Famous Novels With The Catchiest First Lines
The opening lines of a novel can prove crucial, and many authors spend an inordinate amount of time considering how their books will begin. From Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities to Melville's Moby Dick, often the opening sentence or two of a book will become the most frequently quoted and iconic passage from the entire novel. This list has the best novels with great first lines, bound to make the best impression on readers.
These books of fiction are well known for their opening lines. The authors know that books don't just need a great story, there also needs to be something that draws in the reader. The opening line is that hook and the books on this list all have intriguing, interesting, and unique opening sentences.
This is a list of the greatest novels with the best introductory text, including world literature (with an emphasis on English literature), from throughout history, with the most memorable and significant beginnings. Vote up the most memorable first lines from fiction below.
Source: American Book Review
- 1Charles Dickens
- First Published: 1859
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. - 2George Orwell
- First Published: 1949-06-08
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. - 3Ray Bradbury
- First Published: 1953
It was a pleasure to burn. - 4Leo Tolstoy
- First Published: 1877
Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. - 5Herman Melville
- First Published: 1851-10-18
Call me Ishmael. - 6J. R. R. Tolkien
- First Published: 1937-09-21
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.
