May232013
We started dying before the snow, and like the snow, we continued to fall. — Tracks (1988), L. Erdrich

We started dying before the snow, and like the snow, we continued to fall.

— Tracks (1988), L. Erdrich

Louise Erdrich Tracks 1900s USA literature lit book books novels opening line 

8AM
Elmer Gantry was drunk. — Elmer Gantry (1927), S. Lewis

Elmer Gantry was drunk.

— Elmer Gantry (1927), S. Lewis

Sinclair Lewis Elmer Gantry USA 1900s literature lit book books novels opening line 

May222013
It was the day my grandmother exploded. — The Crow Road (1992), I. M. Banks,

It was the day my grandmother exploded.

— The Crow Road (1992), I. M. Banks,

iain m banks The Crow Road 1900s Britain literature lit book books novels opening line 

3PM

First Impressions: Our 30 Favorite Opening Lines in Literature - Flavorwire

  1. Slumberland - Beatty
  2. -Me and Miss Mandible (from Sixty Stories) - Barthelme
  3. -Sororally (from Stories in the Worst Way) - Lutz
  4. The Ask - Lipsyte
  5. -Old Souls (from Venus Drive) - Lipsyte
  6. -You Drive (from Nightwork) - Schutt
  7. Franny and Zooey - Salinger
  8. Memories of My Melancholy Whores - Garcia Marquez
  9. Murphy - Beckett
  10. Then We Came to the End - Ferris

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list Opening lines flavorwire 

8AM
There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. — The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952), C. S. Lewis

There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.

— The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952), C. S. Lewis

C S Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia series the voyage of the dawn treader 1900s britain voyage dawn treader literature lit book books novels opening line 

5AM

The 20 Best Opening Lines From Books - Sabotage Times

Sabotage Times

  1. Pride and Prejudice - Austen
  2. A Tale of Two Cities - Dickens
  3. Anna Karenina - Tolstoy
  4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Twain
  5. Peter Pan - Barrie
  6. The Metamorphosis - Kafka
  7. The Hobbit - Tolkien
  8. Rebecca - Du Maurier
  9. Nineteen Eighty-Four - Orwell
  10. The End of the Affair - Greene

Read More

list Opening lines sabotage times literature 

5AM
Ages ago, Alex, Allen and Alva arrived at Antibes, and Alva allowing all, allowing anyone, against Alex’s admonition, against Allen’s angry assertion: another African amusement … anyhow, as all argued, an awesome African army assembled and arduously advanced against an African anthill, assiduously annihilating ant after ant, and afterward, Alex astonishingly accuses Albert as also accepting Africa’s antipodal ant annexation.  — Alphabetical Africa (1974), W. Abish

Ages ago, Alex, Allen and Alva arrived at Antibes, and Alva allowing all, allowing anyone, against Alex’s admonition, against Allen’s angry assertion: another African amusement … anyhow, as all argued, an awesome African army assembled and arduously advanced against an African anthill, assiduously annihilating ant after ant, and afterward, Alex astonishingly accuses Albert as also accepting Africa’s antipodal ant annexation. 

— Alphabetical Africa (1974), W. Abish

walter abish alphabetical africa 1900s USA literature lit book books novels opening line 

May212013

The 25 Best Opening Lines in Western Literature

Shmoop

  1. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Garcia Marquez
  2. Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury
  3. Nineteen Eighty-Four - Orwell
  4. Beloved - Morrison
  5. The Metamorphosis - Kafka

Read More

Opening Lines list shmoop 

7PM
I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story. — Ethan Frome (1911), E. Wharton

I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story.

— Ethan Frome (1911), E. Wharton

Ethan Frome USA edith wharton 1900s Penguin Penguin Classics literature lit book books novels opening line 

4PM
Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. — Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), Z. Neale Hurston,

Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.

— Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), Z. Neale Hurston,

their eyes were watching god zora neale hurston 1900s USA reading first line 1930s literature lit book books novels opening line 

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