Which books did you love as soon as you read the first line; what is the first line?
My absolute favorite first line in literature so far is from "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Mariuer... I actually read it in another book that made reference to it, which was why I ever picked it up in the first place. Anyways, it goes;
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderly again..." It's creepy. And loveable.
Give me some first lines!
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
The opening line(s) of Neuromancer were pretty classic.
Posted by AvidReader (Member # 6007) on :
"If I had cared to live, I would have died." ~ Silverlock by John Myers Myers
"Dawn swelled on the horizon behind the volcano, and Natac was glad that he would see this place once before he died." ~ Circle at Center by Douglas Niles. Great fantasy, but very dark. I do not recommend this for anyone prone to nightmares.
I guess I have a thing for the PoV character in danger opening.
Posted by Richard Berg (Member # 133) on :
Do you know your coefficient of kinetic friction? - me
Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :
It's been done. Posted by Professor Funk (Member # 5608) on :
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
"As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from a troubled dream, he found himself changed in his bed to some monstrous kind of vermin."
[ June 05, 2004, 01:58 PM: Message edited by: Emperor Palpatine ]
Posted by VTP (Member # 6600) on :
"This is not for you" or possibly "Muss es sein?", but there from the same book so I guess I will just say the opening line from House of leaves , at which ever part you think to is the actual start.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderly again..."
Have chills.
Posted by FoolishTook (Member # 5358) on :
quote:"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
I second your pick, Professor Funk.
Posted by cochick (Member # 6167) on :
FoolishTook - I love your SN
Oh and I third the Pride and Prejudice opening line!
Motion carried.
Posted by BlueJacsFan (Member # 6590) on :
EDIT: Not quite sure how that wound up in this thread. Definitely not where I thought I posted it!
[ June 07, 2004, 01:20 PM: Message edited by: BlueJacsFan ]
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I always like to read the exact first line of a book, and the exact last line, and see how they match up. Very often, they come together in a nice way. I wonder if authors do that on purpose.
Posted by narrativium (Member # 3230) on :
For fallow:
"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." - William Gibson, Neuromancer Posted by Nefarious (Member # 6591) on :
quote: guess I will just say the opening line from House of leaves , at which ever part you think to is the actual start.
One of the greatest books ever, I'm glad someone else has actually read it, I was beginning to lose hope.
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
Narrativium,
thanks. that's a good line. snow.
fallow
Posted by The White Whale (Member # 6594) on :
Call me Ishmael.
Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :
Oh, well.
"He loved to burn." Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 Posted by raphael (Member # 5870) on :
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit" JRR Tolkien
always thaught that was so cute
Posted by Ben (Member # 6117) on :
Dear Friend, I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have. - the perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
"The primroses were over" - Watership Down. I love that book, and I love how the first line immediately puts you into the rabbits' world.
space opera
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
"The penis will be obsolete within 5 years."
Steel Beach, by John Varley.
[ June 07, 2004, 11:21 PM: Message edited by: Chris Bridges ]
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
First line is "We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold."
Full first paragraph is "We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like "I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive..." And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like uge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about a hundred miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming: "Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?"
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