We may not judge a book by its cover, but we are definitely impacted by the first line. Catchy first lines raise curiosity and make you want to dive right into the wordly magic of a novel.
Knowing that the opening lines of a novel can prove crucial, many authors spend an inordinate amount of time considering how their books will begin. The authors know that books don’t just need a great story, there also needs to be something that draws in the reader.
Below are 10 famous novels which are very well known for their opening lines. The opening line is that hook and the books on this list all have intriguing, interesting, and unique opening sentences.
1. A 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.”
2. 1984 by George Orwell
“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen”
3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
“It was a pleasure to burn.”
4. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
” Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
5. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
” In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”
6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
” It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
7. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
“Call me Ishmael.”
8. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
” All this happened, more or less.”
9. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
” Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were very normal, thank you very much.”
10. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis
“There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. “
