In the Beginning Was the Word
The longest journey begins with the first step, and the longest novel starts with the first sentence. Many writers attach special, almost mystical significance to the opening lines of their work. It not only sets the tone for the entire book but may also determine whether readers will continue from cover to cover or leave the book to gather dust on a shelf. Readers, on the other hand, are often indifferent to the opening lines. We usually forget the actual beginning of even our favorite books. How is your memory? Can you identify, the book (or at least its author) and whether it is one of undisputed masterpieces of world literature - just by looking at its first sentence?
Carl Spitzweg. Bookworm. 1850/Wikimedia commons
In creative writing classes, instructors often analyze the importance of a work's opening line in great detail. You could easily impress these instructors by quoting the first line of one of the most renowned novels in world literature - a book that has been studied by countless people for centuries. "Before you, reader, is the first chapter; it opens the narrative." Oh, was I allowed to start like that? Can you recall such a naive and straightforward author?