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.
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 '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 '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.
A third characteristic is character introduction. A strong opening line can introduce a character in an interesting way. Take 'The Fault in Our Stars' where the opening gives us a sense of Hazel's voice and her situation. By introducing the character early on, it makes the reader care about what will happen to them in the story.
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.
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.
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.
In '1984' by George Orwell, 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' This opening line is really effective. The fact that the clocks are striking thirteen is immediately jarring and out of the ordinary. It signals to the reader that this is a world that is different from our own, perhaps a dystopian one where normal rules don't apply. It makes the reader curious to find out more about this strange world.
One great opening line is 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' from George Orwell's '1984'. It immediately sets an off - kilter mood, making the reader wonder about this world where the clocks seem to be acting strangely.
One great opening line is 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' from George Orwell's '1984'. It immediately sets a strange, dystopian mood.