opening-lines-favorite

Famous First Lines

Sarah SoonWriting

They say to to judge a book by its cover, but who judges based on the first lines?

For me, if the first line is subpar, I might continue reading, especially if came highly recommended (or for an assignment).

But I enjoy when that first line whisks me into the story’s world.

Ever experienced that?

So, as we’re practicing social distancing, surviving this world-wide pandemic the best we can, let’s share our favorite first lines:

Here are some opening lines I enjoy: 

          Classics: 

        • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: “It’s a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”
        • Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: “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 had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
        • Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: “It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love.”
        • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald:“In my younger and more vulnerable years, my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, he told me, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”

      Memoir:

      • The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls: “I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster.”
      • Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore: “Until Miss Debbie, I’d never spoke to no white woman before.”
      • Be Where You’re Supposed to be by Nelson Pendergrass: “When I picked it up, I couldn’t help but read what the note said: ‘In a few days all my problems will be over. I have poisoned Mom and Dad. In three days, they will be dead.’ “

      Note: This is actually the third paragraph of the book’s opening, but liked it too much not to share. I was the ghostwriter for this memoir.

      Bible:

      • “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth” Genesis 1:1 KJV.
      • “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” John 1:1 KJV.
      • “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life…” 1 John 1:1 KJV.

      Now it’s your turn. Please share your favorite opening lines in Comments below. Also, keep safe and lean into your family, friends, and most of all, God!

      Also, if you want to exercise your creativity, why not write a haiku. (It’s only three lines.) You might win this free journal. (Dee and I will select the winner by the end of the month.) For guidelines on writing a haiku, check out my blog post.