What are some good openings for novels?

A good opening could be starting with a thought - provoking question like 'Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world without colors?' This immediately grabs the reader's attention and makes them curious to find out more.

One good opening could be 'It was a dark and stormy night, and the wind howled like a banshee outside the old, creaking house.' It immediately sets a spooky mood.

A great story opening is 'It was a dark and stormy night, and all was quiet in the old mansion on the hill.' This sets a spooky and suspenseful mood. 'The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the village, when a stranger rode into town.' This opening gives a sense of anticipation as to who the stranger is. Also, 'As the first snowflake fell, a young boy made a discovery that would change his life forever.' It gives a feeling of new beginnings and mystery about the discovery.

The opening of '1984' by George Orwell, 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' It immediately creates a sense of unease and a dystopian world where things are not as they should be. The abnormal time gives the reader a feeling that this is a world with its own strange rules.

In '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 opening is brilliant as it quickly establishes a social context and the central theme of marriage and wealth that runs throughout the novel.

In 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen, the 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.' is brilliant. It not only gives a peek into the society's values and the central theme of marriage in the novel but also has a touch of humor. It makes the reader curious about how the story will unfold around this concept.

Another is 'Call me Ishmael' from 'Moby - Dick' by Herman Melville. It's a simple yet direct way to introduce the narrator, making the reader curious about who Ishmael is and what his story will be.

One famous opening is 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times' from 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens. This immediately sets a contrastive and complex tone for the story.

Perhaps 'It was a moonless night, and the fog was so thick that it seemed to swallow everything in its path. I heard a strange noise, like a soft moan, coming from the direction of the abandoned asylum.' The lack of moonlight and the thick fog create a sense of mystery and the idea of an abandoned asylum is a classic spooky setting. The strange moan also gives an immediate sense of the supernatural.

A sudden, unexplained noise in the dead of night. For example, 'The creaking floorboard in the empty hallway woke her from a deep sleep. She lay there, frozen, as the sound repeated, each creak closer than the last.'