Books With the Best First Chapter (35 books)

The first chapter is important because it opens the whole story. It creates an impression and often decides if a reader is going to dive into the world created by the author or move forward. Due to these facts, it is completely natural for a list of books that have amazing first chapters to emerge.
It is important to note that this list differs from the list of books with the best first paragraphs.

flag

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Craziest Book Ever Written by Mr. W 3.52 avg rating — 153 ratings score: 499, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. Thompson 4.06 avg rating — 379,521 ratings score: 396, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 4.25 avg rating — 725,079 ratings score: 300, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier 4.01 avg rating — 69,697 ratings score: 295, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Animal Farm by George Orwell 4.02 avg rating — 4,579,671 ratings score: 277, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	American Gods: Tenth Anniversary (American Gods, #1) by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 992,288 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (Goodreads Author) 4.18 avg rating — 645,215 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton 3.93 avg rating — 79,753 ratings score: 194, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 2,890,109 ratings score: 190, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	How the Light Gets In (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #9) by Louise Penny (Goodreads Author) 4.48 avg rating — 98,364 ratings score: 188, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 4.16 avg rating — 2,332,750 ratings score: 185, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 3.99 avg rating — 438,643 ratings score: 184, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 157,400 ratings score: 182, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 4.05 avg rating — 1,231,164 ratings score: 180, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	1984 by George Orwell 4.20 avg rating — 5,495,501 ratings score: 180, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Rosie Project (Don Tillman, #1) by Graeme Simsion (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 595,935 ratings score: 180, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Room by Emma Donoghue (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 836,856 ratings score: 176, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Golem and the Jinni (The Golem and the Jinni, #1) by Helene Wecker (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 131,505 ratings score: 173, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 1,986,105 ratings score: 170, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin 4.34 avg rating — 256,481 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Untold Stories of the Little Prince by Nikola Misovic 3.62 avg rating — 235 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 4.47 avg rating — 805,642 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Naked Lunch: The Restored Text by William S. Burroughs 3.46 avg rating — 98,839 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 4.31 avg rating — 723,426 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1) by Douglas Adams 4.22 avg rating — 2,022,189 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1) by Stephenie Meyer 3.67 avg rating — 7,336,239 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett 4.25 avg rating — 827,012 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith 3.98 avg rating — 115,666 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Jaws (Jaws, #1) by Peter Benchley 3.94 avg rating — 179,768 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 480,715 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The Stranger by Albert Camus 4.03 avg rating — 1,413,310 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy 4.43 avg rating — 1,483,989 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Death of a Nurse (Hamish Macbeth, #31) by M.C. Beaton 3.80 avg rating — 6,133 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Bridie and Finn by Harry Cauley 4.08 avg rating — 189 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore (Goodreads Author) 3.76 avg rating — 45,151 ratings score: 86, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars