One great line is 'It was a dark and stormy night, and the howling wind seemed to carry the whispers of the dead.' It sets a spooky mood right away.
I always like 'In the shadows, something moved - a shape that defied all logic and reason.' This line is great because it creates a sense of mystery and unease. It makes the reader wonder what exactly is in the shadows and why it defies logic. It plays on our fear of the unknown.
In many short stories, there are lines like 'The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.' This line is really thought - provoking as it makes you consider how different the past can be from our present, almost like a different world with its own rules and ways of living. It also implies that we may not fully understand the actions and motives of those in the past.
Another one is 'The eyes that stared back at me from the darkness were not human.' It immediately creates a sense of dread. Just the thought of non - human eyes watching from the dark is terrifying. It makes you wonder what kind of creature or entity is there, lurking and observing.
Well, there are so many. 'Call me Ishmael.' from 'Moby - Dick' is also quite famous. It's such a simple yet powerful way to start a story. It immediately draws the reader in, making them curious about who Ishmael is and what his story will be.
One of the best lines is from 'To Kill a Mockingbird': 'You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.' This line teaches us about empathy.
One of the best is from 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker: '3 May. Bistritz. - Left Munich at 8.35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6.46, but the train was an hour late.' It immediately sets a sense of travel and the start of an adventure into the unknown, which is a great build - up for the horror to come.
In Stephen King's 'It', the opening line 'The terror, which would not end for another twenty - eight years - if it ever did end - began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with rain.' It hooks the reader right away. The mention of a long - lasting terror and something as simple as a floating paper boat in a rain - swollen gutter creates a contrast that draws you in.
One good line could be 'The darkness seemed to breathe, a living entity that wrapped itself around me.' It creates a sense of the environment being alive and menacing.
One of the great horror stories could be about a haunted house. There are often stories where the characters experience strange noises, cold spots, and apparitions in such a setting.
One of the best love lines is from 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen: 'You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.' It beautifully expresses the deep and all - encompassing love Mr. Darcy has for Elizabeth.
One of the best lines could be 'You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how.' from 'Gone with the Wind'. It shows a very passionate and straightforward expression of attraction.