top ten best opening lines of novels

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.

One could be 'It was a cold December day when she first walked into his life, and he knew at that moment everything would change.' Another might be 'The moment their eyes met across the crowded room, a spark ignited, a spark that would soon turn into a flame of love.' And also 'In a small town filled with secrets, she found a letter that would lead her to him, and thus began their love story.'

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.

One of them could be 'The first time he heard her laugh, it was like music to his ears, and that was the start of it all.' This opening line focuses on a simple yet powerful moment that can be the beginning of love. Another might be 'She stepped off the train, not knowing that the man she was about to meet would change her life forever.' It sets the stage for an unexpected encounter that leads to love.

Sure. Let's start with 'Pride and Prejudice'. Its opening line '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 is brilliant as it immediately gives us a sense of the society Austen is writing about. It was a time when marriage was often about financial security and social status. The use of 'universally acknowledged' makes it seem like a common belief of that era. Then there's '1984'. 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' This creates an immediate sense of unease. The normalcy of a bright day contrasted with the abnormal 'clocks striking thirteen' sets the dystopian mood of the novel. 'A Tale of Two Cities' opening 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.' is a very profound way to start. It shows the duality and complexity of the situation in both Paris and London at that time.

A great opening line is 'All children, except one, grow up.' from J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan'. This line is simple yet very effective. It makes the reader wonder about that one special child and why they don't grow up like the others. It also gives a sense of mystery and the promise of an adventure.

One of the best 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, dystopian mood.

One more notable opening line could be 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.' from 'The Great Gatsby'. This line makes the reader curious about what that advice was and why it has been on the narrator's mind for so long. It gives a sense of a story that has been brewing in the narrator's head for a while.

Some opening lines in novels are really captivating. For example, in 'Pride and Prejudice', '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 sets the tone for the whole story about marriage and social class in that era. Another great one could be from '1984' which starts with a rather gloomy and controlling atmosphere description, making readers immediately feel the oppressiveness of the world Orwell is about to show.

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.