20 Best Opening Lines in Books
Intriguing opening lines capture the attention of the readers with plenty of techniques used to create them. Although choosing the best opening lines in books can be quite subjective, here are ours—and reasons why we picked them.
When writing a book, the author wants to capture their readers’ attention from the very beginning, and these twenty examples of the best opening lines demonstrate ways to do so. Techniques can vary tremendously, but the goal is the same: rapid reader engagement.
If you’re thinking about writing your own book—and are using these lines as inspiration—consider what makes each so effective. Then, use your insights about the best book opening lines to craft your own stellar ones that fit the tone of your book.
So, here goes! Rather than ranking these from the best on down, our first ten opening lines are loosely grouped by technique.
#1: Call me Ishmael.
This line kicks off the adventure book, Moby Dick, by Herman Melville published in 1851. Succinct and enigmatic, it has drawn in readers for more than a century and a half. Who is Ishmael, they might wonder? What will he do? Why is he important? Perhaps a carefully chosen, crisp line works especially well in Moby Dick given the impressive length of the total book: About 210,000 words.
#2 Marley was dead, to begin with.
Before we move on to another opening line concept, this highly memorable opening line is also quite succinct. Written by Charles Dickens in his novella, Christmas Carol, and published in 1843, he uses six words to Melville’s three and raises an intriguing question about the author’s choice. Why didn’t Dickens just write “Marley was dead” as his opening line? Well, no one knows, for sure, but the addition of “to begin with” cues readers that Marley’s death status is just part of the equation. There’s plenty more to come!
#3 As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.
Although this example of the best opening lines in literature isn’t short, it’s jam-packed with intrigue. Found in Frank Kafka’s 1915 Metamorphosis, his surreal plot is summarized in just the first sentence without any spoiler alerts. That’s not easy to do! If you’re writing a book, even if you don’t ultimately use a plot-summarizing opening line, it’s a good writing exercise.
#4 I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.
Although this line doesn’t encompass the plot the way that Kafka’s does in the third of our best opening lines in books, it also pulls readers in with its strangeness. Found in Dodie Smith’s 1948 book, I Capture the Castle, we quickly get a sense that the “I” character in this novel—17-year-old Cassandra who lives in a crumbling castle—is going to take us, as readers, on a wild journey.
#5 Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.
This line uses a technique comparable to number four in that they both create a sense of place, allowing us to begin to envision the settings of the novels. This example of our best book opening lines comes from Rebecca, a gothic thriller written by Daphne du Maurier and published in 1938. Just as the opening line possesses a haunting quality, so does the entire book.
#6 No comet blazed when I was born.
Denis Healey uses an intriguing technique to begin his 1989 memoir, The Time of My Life. Instead of telling us what happened, he tells us what didn’t. It’s like an artist using negative space. Although no blazing comets marked his birth, Healey lived a fascinating life in Britain, studying at Oxford; serving as a Labor Party leader for more than four decades; and barely missing becoming prime minister. Another reason this made our list of the twenty best opening lines of books is how it immediately puts readers into the dryness of British humor.
#7 Thomas Jefferson was a lifelong and habitual fretter.
This, like the example above, is an unexpected take on a person. In this case, in Rachel Maddow’s Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power, published in 2012, she provides a new spin on a frequently discussed historical figure. Although plenty has been published on Jefferson, this feels unique and can signal to readers that a fresh perspective will be offered in this book, earning it a spot in our list of best opening lines in books.
#8 Way out at the end of a tiny little town was an old overgrown garden, and in the garden was an old house, and in the house lived Pippi Longstocking.
Author Astrid Lindgren uses a technique that mimics camera work in her 1945 children’s book, Pippi Longstocking. She allows young readers to envision a tiny town—and then, like a camera would, the scene narrows into one specific garden, and then one particular house, and then the unforgettable Pippi Longstocking herself.
#9 The sun did not shine, it was too wet to play, so we sat in the house on that cold, cold, wet day.
Young readers can certainly identify with this opening line from The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss, published in 1957. Although the sing-songy prose and borderline absurd imagery is often credited for this book’s long term success, the author also cleverly pinpoints a common complaint of childhood—being bored. Because children can identify with the text, it makes sense to include this in our best opening lines in books.
#10 He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.
This is an example of an opening line in a novel for adults that allows readers to identify with the sentiment. Who hasn’t felt, at one time or the other, that they were heading nowhere fast? This is one of the reasons that this 1952 book by Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, is such an enduring story.
Best Opening Lines in Books: #11-20
For our first 10 choices for the best book opening lines, we’ve shared why we’ve found them so compelling—with those same reasons typically applying for our second half of our 20 best opening lines of books. Sometimes, they’re succinct. Other times, they’re startling—and, in still other cases, the germ of the plot is brilliantly contained in one single opening line.
#11: “Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress.” (George Eliot’s Middlemarch published in 1871)
#12: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” (Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities published in 1859)
#13: “This is my favourite book in all the world, though I have never read it.” (William Goldman’s The Princess Bride published in 1973)
#14: “All this happened, more or less.” (Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five published in 1969)
#15: “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.” (J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye published in 1951)
#16: “Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy lies a small, unregarded yellow sun.” (Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy published in 1979)
#17: “When he was nearly thirteen my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.” (Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird published in 1960)
#18: “There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.” (C.S. Lewis’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader published in 1952)
#19: “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.” (Gabriel García Márquez’s 100 Years of Solitude published in 1967)
#20: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” (Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina published in 1878)
Writing the Best Opening Lines Possible
Any time a list of the best opening lines is compiled, it’s subjective. You may notice that many of the books listed in ours came out many decades ago. That’s not unusual in this type of list; their inclusion is, in part, because the openings are time-tested, intriguing generations of readers. Perhaps you have your own favorites on this list along with ones that aren’t included in our 20 best opening lines in books.
You can use these openers as inspiration for ones you write. If you’re interested in publishing a book, then consider exploring a partnership with Story Terrace. We’ll match you with the best writer in our deep, wide network so that you can collaborate to create the book you’re envisioning. If you’d like to talk about our processes, reach out to us. Rather talk on the phone? Please call 1-424-242-1160 any time between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
When writing a book, the author wants to capture their readers’ attention from the very beginning, and these twenty examples of the best opening lines demonstrate ways to do so. Techniques can vary tremendously, but the goal is the same: rapid reader engagement.
If you’re thinking about writing your own book—and are using these lines as inspiration—consider what makes each so effective. Then, use your insights about the best book opening lines to craft your own stellar ones that fit the tone of your book.
So, here goes! Rather than ranking these from the best on down, our first ten opening lines are loosely grouped by technique.
#1: Call me Ishmael.
This line kicks off the adventure book, Moby Dick, by Herman Melville published in 1851. Succinct and enigmatic, it has drawn in readers for more than a century and a half. Who is Ishmael, they might wonder? What will he do? Why is he important? Perhaps a carefully chosen, crisp line works especially well in Moby Dick given the impressive length of the total book: About 210,000 words.
#2 Marley was dead, to begin with.
Before we move on to another opening line concept, this highly memorable opening line is also quite succinct. Written by Charles Dickens in his novella, Christmas Carol, and published in 1843, he uses six words to Melville’s three and raises an intriguing question about the author’s choice. Why didn’t Dickens just write “Marley was dead” as his opening line? Well, no one knows, for sure, but the addition of “to begin with” cues readers that Marley’s death status is just part of the equation. There’s plenty more to come!
#3 As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.
Although this example of the best opening lines in literature isn’t short, it’s jam-packed with intrigue. Found in Frank Kafka’s 1915 Metamorphosis, his surreal plot is summarized in just the first sentence without any spoiler alerts. That’s not easy to do! If you’re writing a book, even if you don’t ultimately use a plot-summarizing opening line, it’s a good writing exercise.
#4 I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.
Although this line doesn’t encompass the plot the way that Kafka’s does in the third of our best opening lines in books, it also pulls readers in with its strangeness. Found in Dodie Smith’s 1948 book, I Capture the Castle, we quickly get a sense that the “I” character in this novel—17-year-old Cassandra who lives in a crumbling castle—is going to take us, as readers, on a wild journey.
#5 Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.
This line uses a technique comparable to number four in that they both create a sense of place, allowing us to begin to envision the settings of the novels. This example of our best book opening lines comes from Rebecca, a gothic thriller written by Daphne du Maurier and published in 1938. Just as the opening line possesses a haunting quality, so does the entire book.
#6 No comet blazed when I was born.
Denis Healey uses an intriguing technique to begin his 1989 memoir, The Time of My Life. Instead of telling us what happened, he tells us what didn’t. It’s like an artist using negative space. Although no blazing comets marked his birth, Healey lived a fascinating life in Britain, studying at Oxford; serving as a Labor Party leader for more than four decades; and barely missing becoming prime minister. Another reason this made our list of the twenty best opening lines of books is how it immediately puts readers into the dryness of British humor.
#7 Thomas Jefferson was a lifelong and habitual fretter.
This, like the example above, is an unexpected take on a person. In this case, in Rachel Maddow’s Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power, published in 2012, she provides a new spin on a frequently discussed historical figure. Although plenty has been published on Jefferson, this feels unique and can signal to readers that a fresh perspective will be offered in this book, earning it a spot in our list of best opening lines in books.
#8 Way out at the end of a tiny little town was an old overgrown garden, and in the garden was an old house, and in the house lived Pippi Longstocking.
Author Astrid Lindgren uses a technique that mimics camera work in her 1945 children’s book, Pippi Longstocking. She allows young readers to envision a tiny town—and then, like a camera would, the scene narrows into one specific garden, and then one particular house, and then the unforgettable Pippi Longstocking herself.
#9 The sun did not shine, it was too wet to play, so we sat in the house on that cold, cold, wet day.
Young readers can certainly identify with this opening line from The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss, published in 1957. Although the sing-songy prose and borderline absurd imagery is often credited for this book’s long term success, the author also cleverly pinpoints a common complaint of childhood—being bored. Because children can identify with the text, it makes sense to include this in our best opening lines in books.
#10 He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.
This is an example of an opening line in a novel for adults that allows readers to identify with the sentiment. Who hasn’t felt, at one time or the other, that they were heading nowhere fast? This is one of the reasons that this 1952 book by Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, is such an enduring story.
Best Opening Lines in Books: #11-20
For our first 10 choices for the best book opening lines, we’ve shared why we’ve found them so compelling—with those same reasons typically applying for our second half of our 20 best opening lines of books. Sometimes, they’re succinct. Other times, they’re startling—and, in still other cases, the germ of the plot is brilliantly contained in one single opening line.
#11: “Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress.” (George Eliot’s Middlemarch published in 1871)
#12: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” (Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities published in 1859)
#13: “This is my favourite book in all the world, though I have never read it.” (William Goldman’s The Princess Bride published in 1973)
#14: “All this happened, more or less.” (Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five published in 1969)
#15: “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.” (J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye published in 1951)
#16: “Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy lies a small, unregarded yellow sun.” (Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy published in 1979)
#17: “When he was nearly thirteen my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.” (Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird published in 1960)
#18: “There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.” (C.S. Lewis’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader published in 1952)
#19: “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.” (Gabriel García Márquez’s 100 Years of Solitude published in 1967)
#20: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” (Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina published in 1878)
Writing the Best Opening Lines Possible
Any time a list of the best opening lines is compiled, it’s subjective. You may notice that many of the books listed in ours came out many decades ago. That’s not unusual in this type of list; their inclusion is, in part, because the openings are time-tested, intriguing generations of readers. Perhaps you have your own favorites on this list along with ones that aren’t included in our 20 best opening lines in books.
You can use these openers as inspiration for ones you write. If you’re interested in publishing a book, then consider exploring a partnership with Story Terrace. We’ll match you with the best writer in our deep, wide network so that you can collaborate to create the book you’re envisioning. If you’d like to talk about our processes, reach out to us. Rather talk on the phone? Please call 1-424-242-1160 any time between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
