Opening words of famous books

Opening lines list of books with great first lines. They can be long, descriptive, runon sentences that prepare you for everything youre about to see. Apr 16, 2015 some great lines are flowery and beautiful, while others are direct and to the point. Personal choices from the telegraphs 100 best opening lines in fiction. Play this hours famous first lines mixed quiz a new quiz every hour. Tale of two cities by charles dickens first paragraph 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 spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we. Famous first words you cant judge a book by its cover, but librarian nancy pearl thinks the first line can tell you a lot. Opening sentences stick with you in a way unlike any other quotes because they are forever the first words you associate with reading that specific work.

Pearl shares some of her favorite literary opening lines with nprs. Looking back at all that has been written by accomplished authors throughout history, its extremely difficult to pick just ten books to mention, but to narrow the search weve opted for books with, in our opinion, the most famous opening lines. It all starts by opening to the first page and reading the first line. Theyre the first things you see when you open the pages to chapter one. Dec 02, 2011 fahrenheit 451 details a dystopian future in which a firemans sole job is to burn books, thereby maintaining a society made up of people who are oblivious and manageable. They talk about what they like and dont like as well as how books have influenced their lives. The 23 most unforgettable last sentences in fiction a books final lines can make or break the experience. Apr 04, 2016 we take a look at the killer opening lines that got us hooked into our favourite books. Thank you for sharing these fabulous opening lines.

The first line to tolstoys epic tragedy is famous for good reason. Fahrenheit 451, ray bradbury, 1953 it was a pleasure to burn. Here is a personal collection of some of the greatest opening words to some of the greatest books. Its hard to escape the hint of sarcasm in this opening line, which refers not to the book s famous hero mr. Opening sentences of famous novels leon mazzella on. At its best, a novels opening line raises questions, piques interest, and creates intrigue. Apr 06, 2016 but can we judge a book by its first line. An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story, he said. As you teach writing and journaling in your own classroom, we pulled together some of the most memorable, fun, creative, and best opening lines books for children and teens have to offer. I would merely indicate to jennifer by the affirmative nodding of my head that i would be happy to do her any favor whatsoever. Youll recognize some, want to read others, and be amazed by nearly all, i bet. On this day in 1873, writer and politician edward bulwerlytton died. My choice is a famous sentence, that opening of hemingways the.

All five of these are opening lines from the parker novels, by donald e. Each page is manually curated, researched, collected, and issued by our staff writers. There are many contenders here, so whittling them down to a shortlist of the ten greatest and most famous opening lines of poetry didnt exactly prove an easy task. Since ive already blown my chance to make a good first impression i offer up fifteen of the greatest opening lines in literature. Or, they can be short, concise, small, quiet yet poetic sentences. May 10, 2014 the most famous opening lines in literature. Because these are the most terrifying opening lines from books, and the books that follow. These books have some of the best first sentences in all of literaturethey tantalize, intrigue and tell you something fundamental about the pages to follow. The title refers to the temperature at which paper burns.

Can you guess these famous last lines from these books. The incredible first sentences of 25 famous books by jason iannone on 111420. But a great line should always pull you out of your world and straight into the world of the book. Quotes contained on this page have been double checked for their citations, their accuracy and the impact it will have on our readers. Apr 22, 2014 9 famous opening lines of novels and why we love them. Now it wastes no time in opening the book with the right feeling a mix of regret and menace and mystery. Apr 28, 2012 bronte nails janes hopeless prospects in 10 words. This infographic features first lines from some of the most famous books of all time. This list has the best n ovels with great first lines, bound to make. And with so many books to read, the competition between them is wast. First thoughts that last in our memory from jane austen, hunter s. Lee ermey sin city she shivers in the wind like the last leaf on a.

Those opening words were uttered by the books 14yearold. Revisit the most memorable and gripping opening sentences of 100 essential books for youngsters from pre. The authors know that books dont just need a great story, there also needs to be something that draws in the reader. Jun, 2011 weve already told you how movies should end, so in a mementostyle narrative gimmick, were going back and telling you how they should begin keeping us all gripped from the very first line of dialogue, here are the 50 greatest cinematic openers ever. Be sure to let us know which mustread books have you read. Bingley, whom the bennet family has just learned is shortly to move into nearby netherfield park. The most famous opening lines in literature youtube. Some great lines are flowery and beautiful, while others are direct and to the point. It is matched by rose macaulays famous opening to the towers of. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in. The first sentence sets the stagehowever long or short the textand hints at the narrative vehicle. Here, in just a few words, we get a taste of celies strong voice and her terrible heartbreak. Though there are many advises from professional editors and famous writers themselves, it is still the most crucial part where your.

Author stephen king recently revealed that he spends months, even years, writing opening sentences, attributing the success of the entire book to these first few words. The very first sentence of a story can be extremely powerful. What are the best opening lines in all of english verse. The sentence is made up of six words, elegant in their brevity and crushing in their implications. Can you match the first lines of famous books to their. O ur selection of wise and witty opening words from 30 brilliant classic novels. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. The 10 best first lines in fiction books the guardian. Fahrenheit 451 details a dystopian future in which a firemans sole job is to burn books, thereby maintaining a society made up of people who are oblivious and manageable. The first lines of a story set the mood and draw readers in. In their magna opera, famous authors have written some of the most beautiful and wellknown lines in literature. From somewhere inside me came this devastating assault to make me cry. In homage to that fact, we asked former stylist contributors to share the opening lines that mean the. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a.

The sentence is made up of six words, elegant in their brevity and crushing in. The opening lines of a book are where the reader gets hooked. Nov 08, 2016 personal choices from the telegraphs 100 best opening lines in fiction. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but theres no saying about judging a book by its first line. Can you match the first lines of these famous books to their titles. The opening lines of a novel can prove crucial, and many authors spend an inordinate amount of time considering how their books will begin. The top 10 best opening lines of novels litreactor.

First paragraph of tale of two cities memorable quotations. The best 100 opening lines from books is one of stylists most popular piece of content ever. My favorite first line of, probably, my favorite author thomas wolfe, a destiny that leads the english to the dutch is strange enough. This infographic features 34 compelling first lines from some of the most famous books of all time. Sep 08, 2004 famous first words you cant judge a book by its cover, but librarian nancy pearl thinks the first line can tell you a lot. 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. May 19, 2017 celie, the narrator of alice walkers masterpiece, is a poor, uneducated black girl living in the south in the 1930s. Everything is about the constant presence of memory, and the ethereal opening immediately. At the same time, the reader can hardly resist turning the first page. It hooks the reader completely, and forces them to devour the rest of the story because. Feast your eyes on more examples of opening sentences from famous books below. In quite a few cases, the memorable opening lines are also some of the greatest lines in film. When i was a teenager, my biggest lessons came from kenny chesney, tim mcgraw, george strait, rascal flatts and brad paisley. Welcome to my quiz about the opening lines of some of the most famous novels in the world.

The first and last lines of iconic books, and what they. The opening line is that hook and the books on this list all have intriguing, interesting, and unique opening sentences. Probably the hardest part about writing a book is how to start a story in the first place. Jane austens playful authorial tone of voice is evident right from the beginning of her most famous work. I learned so much from opening up for those artists, and it also taught me how to treat your opening acts and make them feel like theyre part of a family, not just a tour.

Both new and old, fiction and nonfictionthese books are packed with the best book quotes that provide thoughtprovoking bits of wisdom, wit, and universal truths. We take a look at the killer opening lines that got us hooked into our favourite books. The opening lines of the worlds most famous books daily. Famous novels with the catchiest first lines ranker. Jess zafarris september 28, 2018 in the novemberdecember 2018 issue, the backpage potpourri for the pen column featured a matching game in which readers had to match the first lines of famous books to their titles. In homage to that fact, we asked former stylist contributors to. Its a lot of fun and a great way to start a writing day rebecca on april 05, 2011 10. She tells her secrets to god, because she has no one else. Opening lines set the tone for a work of literature, serving as an invitation for a reader. Reading english books is an excellent way to help your learning and get a cultural kick at the same time. The sentence went on to serve as the literary posterchild for bad story starters, and it also became the inspiration behind the annual bulwerlytton fiction contest, in which writers compete for top honors by. Sep 06, 2019 o ur selection of wise and witty opening words from 30 brilliant classic novels. The 23 most unforgettable last sentences in fiction. From dickenss a tale of two cities to melvilles moby dick, often the opening sentence or two of a book will become the most frequently quoted and iconic passage from the entire novel.

Can you identify these 15 opening lines from 15 famous authors. In quite a few cases, the memorable opening lines are also some of the greatest lines in film history. The opening sentence of a book can determine a lot of things including whether or not you decide to keep going with said book. The opening lines of the worlds most famous books by ayana source. A novelty book, diecut in the stylized shape of the first three letters of the alphabet, presents for the first time an anthology of more than eighty of the most beautiful opening lines of famous novels. These are many of the bestknown opening lines, fadeins, and first words of dialogue heard throughout cinematic history the initial opening words of films are sometimes heard even before the title credits. Scroll through each poignant piece of literary genius and most known book quotes below in our list. Because these are the most terrifying opening lines from books, and the books that follow are often terrifying enough to live up to the. May 15, 2018 or, they can be short, concise, small, quiet yet poetic sentences. One of the hardest things on the long list of hard things a novelist has to do is writing the opening line. The first line is the authors chance to make a first impression and to capture the imagination of the reader, and the very best books will keep the reader hooked from the first line to the very last line. Our guide to the greatest opening lines of novels in the english language, from jane austen to james joyce.

Its as if when i open myself up to every perception, things create their own focus. Its the authors first invitation into a world of their own creation. Below, we quote the opening lines, but if you click. They stand alone as sentences but also make you want to read on to discover what else is behind them. Ill give you the first line of a famous book and all you have to do is tell me which book it is from. In a 150,000word novel, perhaps no words are more important than the first ones. These books of fiction are well known for their opening lines.