
As writers, we all know how important it is to grip the reader from the very start. Intriguing, surprising and thought-provoking, these opening lines are widely recognised as some of the finest in literature. But how many novels can you recognise from just the first sentence? Answers at the end!
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- It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
- It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
- Marley was dead, to begin with.
- Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.
- It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
- Call me Ishmael.
- The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation.Â
- It was the day my grandmother exploded.
- Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.Â
- It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didnât know what I was doing in New York.
- You better not never tell nobody but God.
- 124 was spiteful. Full of Baby’s venom.
- As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.
- I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.
- All children, except one, grow up.
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Answers
- It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
- It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. 1984, George Orwell
- Marley was dead, to begin with. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
- Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
- It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
- Call me Ishmael. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
- The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
- It was the day my grandmother exploded. The Crow Road, Iain Banks
- Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun. The Hitchhikerâs Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
- It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didnât know what I was doing in New York. The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath
- You better not never tell nobody but God. The Colour Purple, Alice Walker
- 124 was spiteful. Full of Baby’s venom. Beloved, Toni Morrison
- As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
- I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith
- All children, except one, grow up. Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie
Have I missed any great opening lines out? Let me know!
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Great quiz. I recognised five openings, and have read ten of the books. Two I attempted and two I will probably never read!