrator—who, it turns out, may not be quite as reliable a narrator as it first seems (why not just say, 'my name is Ishmael'). He describes his captain's quest to hunt down the great Moby Dick.
This book is best for those interested in social commentary who don't mind accompanying passages about whale blubber. Herman Melville's Moby Dick is available from publisher Simon & Schuster.
So much of successful storytelling is about establishing time and place, and Plath does this beautifully with her opening line that delivers, if not an actual date and address, about as close as you can come. Her novel explores this clearly unsure narrator's descent into depression, partly due to societal expectations.
This book is best for anyone who loves poetry and dark but lyrical writing. Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar is available from publisher HarperCollins.
This line has become cliché for a reason—it perfectly sets tone, mood and expectations for this novel about a young girl's quest to find her lost father. The guileless tone and straightforward description (nothing flowery) create expectations that L'Engle fulfills for a thrilling yet winnable adventure.
This book is best for children's literature fans. Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time is available from publisher Macmillan.
Ellison's narrator lays it all on the line to start. He tells the reader that he is invisible, and it soon becomes apparent that this truth is a metaphor for Blackness in the early 20th century. The unnamed protagonist (unseen even by the reader) struggles to fulfill his dreams of professional success due to racism.
This book is best for those who want to read about the harsh realities of the Jim Crow South. Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is available from publisher Penguin Random House.
Dickens penned arguably the most famous opening line ever with his observation about how two things can be true at once, depending on your circumstances. The novel follows the saga of families in London and Paris who navigate tumultuous historical events as well as personal upheavals, including love, loss and even murder.
This book is best for Dickens fans and epic family fiction lovers. Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities is available from publisher Simon & Schuster.
Bottom Line
See which opening line appeals to you, and then enjoy a terrific read that builds on the imaginative opener. These books are all among the best ever written, and the opening lines are just one part of their genius.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Are Great Book Passages?
Great book passages combine several sentences to flesh out a character or move the plot forward by conveying a universal truth.
This wonderful excerpt from E.B. White's Charlotte's Web (1952) gives insight into a relationship:
''You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while, we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that.''
This incredible excerpt from Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting (1993) explains why life is worth living:
'Choose us. Choose life. Choose mortgage payments; choose washing machines; choose cars; choose sitting oan a couch watching mind-numbing and spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing *&%^in junk food intae yir mooth. Choose rotting away, pishing and *&%^eing yersel in a home, a total *&%^in embarrassment tae the selfish, *&%^ed-up brats ye've produced. Choose life.'
How Do You Write A Captivating First Sentence For A Novel?
Writing a good first sentence in a novel requires the same approach no matter what genre you write in—romance, fantasy, mystery or science fiction. The first line should give the reader a small insight into what your book is about while also introducing an essential element of the story.
That element could be the central problem of the book, the narrator or another main character, or the location of the action, if that is important to your plot. The number of words don't matter, but how you use them does. Write the first line in the same style as the rest of the book.
It may be easier to come back after you have finished the book and then write the first line. This also allows you to incorporate foreshadowing, a valuable literary tool.
What Are Great Novel Closing Lines?
Great novel closing lines summarize the point of the novel without getting preachy or repetitive.
The final line from One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1962) sums up the utter banality of Ivan's life in the Soviet labor camp:
'There were three thousand six hundred and fifty-three days like that in his stretch. From the first clang of the rail to the last clang of the rail. The three extra days were for leap years.'
The final line of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007) by J.K. Rowling confirms Voldemort, Harry's sworn enemy, has never returned:
'The scar had not pained Harry for 19 years. All was well.'
How Do You Write A Good Book Ending?
Writing a good book ending means deciding whether you want to end things with a neat bow, wrapping up all the book's loose ends, or keep the reader guessing, leaving some critical questions open to interpretation. The author has the prerogative on what to do here, but it's important to know that some genres, like mysteries, romances and children's books, tend to demand pat endings, while others don't.
Book endings should address, if not outright resolve, most of the pressing plotlines in the book. Harkening back to the book's opening lines or themes can also provide a great finishing point for a novel. Maintaining the same tone and approach as the rest of the novel is critical for continuity.
Of course, if you write a book series, you may want to use a cliffhanger to drive people to buy the next book, which presumably resolves your situation.