100 Best Iconic First Lines of Books

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Amusing lines, moral lines, shocking lines, lines worth remembering, first lines from popular books and first lines by iconic characters. Mysterious lines, romantic lines, lines from classics and so on and so forth.

Whatever you’re looking for you’ll find them all here. Feel free to quote them, and share them. These are mostly books I’ve read, so if you want to read their reviews or know what the books are about, click on the review link next to the line. But know that some of them that I haven’t read I plan to read before the end of 2025.

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Best First Lines of Classic Novels

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice `without pictures or conversation?' – Lewis Caroll, Alice’s adventures in Wonderland. Review
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. —Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice Review
Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. —Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. — George Orwell, 1984
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. —Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Mother died today. —Albert Camus, The Stranger
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. —F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
'As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect' - Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Review
Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes. – George Orwell, Animal farm Review
"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug. – Louisa May Alcott, Little Women Review
A FEW MILES south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. – John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men Review
In the shade of the house, in the sunshine of the riverbank near the boats, in the shade of the Sal-wood forest, in the shade of the fig tree is where Siddhartha grew up, the handsome son of the Brahman, the young falcon, together with his friend Govinda, son of a Brahman.- Herman Hesse, Siddhartha Review
The boy's name was Santiago. – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist. Review
We slept in what had once been the gymnasium.- Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale Review
Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince Review
The summer of 1947 was not like other Indian Summers. Khushwant Singh, Train to Pakistan Review
When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. – Harper Lee, To kill a mockingbird Review
"The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do." - Patrick Ness, "A Monster Calls"
"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." - J.K. Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"
"They shoot the white girl first." - Paradise by Toni Morrison
"All this happened, more or less." - Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
"Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy - C.S.Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia

Best First Lines of Novels (Fiction)

The circus arrives without warning. – Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus.
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, The Catcher in the Rye
It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone he was not. —Paul Auster, City of Glass
124 was spiteful. —Toni Morrison, Beloved
It was a pleasure to burn. —Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
It was love at first sight. —Joseph Heller, Catch-22
You better not never tell nobody but God. —Alice Walker, The Color Purple
In a corner of the city, inside a tall, narrow house at Number 4 rue Vauborel, on the sixth and highest floor, a sightless sixteen-year-old named Marie-Laure LeBlanc kneels over a low table covered entirely with a model. – Anthony Doerr, All The Light We Cannot See Review
A bank robbery. A hostage drama. A stairwell full of police officers on their way to storm an apartment. It was easy to get to this point, much easier than you might think. All it took was one single really bad idea. –Fredrik Backman, Anxious People Review
When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games Review
Punctually at midday he opened his bag and spread out his professional equipment, which consisted of a dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts on it, a notebook and a bundle of Palmyra writing. – R.K.Narayan, Malgudi Days. Review
On the White House roof, tucked into a corner of the Promenade, there’s a bit of loose paneling right on the edge of the Solarium. – Casey McQuiston, Red, White & Royal Blue Review
Here is the house. – Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye Review
ON THE DAY THEY WERE GOING TO KILL him, Santiago Nasar got up at five-thirty in the morning to wait for the boat the bishop was coming on. – Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Chronicle of Death Foretold Review
Late in the winter of my seventeenth year, my mother decided I was depressed, presumably because I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over, ate infrequently, and devoted quite a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death. – John Green, The Fault In Our Stars Review
MAE MOBLEY was born on a early Sunday morning in August, 1960. – Kathryn Stockett, The Help Review
Nineteen years before she decided to die, Nora Seed sat in the warmth of the small library at Hazeldene School in the town of Bedford. – Matt Haig, The Midnight Library Review
“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.” – Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale Review
WHO AM I? And how, I wonder, will this story end? – Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook Review
Through the long, lonely years of my childhood, when my father’s palace seemed to tighten its grip around me until I couldn’t breathe, I would go to my nurse and ask for a story. – Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The Palace of Illusions Review

Most Memorable Opening Lines in Literature

I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn’t try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have. – The perks of Being a Wallflower Review
The morning burned so August-hot, the marsh’s moist breath hung the oaks and pines with fog. – Delia Owens, Where The Crawdads sing Review
The morning one of the lost twins returned to Mallard, Lou LeBon ran to the diner to break the news, and even now, many years later, everyone remembers the shock of sweaty Lou pushing through the glass doors, chest heaving, and neckline darkened with his own effort. – Britt Benett, The Vanishing Half Review
That night, when Mrs. Chamberlain called, Elmira could only piece together the words “take Briar somewhere” and “pay you double”. – Kiley Reid, Such a fun age.
There are 158 footsteps between the bus stop and home but it can stretch to 180 if you aren’t in a hurry, like maybe if you’re wearing platform shoes. – Jojo Moyes, Me Before You.
I have a fatal flaw. – Emily Henry, Beach Read.
"The story so far: In the beginning, the universe was created." - "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
"Call me Ishmael." - "Call Me By Your Name" by André Aciman
"It began with my father not wanting to see the Last Rabbit and ended up with my being eaten alive by a recluse spider." - Karen Russell, "Swamplandia"
"The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car." - Rick Riordan, "The Blood of Olympus"
"When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night he'd reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him." - Cormac McCarthy, "The Road"
"In the beginning, sometimes I left messages in the street." - Celeste Ng, "Everything I Never Told You"
"On the morning the last Lisbon daughter took her turn at suicide—it was Mary this time, and sleeping pills, like Therese—the two paramedics arrived at the house knowing exactly where the knife drawer was, and the gas oven, and the beam in the basement from which it was possible to tie a rope." - Jeffrey Eugenides, "The Virgin Suicides"
"The first time Yvonne heard herself called a nigger, she was eleven years old." - Colson Whitehead, "The Nickel Boys"
"The taximan is never polite, never says, 'Excuse me, madam, but could you possibly direct me to Pine Street?'" - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, "Americanah"
"The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle." - Marissa Meyer, "Cinder"
"It was the day my grandmother exploded." - "The Crow Road" by Iain Banks
Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. - Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God
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. - Donna Tartt, The Secret History
I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. - Dodie Smith, I Capture The Castle

Best First Lines of Mystery Novels

I am an invisible man. —Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
WELCOME TO THE beautiful Sinclair family. No one is a criminal. No one is an addict. No one is a failure. – E.Lockhart, We Were Liars Review
Linnet Ridgeway! "That's Her." said Mr. Burnaby, the landlord of the Three Crowns.- Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile Review
It was five o'clock on a winter's morning in Syria. – Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express Review
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” – Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca Review
“Oh dear,” Linus Baker said, wiping the sweat from his brow, “This is most unusual.” – T J Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea Review
ALICIA BERENSON WAS THIRTY-THREE YEARS OLD when she killed her husband. – Alex Michaelides, The Silent patient Review
Her husband’s almost home. He’ll catch her this time. – A J Finn, The Woman In The Window Review
It is the absolute shittiest day for a walk. – Rachel Hawkins, The Wife Upstairs
Neither you nor I speak English, but there are some things that can be said only in English.- Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger Review
Your house glows at night like everything inside is on fire. – Ashley Audrain, The Push
Jack Torrance though: Officious little prick.- Stephen King, The Shining
Pinch myself and say I am AWAKE once an hour – Sarah Pinsborough, Behind Her Eyes
"This is not for you." - Mark Z. Danielewski, "House of Leaves"
"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." - The Gunslinger by Stephen King
"When I think of my wife, I always think of her head." - Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl

Best First Lines in Books (Non-Fiction)

I spent much of my childhood listening to the sound of striving. - Michelle Obama, Becoming Review
It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York. —Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar Review
But, you may say we asked you to speak about women and fiction-what, has that got to do with a room of one’s own? – Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own Review
The fate of British Cycling changed one day in 2003. – James Clear, Atomic Habits Review
My strongest memory is not a memory. Tara Westover, Educated Review
The fact that I spelled subpoena, suhpeena, may suggest I am not qualified to tell this story.- Chanel Miller, Know My Name Review
When you and I are together you often ask me questions about many things and I try to answer them. – Jawaharlal Nehru, Letters from a father to his daughter. Review
THEY CALLED D HIM Moishe the Beadle, as if his entire life he had never had a surname. – Elie Wiesel, Night. Review
Roseto Valfortore lies one hundred miles southeast of Rome in the Apennine foothills of the Italian province of Foggia. – Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers. Review
In the pages of history there lives no city more glamorous than Babylon – George S.Calson, The Richest man in Babylon. Review
About 13.5 billion years ago, matter, energy, time and space came into being in what is known as the Big Bang. – Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens. Review
Charles Bukowski was an alcoholic, a womanizer, a chronic gambler, a lout, a cheapskate, a deadbeat, and on his worst days, a poet. – Mark Manson, The Subtle art of not giving a f*ck. Review
Okoloma was one of my greatest childhood friends. – Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, We should all be feminists Review
The last class of my old professor's life took place once a week in his house, by a window in the study where he could watch a small hibiscus plant shed its pink leaves. Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie. Review
You know you have to read “between the lines” to get the most out of anything. Mortimer J. Adler, How to Read a Book
I didn’t want it to end. - Madeleine Albright, Madam Secretary
The aphorism, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he,” not only embraces the whole of a man’s being, but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life. - James Allen, As a Man Thinketh
Listen, Paula, I am going to tell you a story, so that when you wake up you will not feel so lost. - Isabel Allende, Paula.
“I fell in love with football as I was later to fall in love with women: suddenly, inexplicably, uncritically, giving no thought to the pain or disruption it would bring with it.” - Nick Horby, Fever Pitch
A few months after my twenty-first birthday, a stranger called to give me the news. - Barack Obama, Dreams from my Father
Imagine the brain, that shiny mound of being, that mouse-gray parliament of cells, that dream factory, that petit tyrant inside a ball of bone, that huddle of neurons calling all the plays, that little everywhere, that fickle pleasuredome, that wrinkled wardrobe of selves stuffed into the skull like too many clothes into a gym bag. - Diane Ackerman, An Alchemy of Mind