What are the best opening lines of novels?

A great opening line is 'All children, except one, grow up.' from J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan'. This line is simple yet very effective. It makes the reader wonder about that one special child and why they don't grow up like the others. It also gives a sense of mystery and the promise of an adventure.

One more notable opening line could be 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.' from 'The Great Gatsby'. This line makes the reader curious about what that advice was and why it has been on the narrator's mind for so long. It gives a sense of a story that has been brewing in the narrator's head for a while.

In '1984' by George Orwell, 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' This opening line is really effective. The fact that the clocks are striking thirteen is immediately jarring and out of the ordinary. It signals to the reader that this is a world that is different from our own, perhaps a dystopian one where normal rules don't apply. It makes the reader curious to find out more about this strange world.

Another great one is 'All children, except one, grow up' from 'Peter Pan'. It's so simple yet it draws you in right away, making you wonder about that one child. There are also lines like 'Call me Ishmael' from 'Moby - Dick' which is very iconic and gives a sense of the narrator's identity and sets the tone for the story. These opening lines are great because they either create mystery, set the mood, or introduce a key concept right from the start.

One great opening line is 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' from George Orwell's '1984'. It immediately sets a strange, dystopian mood.

In 'Moby - Dick' by Herman Melville, 'Call me Ishmael.' is a very famous opening line. It's simple yet it draws the reader in, making them curious about who Ishmael is and what his story will be.

The opening line 'All children, except one, grow up.' from J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan' is great. It's simple yet so effective. It makes the reader wonder who this one child is that doesn't grow up and draws them into the story of Peter Pan right from the start.

One great opening line is from 'The Hunger Games' - 'When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.' It immediately sets a mood of unease and draws you into Katniss's world. It makes you wonder why the bed is cold and what's going to happen next.

The opening line 'The man who bought my soul already owned my body.' is quite a great horror opening. It throws you right into a disturbing situation. It makes you question how someone could have their body and soul in such a compromised state. It's a line that grabs your attention and drags you into a world of horror and the unknown.

In 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins, the line 'When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.' is great. It's simple yet it creates a sense of unease and makes you wonder about the character's situation and the world they live in. It draws you in right away as you start to question why the bed is cold and what might be wrong.