![\"Slaughterhouse](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/81H8EJBf9hL.SL1500-cf117c4.jpg\" "\\"81H8EJBf9hL._SL1500_\\"")
<\/p>\nBelow, we\u2019ve rounded up 25 of our favourite opening lines in literature. Some are iconic. Some are criminally underrated. All of them are unforgettable.<\/p>\n
1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis (1950)<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids.\u201d<\/p>\n
If we weren\u2019t ready to take a trip to Narnia before this opening line, we certainly are now. With two simple sentences, CS Lewis not only introduces us to the four main characters but also piques our curiosity. If being evacuated from London during World War II isn\u2019t the most interesting thing that happens to these children, then what on Earth is?<\/p>\n
2. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson (1992)<\/p>\n
\u201cMars was empty before we came. That’s not to say that nothing had ever happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Long before the era of billionaire space races, Kim Stanley Robinson took us to Mars in this daring sci-fi trilogy. These two opening lines are quiet but deeply unsettling, raising more questions than they answer. It sets the tone for the epic, philosophical and political narrative that unfolds.<\/p>\n
3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a pleasure to burn.\u201d<\/p>\n
An unforgettable opening that is as concise as it is provocative. The words “pleasure” and “burn” side by side create an instant sense of unease. What is being burned? Who takes pleasure in it? Bradbury throws us straight into his dystopia without warning.<\/p>\n
4. Moby Dick by Herman Melville (1851)<\/p>\n
\u201cCall me Ishmael.\u201d<\/p>\n
Possibly the most famous opening line in literary history. With just three words, Melville creates intrigue. Is Ishmael our narrator\u2019s real name? Why the ambiguity? It sets a confiding, mysterious tone for this sprawling seafaring novel.<\/p>\n
5. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)<\/p>\n
Slaughterhouse Five.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll this happened, more or less.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s rare for a novel to begin by calling its own accuracy into question. But that\u2019s exactly what Vonnegut does here, in a story that blends wartime trauma with time travel and alien abductions. From the jump, we\u2019re warned: truth and fiction will blur, and that\u2019s kind of the point.<\/p>\n
6. The Outsider by Albert Camus (1942)<\/p>\n
\u201cMother died today. Or maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
An emotionally distant narrator delivers news that should be devastating with disturbing detachment. Does he not care? Is something clouding his memory? Camus uses these lines to thrust us into the existential fog that defines The Outsider.<\/p>\n
7. Holes by Louis Sachar (1998)<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no lake at Camp Green Lake.\u201d<\/p>\n
A simple contradiction that instantly captures our attention. If there\u2019s no lake, why is it called Camp Green Lake? The dry humour of this line sets the tone for a novel that\u2019s rich with mystery, mythology, and poignancy.<\/p>\n
8. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson (1971)<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.\u201d<\/p>\n
Right away, we know this is going to be a wild ride. The calm geographic reference, followed immediately by the chaos of drug use, throws us headfirst into Thompson\u2019s iconic gonzo narrative.<\/p>\n
9. Normal People by Sally Rooney (2018)<\/p>\n
\u201cMarianne answers the door when Connell rings the bell.\u201d<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s have some more recent examples on this list. There\u2019s a unique brand of opening line where it makes far more sense and has a greater impact upon returning. At first glance, it\u2019s an ordinary moment. But rereading this line after finishing the book reveals just how much it says about the characters. Connell holds the power to knock; Marianne is always the one who opens.<\/p>\n
10. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garc\u00eda M\u00e1rquez (1967)![\"Cover](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/714ZLzX852L.SL1500-d1a1e36.jpg\" "\\"714ZLzX852L._SL1500_\\"")
<\/p>\n
One Hundred Years of Solitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buend\u00eda was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s rare for a protagonist to face near-certain death in the very first line. But here, that grim fate is woven together with something so innocent \u2014 like going to get ice with a parent. How does someone who once seemed like a blameless child, thrilled by such a simple joy, end up facing a firing squad? We\u2019re immediately hooked, desperate to know more about his past, his choices, and, of course, does he actually die?<\/p>\n
11. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (1949)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wait a second\u2026 there\u2019s no 13 on a clock, right? Instantly, the reader is dropped into a world that doesn\u2019t quite make sense. In Orwell\u2019s dystopian future, nothing is certain or fixed \u2014 not even time itself, which can be manipulated when the government has toppled God. What follows is a novel that eerily predicted the future with unsettling accuracy.<\/p>\n
12. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (1999)<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book. In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s almost as if the author \u2014 or narrator \u2014 is trying to convince you not to read this novel, and the reverse psychology is incredibly effective. They\u2019re neither wrong nor exaggerating, since what follows is a series of increasingly unfortunate events. Yet you keep reading, desperate for these orphans to finally catch a break.<\/p>\n
13. The Martian by Andy Weir (2011)<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m pretty much f**ked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before it became synonymous with Matt Damon\u2019s face, this novel grabbed our attention with a simple, powerful statement. The story follows an American astronaut, Mark Watney, who becomes stranded alone on Mars in 2035 and must improvise to survive. Right from the start, we fear for our protagonist.<\/p>\n
14. The Crow Road by Iain Banks (1992)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the day my grandmother exploded.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sorry, what? Yep, Iain Banks\u2019s brilliant novel opens with that statement, so casually thrown at the reader. The narrator isn\u2019t even directly describing the mind-boggling event, but uses it as a point of reference. Right away, you know you\u2019re in for a humorous and wild adventure.<\/p>\n
15. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jane Austen is one of those literary masters who sets the tone and theme with precision right from the very first line, only to cleverly subvert it as the story unfolds. Does this apply to Mr Darcy? What follows this so-called \u2018truth\u2019 is a richly layered tale of romance, societal expectations, and the surprising power found in the absence of love.<\/p>\n
16. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (2009)<\/p>\n
\u201cQuentin did a magic trick. Nobody noticed.\u201d<\/p>\n
An often overlooked line, yet one that captures a deep well of sentiment. To have our protagonist\u2019s name as the very first word of the entire novel is powerful, as it firmly centres Quentin\u2019s role in the story that\u2019s about to unfold. And, of course, since this is a novel about a secret college of magic, the idea of a magical \u201ctrick\u201d going unnoticed immediately stirs curiosity and wonder within the reader.<\/p>\n
17. Paradise by Toni Morrison (1998)<\/p>\n
\u201cThey shoot the white girl first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobel laureate Toni Morrison\u2019s 1987 novel opens with a subtle spoiler, and that\u2019s precisely how you know you\u2019re in for something extraordinary. Right from the first words, we\u2019re gripped with curiosity, desperate to uncover more about the story\u2019s secrets. Yet Morrison masterfully draws us in at a slow, deliberate pace, teasing out the narrative with a haunting rhythm that lingers long after the opening line.<\/p>\n
18. Circe by Madeline Miller (2018)![\"Cover](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/91NTfXP3AL.SL1500-2a8e324.jpg\" "\\"91NTfXP3+AL._SL1500_\\"")
<\/p>\n
Circe by Madeline Miller (2018).<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was born, the name for what I was did not exist.\u201d <\/p>\n
This line instantly establishes a sense of otherness, foreshadowing Circe\u2019s unique journey and complex identity. It emphasises that she doesn\u2019t fit neatly into the traditional mythological world of gods and nymphs. Since much of the novel revolves around her profound isolation, it\u2019s the perfect way to prepare the reader for her solitary, transformative path.<\/p>\n
19. The Secret History by Donna Tartt (1992)<\/p>\n
\u201cThe snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scene, character, and plot \u2014 the essential ingredients of a novel \u2014 are all captured in a single opening line. From the very first sentence, Tartt sets the tone for her dark comedy. We know death is inevitable, and we know who has died, but we have no idea how or why it took so long for them to grasp the true \u201cgravity of [their] situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
20. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2005)<\/p>\n
\u201cHere is a small fact: You are going to die.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meet your narrator: Death. Yes, that\u2019s who will be telling this story. This stark opening immediately establishes the themes of mortality and the inevitability of death that run throughout the novel. Set in Nazi Germany, the story naturally carries darker tones, even as it follows an adolescent girl. By acknowledging death upfront, the narrative makes the grim reality almost more bearable to face. Death becomes not something to fear, but an inevitability woven into every moment of the story.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kafka\u2019s most famous short story plunges us straight into the middle of the action. Our protagonist is a cockroach \u2014 an enormous one at that \u2014 and from here, things are only going to spiral further downhill. This surreal and unsettling opening immediately sets the tone for a tale of alienation and absurdity that lingers long after the last page.<\/p>\n
22. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell<\/p>\n
\u201cScarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.\u201d<\/p>\n
First things first, it\u2019s unnerving to have the lead female \u2014 the love interest to come \u2014 described as \u201cnot beautiful\u201d. Yet this line also highlights a key aspect of her character: a captivating charm that often outshines her physical appearance. It introduces the Tarleton twins, two of the first to be charmed by Scarlett, and sets the tone for the novel by hinting at her self-centred nature and remarkable ability to manipulate those around her. From the very start, we sense that Scarlett is a complex character whose allure goes far beyond looks.<\/p>\n
23. Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score (2022)<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t sure what to expect when I walked into Caf\u00e9 Rev, but it sure as hell wasn\u2019t a picture of myself behind the register under the cheery headline \u2018Do Not Serve.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The moment we meet the narrator, Lucy Score throws us straight into a moment of shock and intrigue. Walking into Caf\u00e9 Rev, she\u2019s blindsided by a photo of herself behind the register with a glaring \u201cDo Not Serve\u201d warning. It\u2019s a clever way to hook the reader immediately; who put up the sign, and why? From this surprising and tense start, we know we\u2019re in for a story full of secrets, humour and emotional twists.<\/p>\n
24. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (2012)<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I think of my wife, I always think of the back of her head.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the very first sentence, Gillian Flynn lets us know this isn\u2019t your typical love story. \u201cWhen I think of my wife, I always think of the back of her head\u201d is a line that feels romantic\u2026 until it doesn\u2019t. It\u2019s intimate, but also distant, even a little sinister. Why the back of her head? Why not her smile, her laugh, her eyes? That subtle unease is the perfect entry point to a story about manipulation, perception, and the terrifying complexities of modern marriage.<\/p>\n
25. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt 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 Life, 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 the like 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s round off this list of the best opening lines with a long one, and one of the most iconic. While it may be lengthy, the power of Dickens\u2019s opening is undeniable. Not only does it set the tone for the novel \u2014 urging readers to pay attention to duality and contradiction \u2014 but it also strikes a deeply poetic chord. In just one paragraph, Dickens captures the paradoxes of human experience: joy and sorrow, wisdom and foolishness, light and darkness. It\u2019s both a time capsule of a turbulent era and a timeless reflection on the nature of life itself.<\/p>\n
For all the latest RT Book Club news, interviews, Q&As with the authors, reviews of previous books and more, visit The Radio Times Book Club<\/a> sponsored by Dr. Oetker Ristorante<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Below, we\u2019ve rounded up 25 of our favourite opening lines in literature. Some are iconic. Some are criminally…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":52410,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[64,63,457,134],"class_list":{"0":"post-52409","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-books","11":"tag-entertainment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52409"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52409\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}