101 Best Opening Lines in Books That are Most Famous

The greatest ones of all time have captured the reader’s attention and made him or her utterly eager to continue reading.

Here, we’ll explore some of the most famous first lines of books, from those that have stood the test of time and continue to captivate readers today to the very recent famous opening lines of books.

All the Best Opening Lines in Books

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• “The boy’s name was Santiago.” – The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

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• “Behind every man now alive stand thirty ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living.” – 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

[{"selector":"#anim-9992429e-6c25-4598-81b2-eb480e0ff666","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-55420ec5-1b16-47fe-85fa-79dffce01506","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(88.57809%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

What is Jane Eyre’s opening line?

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What is the opening line of Mrs. Dalloway?

[{"selector":"#anim-27d6de6f-8dd6-4732-980f-7349fa585995","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f8434156-6443-4432-872f-3c3658d910e2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(99.72603%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf begins as follows: “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.” Learn more

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101 Best Opening Lines in Books That are Most Famous

The greatest ones of all time have captured the reader’s attention and made him or her utterly eager to continue reading.

Here, we’ll explore some of the most famous first lines of books, from those that have stood the test of time and continue to captivate readers today to the very recent famous opening lines of books.

All the Best Opening Lines in Books

• “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” – 1984 by George Orwell

• “The boy’s name was Santiago.” – The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

• “Behind every man now alive stand thirty ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living.” – 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

What is Jane Eyre’s opening line?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the opening line of Mrs. Dalloway?

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