Famous first lines
Some first lines of books grab you right away and become iconic such as these first lines below.
A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
1984: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”
The Hobbit: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”
The Princess Bride: “This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it.”
Peter Pan: “All children, except one, grow up.”
Paul Clifford: “It was a dark and stormy night…”
Rebecca: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
The beginning of a story has to pique your interest and make you want to find out more. The middle can’t sag and the ending has to be strong to leave an impression. Easier said than done! Though I can’t possibly compare, I went back and looked at the first lines of some of my books.
All the Little Secrets: This is not a love story, though it’s about love.
Little Secrets Revealed: A lot has happened in the last year.
Whims & Vices: I’d forgotten all about it until I heard news about them decades after everything happened.
Fate & Flirtations: I once loved two men.
Guardian of the Light: It begins with a dream.
Fairy Tale Karma: Jill wondered if she’d made a mistake.
The first lines of a book, whether I’m reading or writing, always feels like the start of a journey. What are some first lines from books that have pulled you into a story or from a book you’ve written?
A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
1984: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”
The Hobbit: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”
The Princess Bride: “This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it.”
Peter Pan: “All children, except one, grow up.”
Paul Clifford: “It was a dark and stormy night…”
Rebecca: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
The beginning of a story has to pique your interest and make you want to find out more. The middle can’t sag and the ending has to be strong to leave an impression. Easier said than done! Though I can’t possibly compare, I went back and looked at the first lines of some of my books.
All the Little Secrets: This is not a love story, though it’s about love.
Little Secrets Revealed: A lot has happened in the last year.
Whims & Vices: I’d forgotten all about it until I heard news about them decades after everything happened.
Fate & Flirtations: I once loved two men.
Guardian of the Light: It begins with a dream.
Fairy Tale Karma: Jill wondered if she’d made a mistake.
The first lines of a book, whether I’m reading or writing, always feels like the start of a journey. What are some first lines from books that have pulled you into a story or from a book you’ve written?
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Thanks Anna! Fate & Flirtations has all 5-star reviews on Amazon but is my worst selling book! Do you have any favorite first lines from your books?
"Scottish drizzle was falling on a freezing Saturday morning in Glasgow"From Fat Jimmy and the Blind Ballerina by a gifted author
NB: A Tale of two Cities also has one of the best last lines ever."Tis a far, far, better thing that I do now than I have ever done..."
Apologies if my quote is inexact, I was doing it from memory.
Trust me to be late in replying and unable to make up my mind between two books for the favourite first lines.From Beware the Midnight Train: "From the outside Eleanor saw no discernible reason why Flint Cottage should be dirt cheap to rent."
And from Under a Dark Star: "Lieutenant Karl Thorsen arrived, as usual, like a drum roll prior to battle."
A new bookshop has opened near me and it's called "The Best of Times." Good name, eh?
Thanks for sharing, Anna! I've enjoyed several of your books. Great name for a bookshop.
The one that struck me of yours is from Fate and Flirtations and the titles I like best are Guardian of the Light and Fairy Tale Karma.