Can you give examples of first lines from classic mystery novels?

2024-10-31 10:27

2 answers

2024-10-31 14:35

Another example is from Dorothy L. Sayers' 'Whose Body?'. 'Lord Peter Wimsey stretched himself luxuriously among the cushions of a first - class carriage and wondered why the dickens he was going to Scotland.' This line shows the character in a rather relaxed state at first, but then there is an element of mystery in the question of why he is going to Scotland, which draws the reader in.

2024-10-31 13:27

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 great first lines in classic novels?

1 answer

2024-10-28 23:40

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.

Can you give examples of the worst first lines in novels?

2 answers

2024-10-27 13:05

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 examples of the best first lines in science fiction novels?

2 answers

2024-11-11 23:00

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 second lines from different famous novels?

2 answers

2024-11-03 18:09

Sure. In '1984', the second line is 'The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats.' This simple description immediately starts to build the drab and oppressive atmosphere of the world Orwell is creating. It gives a sense of the poverty and lack of comfort in the setting.

Can you give examples of the best lines from horror stories?

1 answer

2024-11-10 06:37

Another one is 'The eyes that stared back at me from the darkness were not human.' It immediately creates a sense of dread. Just the thought of non - human eyes watching from the dark is terrifying. It makes you wonder what kind of creature or entity is there, lurking and observing.

Can you give more examples of the best opening lines from a novel?

3 answers

2024-11-07 11:03

Sure. The opening of 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald: 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. "Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."' This line gives us an insight into the narrator's character and sets up the themes of class and judgment.

Can you give me a few best last lines from classic novels?

2 answers

2024-10-27 10:55

Sure. Consider the last line from 'Pride and Prejudice': '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.' This line ties up the happy ending of the two main characters and their families neatly.

Can you give examples of different types of mystery novels?

1 answer

2024-11-03 03:12

Yes. 'The Maltese Falcon' is a well - known hard - boiled mystery. For mystery novels with a supernatural element, 'The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires' combines mystery and horror. And for legal mysteries, 'Presumed Innocent' is a good example that focuses on the legal aspects of a murder mystery.

Can you give more examples of famous starting lines of novels?

2 answers

2024-11-13 06:27

The opening line of 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald is 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.' This line gives an impression of the narrator reflecting on the past and sets the stage for the story that is filled with memories, dreams, and the pursuit of the American Dream.

Can you give some examples of the best opening lines of novels?

1 answer

2024-10-27 17:58

The opening of 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens - 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...' is a classic. It sets up the contrast that is going to be central to the story, which is set during the French Revolution. It's a very powerful and thought - provoking start that gives a sense of the complex and chaotic times in which the story unfolds.