opening lines which made a good first impression

May 26: Opening Lines (Best, favorite, funny, unique, shocking, gripping, lines that grabbed you immediately, etc.)

Reading the first, two chapters in the start of the story is like making a good first impression on a job interview. As they say it takes the first couple of minutes for the employer to make a decision, if you are hired or not. Just like in reading, it takes a couple of chapters to decide if the book is worth the time or not. Good opening lines would grab the attention immediately. It could be witty, intriguing or even shocking. Either way, as long as it has grabbed the attention then it is good. Here are some first lines which made a first good impression on me.

 “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 by Jane Austen

“I’m pretty much fucked up.” – The Martian by Andrew Weir

“How does one describe Artemis Fowl? Various psychiatrists have tried and failed.” – Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

“I am Mary Iris Malone, and I am not okay.” – Mosquitoland by David Arnold

“My mother was raised on fairy tales, but I was raised on highways.”- The Hazelwood by Melissa Albert

“Everyone believed Diabolics were fearless, but in my earliest years, all I knew was fear.” – Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid

“We must, by law, keep a record of the innocents we kill” – Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Although, the first lines are very important to capture my attention. I think it is best to have a memorable opening line which goes beyond holding the attention. It is harder to achieve this since the wow factor would mostly be forgotten after reading the whole book. I usually read more than half of the story just to gauge if I’m in the mood to read it. Most reads, if I’m not in the mood, will be placed back in the shelf. If it pasts the half the book mark and I’m okay with it then I continue on reading it. A good first line would set my mood for a book and if it piques my interest I would most likely finish it.

Question: Does the first line in the story affect your judgement if you’ll read the book or not? Do share your answer and TTT post in the comments below… I do enjoy reading them

Thank you very much and Happy Reading!

-R

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