15 of the best first lines in fiction
- ‘Call me Ishmael’
- ‘I am an invisible man’
- ‘The story so far: in the beginning, the universe was created.
- ‘Mother died today.
- ‘It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York’
What is the first line in the novel?
The first lines of a novel or short story must grab the reader’s attention, enticing them to continue past the first page and continue reading. The first sentence provides you with an opportunity to showcase your writing style, introduce your main character, or establish the inciting incident of your narrative.
What’s the first line of Wuthering Heights?
Wuthering Heights begins, “I have just returned from a visit to my landlord – the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with”, which pitches you straight into the story.
Why is the first line of Rebecca so famous?
– Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier (1938) As the opening line suggests, the entire tale is told retrospectively, from a time and place far away from the dramatic and distressing events the second Mrs. de Winter has lived through.
What is the first line in war and peace?
First Line: ” ‘Eh bien, mon prince, Gênes et Lucques ne sont plus que des apanages, des estates, de la famille Buonaparte. ‘ ” (Well, my prince, Genoa and Lucca are now no more than possessions, estates, of the Buonaparte family.)
What is the first line in Anna Karenina?
Happy families are all alike
The first sentence of Leo Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina is: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Here Tolstoy means that for a family to be happy, several key aspects must be given (such as good health of all family members, acceptable financial security, and mutual affection) …
What is the first sentence of Harry Potter?
First line of Harry Potter: “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” It might seem odd to begin a series about the wizard world talking about the boring old Dursley’s.
How do you start a first chapter of a novel?
An ideal first chapter should do the following things:
- 1) Introduce the main character.
- 2) Make us care enough to go on a journey with that character.
- 3) Set tone.
- 4) Let us know the theme.
- 5) Let us know where we are.
- 6) Introduce the antagonist.
- 7) Ignite conflict.
What is the first line of David Copperfield?
The famous opening line of the novel, as you all know, is, “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”
What is the first line of Heart of Darkness?
The Nellie, a cruising yawl
First Line: “The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails, and was at rest.”
What is the first sentence of Rebecca?
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
What is the first sentence in Lord of the Rings?
First Sentence: When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.
What types of books did Charlotte Bronte used to write?
Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist best known for Jane Eyre (1847), the story of an independent young governess who overcomes hardships while remaining true to her principles. It blended moral realism with Gothic elements. Her other novels included Shirley (1849) and Villette (1853). What were Charlotte Brontë’s siblings’ names?
What are the books written by Charlotte Bronte?
Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë were the authors of some of the best-loved books in the English language. Charlotte’s novel ‘Jane Eyre’ (1847), Emily’s ‘ Wuthering Heights ‘ (1847), and Anne’s ‘The Tenant of Wildfell Hall’ (1848) were written in this house over a hundred and fifty years ago, yet their power still moves readers today.
What books did Charlotte Bronte write?
Charlotte Bronte was a famous English novelist and poet who left behind a rich legacy of written work which includes classical novels like ‘Jane Eyre’, ‘Shirley’ and ‘Villette’.
What is Charlotte Bronte famous for?
Charlotte Bronte (April 21, 1816 – March 31, 1855) was a British novelist, the eldest of the three famous Bronte sisters whose novels have become standards of English literature . Charlotte Bronte, who used the pen name Currer Bell, is best known for Jane Eyre , one of the most famous English novels.
