Can you give examples of the worst first lines in novels?
Another example could be 'There were things.' This line is extremely non - specific. It doesn't give any details about what these 'things' are, whether they are good or bad, or how they relate to the story. It's just a very weak start for a novel.
Sure. 'It was a time.' is a really bad first line. It's so vague that it doesn't give the reader any idea of when this 'time' is, what kind of era, or what might be significant about it. It just leaves the reader feeling lost from the very start.
Can you give more examples of the best first lines in novels?
Sure. In 'Moby - Dick' by Herman Melville, 'Call me Ishmael.' This simple yet powerful line draws the reader into the story, making them curious about who Ishmael is and what his story will be. It's a very direct way to start a novel that goes on to be an epic adventure on the high seas.
Can you give some examples of first lines of cyberpunk novels?
Sure. 'The city was alive with a thousand lights, none of them natural, and Johnny Mnemonic walked through it like a ghost.' This line sets a mood of a very artificial and somewhat otherworldly city. It also introduces a character in a rather mysterious way, making the reader want to know more about Johnny Mnemonic.
Can you give examples of great first lines in classic novels?
A classic example is from 'Anna Karenina' by Leo Tolstoy: 'All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' This line sets a philosophical tone and makes the reader anticipate stories of different families, both happy and unhappy, which is a central theme in the novel.
Analysis of the '100 worst first lines of novels'
The '100 worst first lines of novels' might be bad for various reasons. Some could be too cliché, like starting with 'It was a dark and stormy night' which has been overused. Others might be too convoluted or unclear, making it difficult for readers to immediately engage with the story. Some first lines may also lack any sort of hook to draw the reader in.
Can you give more examples of the best first lines of English novels?
Sure. Consider the first line of 'Moby - Dick' by Herman Melville: 'Call me Ishmael.' It's a simple yet powerful line that invites the reader into the story from the perspective of the narrator. It's a very direct way to start a novel about a man's obsession with a great white whale.
Can you give more examples of famous first lines from novels?
Sure. 'All children, except one, grow up.' is the first line from J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan'. It immediately sets a sense of mystery around the one child who doesn't grow up.
Can you give some examples of first and last lines of famous novels?
Sure. For example, in 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen, the first line is 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' And the last line is 'Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them.'
Can you give examples of the best first lines in science fiction novels?
Sure. For example, in H.G. Wells' 'The War of the Worlds', 'No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own.' This first line creates a sense of mystery and foreboding. It makes the reader wonder who these 'intelligences' are and what they are up to, while also setting the time period which adds historical context.
Can you give examples of first lines from classic mystery novels?
Sure. In Arthur Conan Doyle's 'A Study in Scarlet', the first line is 'In the year 1878 I took my degree of Doctor of Medicine of the University of London, and proceeded to Netley to go through the course prescribed for surgeons in the army.' This line begins Holmes' story and gives some background about the narrator, which helps to establish the context of the mystery.
Can you give examples of different types of first lines in novel?
Sure. A famous example of an atmospheric first line is 'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.' from 'Rebecca'. It sets a dreamy, somewhat eerie mood. Another is 'Call me Ishmael.' from 'Moby - Dick', which is a character - centered introduction.