We’re going to break from the 3 C’s, just this once, for the sake of some literary fun. No cheating, now. That means, no looking up stuff on the internet first. Below are fifteen first lines taken from famous books throughout history. I changed most of the main character names to pronouns, so as not to give too much away. Do you know which books they belong to?
First lines:
1. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
2. There once was a tree….
3. Imagine a ruin so strange it must never have happened.
4. I have just returned from a visit to my landlord–the solitary neighbor that I shall be troubled with.
5. She 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 she `without pictures or conversation?’
6. In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.
7. You better not never tell nobody but God.
8. Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy.
9. It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York.
10. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
11. In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.
12. Call me Ishmael.
13. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
14. She was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.
15. When he was nearly thirteen my brother got his arm badly broken at the elbow.
Put your answers in the comment section. If you don’t want to be spoiled, don’t click on the comment section until AFTER you’ve written down the answers, otherwise you’ll see everybody else’s. Winner gets bragging rights and a cool prize.
Questions to Ponder: Which is your favorite and why? Did I leave any really famous ones out?
Rossyln – that's David Coperfield, isn't it? By Dickens? That's a great one too!!
The winner is Weronika. Weronika, could you email me at keganshert @ gmail . com with your home address. I'm going to send you some books!
Here are the answers.
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
3. Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover
4. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
5. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
6. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald
7. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
8. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
9. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
11. The Hobit by JRR Tolkein
12. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
13. The Bible inspired by God
14. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
15. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
#15 To Kill a Mockingbird. I just re-read this on Friday!! =) Hope you're having a great weekend!
I'll nominate this one as a very famous first line that you might know:
Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.
Back at ya, Katie!
Oooh, great first lines! Okay, I'm guessing at the ones in there…
Color Purple,
Lion, Witch, Wardrobe,
Harry Potter
To Kill a Mockingbird (love that book!)
Moby Dick
The Hobbit?
Genesis
Pride and Prejudice
The story with Heathcliff, but for the life of me I can't remember the title. LOL
Okay, so when are you giving out answers?
Great idea! Unfortunately, I only know three of the obvious ones =/. #2: The Giving Tree, #8: Lion Witch & the Wardrobe, and #13: the Bible. 🙂
Tessa
oh, fun game! I only knew 7 of them, then cheated and looked at the comments. Very sharp commenters!
My favorite in this list is Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe
#9 is The Bell Jar! I did better than I thought I would – but judging by the comments I missed two that I've already read (4 and 15).
Wow! I think I need to read more – I only knew 3 titles! Like many of your other readers, #13's my all-time favorite! Have a fantastic weekend! God bless!
Wow! you found so many. I recognized some of them. great opening lines.
Awesome idea! I missed a few, but had fun trying! Thanks for the refresher!
what a fun post. I did better than I thought. And way to hard to choose which I like more. #13, #14, #1, I guess. I like lots of those.
Too funny, you've got lots of great ones here, only half of which I recognized.
My favorite first lines usually come from Dick Francis books…I'm so going to miss getting his newest and savoring that opening line.
2. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
5. Alice in Wonderland
8. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
11. The Hobbit
12. Moby Dick
13. The Bible
14. Gone with the Wind
That's all I know without calling my husband for a life line, but wouldn't that be cheating? He'd know every one…
What fun!
Happy Weekend,
Jen
#13 for sure! What a cool contest!
Blessings,
Patti
1. Pride and Prejudice.
2. I believe this is "The Giving Tree"??
3. No idea. Arg.
4. This one is the worst. I know I've read it, but I have no idea. I'm going with "Wuthering Heights."
5. Alice in Wonderland
6. The Great Gatsby
7. No idea.
8. Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, unless you've tricked us, in which case it's Prince Caspian.
9. I think this is "On the Road."
10. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
11. The Hobbit
12. Moby Dick
13. The Bible
14. Gone with the Wind
15. I feel like I've read this one too! Arg!
Wow, thanks for making me think. I did not do so well.
I recognize a few, like one has to be Jane Austen, and Gone with the Wind, The Bible, Moby Dick, The Hobbitt are all in there too! Fun!
Hee hee, I didn't do as well as I thought I would. I'll blame it on, I haven't had a second cup of tea.
Gee good thing I read the Bible:)) Nice way to make me feel totally inadequate so early!LOL:))
Great first lines. I knew about half of them. I love that you included the bible. You have to admit that is a powerful opening line right there 🙂
Here's my favorite: ( not exact )
"Daddy, where you going with that axe?"
Charlotte's Web
So glad Weronika went first. 😉
#13 is my favorite, but you've got some real classics up there.
I love Scout.
Have a great weekend.
~ Wendy
Thanks! Counting is a basic skill I never learned too well. It's all fix now. 🙂
Let's see if I know my first lines. I'll only do those I know:
1. P&P
2. The Giving Tree
3. The Poisonwood Bible
4. Wuthering Heights
5. Alice
6. Gatsby
7. ? – Maybe something by Toni Morrison? Blanking.
8. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Narnia)
9. ?
10. Harry Potter #1
11. The Hobbit
12. Moby Dick
13. You missed the #.
14. Gone with the Wind
15. To Kill a Mockingbird
I love all of them, particularly #s 1, 3, and 4.