One of the most important parts of any piece of literature is the opening line. Today’s infographic contains 34 of the most iconic opening lines.
An opening line of a book is responsible for catching the reader’s attention and inspiring them to read through the rest of the book. A boring opening line can make some readers snooze, and a great one can keep the reader enamored and cause them to read the rest of the story. As mentioned previously, today’s infographic focuses on the latter, the opening lines that have stuck with readers throughout the years.
While there’s not necessarily any way to scale how good a book’s opening line is, the 34 books mentioned in this infographic all tend to gravitate towards the ‘good’ opening line category. For instance, it is completely undeniable that George Orwell’s opening line in 1984 (“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”) is an example of a great opening line. This opening line captures the attention of the reader and sets a dreary tone for the rest of the novel.
There are 33 more opening lines I haven’t mentioned yet so be sure to look through the rest of the infographic to see the opening lines of both old favorites and books you’ve never heard of before! And if you liked this infographic, be sure to check out more of our infographics about famous literature!