The opening line of '1984' by George Orwell, 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' is also great. It gives a feeling of unease and abnormality as the number thirteen for the clock strike is out of the ordinary. This sets the stage for the dystopian world where everything is different and often wrong compared to our normal understanding.
One of the top best opening lines is from '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.' This line immediately sets the tone for the story which is centered around marriage and social status in the English society of that time.
In 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens, the opening line 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...' is really remarkable. It creates a sense of duality and contrast right from the start, which is a major theme throughout the novel as it explores the different social and political situations in London and Paris during the French Revolution.
A good one is 'On the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons.' It starts with a thought - provoking comparison between humans and dolphins, and makes you anticipate a story that might question our assumptions of intelligence. Another great opening line is 'The Time Traveler (for so it will be convenient to speak of him)' which sets up a story about time travel in a very matter - of - fact way, getting you ready for an adventure through time.
One of the best opening lines is from 'Dune' by Frank Herbert: 'A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.' It immediately sets a tone of precision and importance, hinting at the complex world of politics and ecology in the story.
Sure. 'Call me Ishmael.' from 'Moby - Dick' by Herman Melville. This simple yet powerful line draws the reader in, making them curious about who Ishmael is and what his story will be.
The opening line of '1984' by George Orwell, 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' is great. It creates an immediate sense of unease and a world that is just a bit off. The idea of the clocks striking thirteen goes against our normal perception of time, signaling that this is a society with its own strange rules.
In 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams, the opening line 'Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.' is great. It throws the reader right into the vastness of the galaxy, showing that the story is going to be set in a huge and perhaps strange cosmos. It has a touch of humor and irreverence as it describes the location as 'uncharted backwaters' and 'unfashionable', which is characteristic of Adams' writing style.
In 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens, 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...' is a great opening. It's very thought - provoking. It makes you think about duality and how different things can be at the same time. It also hooks the reader as they want to find out more about these 'times' that are both good and bad.
In 'Pride and Prejudice', Jane Austen starts with 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' It's a great opening as it gives a quick insight into the society and the themes of marriage and wealth that will be explored in the novel. It's also a bit tongue - in - cheek, which is characteristic of Austen's writing.
Another great one is 'All children, except one, grow up' from 'Peter Pan'. It's so simple yet it draws you in right away, making you wonder about that one child. There are also lines like 'Call me Ishmael' from 'Moby - Dick' which is very iconic and gives a sense of the narrator's identity and sets the tone for the story. These opening lines are great because they either create mystery, set the mood, or introduce a key concept right from the start.
Some other notable opening lines among the top ten could be from 'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov: 'Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul.' This line is very powerful and sets the tone for the entire novel. 'Anna Karenina' by Leo Tolstoy starts with 'All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' It's a thought - provoking beginning that delves into the nature of family and happiness.
In 'Americanah' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the opening line 'Ifemelu—rhymes with Chimamanda—noticed it on her first day at Princeton.' is great. It gives us a character's name right away and also links it to the author's name in a clever way, which makes the reader curious about this Ifemelu and her experience at Princeton. It starts the story in a very specific place and situation, which is effective in drawing the reader in.