great opening lines in english fiction

One great opening line is from '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 line immediately sets the tone for the story which is often about marriage and social status in 19th - century England.

The opening of 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J.D. Salinger, 'If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.' This line gives us a very clear sense of the narrator's voice - a bit cynical and reluctant to conform to the usual storytelling norms, which is very characteristic of the whole novel.

A classic opening line might be 'The graveyard was filled with an unnatural stillness as the moon hung low in the sky.' This not only gives a spooky setting but also creates a sense of unease. The graveyard is a typical horror setting, and the description of the moon and the stillness draws the reader in, making them wonder what lurks within that stillness.

One great opening line is from 'Dune' by Frank Herbert: 'A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.' It sets a tone of precision and importance right from the start.

One great opening line is from '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 line immediately sets the stage for the story's focus on marriage and social status in the society of that time.

One great opening line is from '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 line sets the tone for the whole story which is centered around marriage and social status in the 19th - century English society.

In '1984' by George Orwell, the opening line 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' is very striking. It creates an immediate sense of unease and a feeling that something is amiss in this dystopian world. The abnormal time - keeping makes the reader curious about what kind of world this is where the rules are so different from our own.

An example could be 'The old mansion loomed at the end of the overgrown driveway, its broken windows like empty eyes staring into the night.' This opening gives a vivid image of a spooky location. The comparison of the broken windows to empty eyes gives the mansion a menacing and haunted feel. It invites the reader to explore further, to find out what secrets the mansion holds.

One famous opening line is from '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 line sets the tone for the story which often deals with marriage, social class, and first impressions in 19th - century English society.

One could be 'In that moment, as the sun dipped below the horizon, she saw him and knew her world would never be the same.'