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Imagine starting a book and instantly knowing you’re in for something unforgettable. Some first sentences hit you like a thunderclap—simple, striking, and impossible to forget. These lines don’t just open stories; they open doors to entire worlds, set the mood, and sometimes even change the way we see ourselves or the world. What’s truly remarkable is how much sweat, revision, and creative agony went into crafting these famous beginnings. Let’s dive into some of the most legendary opening lines in literature, and discover the fascinating stories behind how they came to be.
“Call me Ishmael.” — Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
This line is so famous, you can almost whisper it in a crowded room and instantly have a few heads turn. Yet, it didn’t just pop into Melville’s mind in a flash of genius. Early drafts of “Moby-Dick” began with much longer, complicated introductions. Melville, obsessed with making every word matter, trimmed and trimmed until all that was left was this short, mysterious invitation: “Call me Ishmael.” The simplicity draws you in, skipping any fuss and directly asking you to step into the narrator’s shoes. It’s almost like someone extending a hand, saying, “Let’s begin.” The line’s quiet intimacy hints at the book’s themes of searching for meaning and identity. You can feel the loneliness and curiosity packed into those three little words.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” — A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
What a rollercoaster of an opening. Dickens wanted to capture the wild contrasts of an era torn apart by revolution, and he struggled to find just the right rhythm for this first sentence. He rewrote it over and over, tweaking the balance and structure until he landed on this see-saw of emotions. The phrase sets up the novel’s grand scope and its endless opposites—hope and despair, love and hatred. You can almost hear the drumbeat in the repetition, as if Dickens is setting the stage for a play that’s both epic and intimate. It’s a line that pulls you in and makes you think: How can something be both the best and worst at the same time?
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” — Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Tolstoy’s opening line is as sharp as a knife and as universal as a sunrise. He didn’t settle for the first version—he rewrote the beginning of “Anna Karenina” many times, searching for the perfect way to express the complicated reality of family life. This line feels like a proverb, but it’s also deeply personal. It immediately gets you thinking about your own family and others you know. Why do happy families seem so similar, but unhappy ones are all unique? Tolstoy’s simple sentence sets up a sweeping exploration of love, betrayal, and the messiness of life. Somehow, in just a few words, he captures the whole tangled web of human relationships.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged…” — Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Jane Austen’s opening is biting, witty, and impossible to forget. But it didn’t start out that way—early drafts were much more straightforward and a little dull. Austen kept revising until she had something that sparkled with irony. The sentence rolls off the tongue and immediately lets you know this book will be clever, satirical, and full of sharp observations about society. It’s a masterclass in understatement, poking fun at the idea that everyone just knows a rich man must be looking for a wife. Austen’s choice of words makes you smile, but also prepares you for a story full of mischief and misunderstanding.
“So it goes.” — Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Vonnegut’s three-word mantra pops up again and again in “Slaughterhouse-Five,” and it almost didn’t make it into the book at all. He spent a long time agonizing over how often to use it, and where. Eventually, he sprinkled it throughout, giving the novel a kind of fatalistic heartbeat. It’s a phrase that shrugs at the madness and tragedy of life—especially war. The repetition turns it into a refrain, a little sigh that says, “What can you do?” It’s funny, sad, and oddly comforting all at once. Every time you see it, you feel the weight of everything that came before, and everything that’s still to come.
“The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.” — The Gunslinger by Stephen King
Stephen King didn’t just dash this line off in a hurry. He worked on it for years—decades, actually—rewriting and polishing until it was as sharp and dry as the desert itself. The sentence is packed with action and mystery: Who is the man in black? Why is the gunslinger following him? You feel the heat, the distance, and the relentless pursuit right away. King’s opening promises a story that’s both epic and deeply personal, setting the tone for an entire series full of danger and destiny. It’s the kind of line that makes you want to keep reading, just to find out what happens next.
“I am an invisible man.” — Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Ralph Ellison spent years wrestling with this book, and the opening line was a major breakthrough. The declaration is bold and haunting, immediately raising questions and emotions. What does it mean to be invisible? Is it a power, or a curse? Ellison’s line draws you into the narrator’s struggle with identity and recognition in a society that refuses to see him. It’s a statement that echoes with pain and defiance, setting the stage for a novel that’s as much about self-discovery as it is about social injustice. Every time you read it, you’re reminded of the deep longing to be seen and understood.
“He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream…” — The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway was famous for his relentless editing, and this book was no exception. He rewrote the opening over and over, trying to get just the right sense of simplicity and strength. This first sentence tells you almost everything you need to know about the main character: he’s old, he’s alone, and he’s out at sea. You can picture him right away, battling the elements with quiet determination. Hemingway’s words are spare but powerful, like a fisherman’s knot—nothing extra, nothing wasted. The tone is gentle, but you can feel the tension simmering underneath.
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” — The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
What could be more charming—or more intriguing—than this line? Tolkien scribbled it down one day almost by accident, but he didn’t stop there. He went back and worked on the surrounding sentences for ages, making sure they matched the whimsical, inviting tone he wanted. The sentence feels like the start of a fairy tale, pulling you into a world that’s both cozy and full of adventure. You can almost smell the earth and see the little round door. It’s a line that promises magic, and it delivers.
“Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.” — Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf’s writing is famous for its flowing, stream-of-consciousness style, and she worked hard to get it just right. This opening line is deceptively simple, but it’s loaded with meaning. By deciding to buy the flowers herself, Mrs. Dalloway is asserting her independence, but she’s also setting off a day full of memories, regrets, and quiet triumphs. Woolf revised this sentence many times, making sure it captured both the ordinariness and the depth of her character’s life. You can feel the whole story shimmering beneath the surface.
“They shoot the white girl first.” — Paradise by Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison’s first line in “Paradise” is like a slap in the face—sudden, shocking, and impossible to ignore. Morrison was known for her meticulous editing, and she shaped this sentence for maximum impact. The line is full of ambiguity and tension: Who are “they”? Who is the white girl? Why first? It immediately sets up questions of race, violence, and guilt, daring the reader to keep going. The simplicity of the sentence makes it even more powerful. You feel the weight of the story from the very first moment.
“You don’t know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer…” — Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Mark Twain’s opening is friendly, conversational, and full of personality. But it took a lot of work to get the voice just right. Twain went through draft after draft, making sure Huck’s dialect felt real but wasn’t too hard for readers to follow. This sentence is like Huck himself—straightforward, a little cheeky, and very inviting. It makes you want to pull up a chair and listen to his story. Twain’s careful crafting paid off: the line not only introduces the character but also the playful, rebellious spirit of the whole book.
Besides founding Festivaltopia, Luca is the co founder of trib, an art and fashion collectiv you find on several regional events and online. Also he is part of the management board at HORiZONTE, a group travel provider in Germany.
