Best Openers Ever

Valmont

I bought metamorphosis believing it was a figurative transformation in that he just became bug-like in his day to day life so you can imagine my surprise on reading the first line of that book:D

godspal

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.”

The patronizing mindset of Nick Caraway has been set in The Great Gatsby, from the get-go, an amazing opening.

longshanks

as opening lines go;

Three men at McAlester State Penitentiary had larger penises than Lamar Pye, but all were black and therefore, by Lamar's own figuring, hardly human at all.

was fairly attention grabbing. its from dirty white boys by stephen hunter. an above average cops n robbers thriller type affair.

also

I was 50 years old and hadn't been to bed with a woman for four years.

from bukowski's women

Ave Sodalis

"Life sucks. Then you die"- Breaking Dawn (jacobs part):D;)

john77

Paul Auster writes good opening lines:

"It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone he was not." - City of Glass

"Six days ago, a man blew himself up by the side of a road in northern Wisconsin." - Leviathan

Tawfee

john77 wrote: »

"It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone he was not." - City of Glass

That's one of my favourites too, also like John McGahern's "As he weakened, Moran became afraid of his daughters" - Amongst Women

Mr. Presentable

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Valmont

Tawfee wrote: »

"As he weakened, Moran became afraid of his daughters" - Amongst Women

Thanks, I just had a flashback to the leaving cert, eugh:pac:

padraig_f

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

- Genesis

turgon

padraig_f wrote: »

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

I suppose its good in that it gives a not-so-subtle hint of the utter speculation to come.

Sorry I couldn't resist

Sean Templar

Rek was drunk.(shortest opening sentence?.)

Legend by david gemmell

Locamon

john77 wrote: »

Paul Auster writes good opening lines:

"It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone he was not." - City of Glass

"Six days ago, a man blew himself up by the side of a road in northern Wisconsin." - Leviathan

Yep and the great intro to The Brooklyn Follies.

'I was looking for a quiet place to die.'

but I also like
'It was hot as hell in Martirio, but the papers on the porch are icy with the news.' DBC Pierre opens Vernon God Little.

theCzar

I came on here to bitch about the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, but the opening line to the Gunslinger was great. I'm remembering rather than quoting so may not have it verbatim.

The man in black fled across the desert and the gunlinger followed"

Downhill from there

The Mad Hatter

Neil Gaiman is very good at openings. The example that springs to mind is

"There was a hand in the dark, and it held a knife."

From The Graveyard Book.

Wester

"In Haddam, summer floats over tree-softened streets like a sweet lotion balm from a careless, languorous God, and the world falls in tune with its own mysterious anthems" - Richard Ford, Independence Day.

GO_Bear

"I Was there" said Titus Cassar his wavering voice barely reaching the back of the chamber " I was there the day Horus turned his face from the emperor"

Galaxy in Flames
Ben Counter
The Horus Heresy


Dunno why but i am really enjoying the Warhammer 40k books at the moment , ^.^

LostinKildare

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." -- Anna Karenina

pauline fayne

padraig_f wrote: »

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

- Genesis

i thought it was 'In the beginning God created the word '.
--you live and learn

pauline fayne

'The sun shone , having no alternative , on the nothing new .'

Samuel Beckett 'Murphy'

p to the e

"Burn this book"
Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker

Joycey

Has to be first line of 100 Days of Solitude.

"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."

3 distinct times established in the first sentence. And the whole ice thing . The entire first chapter of that book is amazing

Joycey

pauline fayne wrote: »

i thought it was 'In the beginning God created the word '.
--you live and learn

If wer going all biblical on it I prefer
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Maybe its just because one of my favourite films is called "Ordet" which means "The Word" in Danish

Deki

actually:
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.- Old Testement

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and The Word was God. - New Testement
Both impressive beginnings, I think.

Pintoplain

A screaming comes across the sky. It has happened before, but there is nothing to compare it to now.

Gravity's Rainbow

Amirani

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." (1984)