Opening Lines - Page 2

tubemonkey · 06-23-2018, 06:49 PM

Call me Ishmael.
I will begin the story of my adventures with a certain morning early in the month of June, the year of grace 1751, when I took the key for the last time out of the door of my father's house.
A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes.
I was sick—sick unto death with that long agony; and when they at length unbound me, and I was permitted to sit, I felt that my senses were leaving me.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

BenG · 06-23-2018, 07:01 PM

1. Moby Dick
2. Kidnapped
5. A Tale of Two Cities

poohbear_nc · 06-23-2018, 07:13 PM

3. The Scarlet Letter

poohbear_nc · 06-23-2018, 07:15 PM

4. The Pit and the Pendulum

tubemonkey · 06-23-2018, 07:36 PM

All 5 correct.

* A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.

Fbone · 06-23-2018, 08:04 PM

A couple of my favorites:

1. It was a pleasure to burn.

2. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

poohbear_nc · 06-23-2018, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

All 5 correct.

* A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.

Dune ...

jackie_w · 06-23-2018, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fbone

1. It was a pleasure to burn.

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fbone

2. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

1984 - George Orwell

tubemonkey · 06-23-2018, 10:17 PM

Dick said, "Look, look. Look up. Look up, up, up."

DNSB · 06-23-2018, 10:29 PM

Yet another opening line. This one from one of my favourite authors:

Inspector Drayton sat, solidly planted behind the desk, and waited. He was a rawboned man with a face that looked as if it might have been hacked, by a dull hatchet, out of a block of gnarled wood.

pwalker8 · 06-23-2018, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Call me Ishmael.
I will begin the story of my adventures with a certain morning early in the month of June, the year of grace 1751, when I took the key for the last time out of the door of my father's house.
A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes.
I was sick—sick unto death with that long agony; and when they at length unbound me, and I was permitted to sit, I felt that my senses were leaving me.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

1 & 5 might very well be the most famous opening lines in all of literature (ignoring "It was a dark and stormy night" of course)

Pulpmeister · 06-24-2018, 02:51 AM

#3 is actually from "Fletch's Fortune".

And the first 4 that "everyone knows" were of course (although "everyone" in relation to the last is a bit presumptuous):

Rebecca
Pride and Prejudice
The Bridge at San Luis Rey
Paul Clifford (by Bulwer-Lytton)

pdurrant · 06-24-2018, 05:26 AM

Here's seven classics for you:

"There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Ilúvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made."
“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”
“There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.”
“The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home.”
“The island of Gont, a single mountain that lifts its peak a mile above the storm-racked Northeast Sea, is a land famous for wizards.”
“Captain First Rank Marko Ramius of the Soviet Navy was dressed for the Arctic conditions normal to the Northern Fleet submarine base at Polyarnyy.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”

Pulpmeister · 06-24-2018, 07:04 AM

4: The Wind in the Willows
6: The Hunt for Red October

Bilbo1967 · 06-24-2018, 07:09 AM

7. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

06-23-2018, 06:49 PM	#16
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,476 Karma: 158151390 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	Call me Ishmael. I will begin the story of my adventures with a certain morning early in the month of June, the year of grace 1751, when I took the key for the last time out of the door of my father's house. A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes. I was sick—sick unto death with that long agony; and when they at length unbound me, and I was permitted to sit, I felt that my senses were leaving me. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

06-23-2018, 10:29 PM	#25
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 35,307 Karma: 145435140 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Forma, Clara HD, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Yet another opening line. This one from one of my favourite authors: Inspector Drayton sat, solidly planted behind the desk, and waited. He was a rawboned man with a face that looked as if it might have been hacked, by a dull hatchet, out of a block of gnarled wood. Last edited by DNSB; 06-23-2018 at 10:30 PM. Reason: How embarassing. Another fat fingered typo...

06-24-2018, 05:26 AM	#28
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 71,496 Karma: 306214458 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	Here's seven classics for you: "There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Ilúvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made." “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” “There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.” “The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home.” “The island of Gont, a single mountain that lifts its peak a mile above the storm-racked Northeast Sea, is a land famous for wizards.” “Captain First Rank Marko Ramius of the Soviet Navy was dressed for the Arctic conditions normal to the Northern Fleet submarine base at Polyarnyy.” “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Finding lines with dropped opening quote	MerlinMama	Editor	4	01-02-2016 04:15 PM
Other Fiction Various: A Little Collection of Opening Lines from Various Novels v1. 6. Apr. 2015	Kasper Hviid	ePub Books	1	04-09-2015 12:49 PM
Touch Dark lines between lines of text	taming	Kobo Reader	12	06-13-2011 07:20 PM
What are your favorite opening lines to a sci/fi novel?	wayspooled	Reading Recommendations	76	11-06-2009 08:51 AM
Opening lines of classic novels	HarryT	Lounge	32	07-11-2009 07:01 PM

06-23-2018, 07:01 PM	#17
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,729 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	1. Moby Dick 2. Kidnapped 5. A Tale of Two Cities

06-23-2018, 07:13 PM	#18
poohbear_nc Now what? Posts: 58,799 Karma: 135181808 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	3. The Scarlet Letter

06-23-2018, 07:15 PM	#19
poohbear_nc Now what? Posts: 58,799 Karma: 135181808 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	4. The Pit and the Pendulum

06-23-2018, 07:36 PM	#20
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,476 Karma: 158151390 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	All 5 correct. * A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.

06-23-2018, 08:04 PM	#21
Fbone Is that a sandwich? Posts: 8,189 Karma: 100500000 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Glowlight Plus	A couple of my favorites: 1. It was a pleasure to burn. 2. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

06-23-2018, 10:17 PM	#24
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,476 Karma: 158151390 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	Dick said, "Look, look. Look up. Look up, up, up."

06-24-2018, 02:51 AM	#27
Pulpmeister Wizard Posts: 2,502 Karma: 28893796 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Device: kindle	#3 is actually from "Fletch's Fortune". And the first 4 that "everyone knows" were of course (although "everyone" in relation to the last is a bit presumptuous): Rebecca Pride and Prejudice The Bridge at San Luis Rey Paul Clifford (by Bulwer-Lytton)

06-24-2018, 07:04 AM	#29
Pulpmeister Wizard Posts: 2,502 Karma: 28893796 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Device: kindle	4: The Wind in the Willows 6: The Hunt for Red October

06-24-2018, 07:09 AM	#30
Bilbo1967 Not scared! Posts: 13,424 Karma: 81011643 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Midlands, UK Device: Kindle Paperwhite 10, Huawei M5 10	7. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone