One common opening line could be 'She never expected to see him again, but there he was, standing in the rain outside her window.' It sets a scene full of mystery and unresolved feelings.
One of the best opening lines could be 'It was a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' from 'Pride and Prejudice'. It immediately sets the stage for a story about love and marriage in a society where financial status plays a role.
Some novels start with lines like 'In a small town filled with ordinary lives, their love story was about to begin in the most unexpected way.' This type of opening gives a sense of place and the anticipation of an extraordinary love story emerging from an ordinary setting.
They often introduce an emotional state. Such as 'She was broken - hearted, but then he came along like a ray of hope.' It makes the reader care about the character's emotional journey.
Some opening lines in novels are really captivating. For example, in 'Pride and Prejudice', '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 about marriage and social class in that era. Another great one could be from '1984' which starts with a rather gloomy and controlling atmosphere description, making readers immediately feel the oppressiveness of the world Orwell is about to show.
The opening line 'Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice' from 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'. This complex line jumps through time, giving a sense of the non - linear nature of the story. It also creates an air of mystery and doom, as we start with the character facing a firing squad and then go back in time. It's a very effective way to start a novel that is full of magic realism.
The opening line 'All children, except one, grow up' from 'Peter Pan' is very engaging. It focuses on the concept of growing up, which is a central theme in the story. By highlighting that one child doesn't grow up, it piques our curiosity. We want to know who this special child is and why they are different, leading us to explore the magical world of Neverland along with Peter Pan.
One of the well - known opening lines is 'Call me Ishmael' from 'Moby - Dick' by Herman Melville. This simple yet powerful line gives the character a voice right from the start. It's like an invitation for the reader to follow Ishmael's story. It's also a bit mysterious as we don't know much about Ishmael yet, but we are intrigued to find out more about him and his adventures.