Booking Through Thursday

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This week's question:

Suggested by: Nithin

Here’s another idea about memorable first lines from books.

What are your favourite first sentences from books? Is there a book that you liked specially because of its first sentence? Or a book, perhaps that you didn’t like but still remember simply because of the first line?

I don't usually remember first lines from books, but here are two that stick out in my mind...

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." (Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen)

Although I don't think this is true, I actually know people who believe this! But I always remember this line because I've read and watched the movies a gazillion times. And then I always think of those people I know who believe this holds true today.

"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, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way -- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." (A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens)

The first part always makes me think of Star Trek. :-)

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