Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday (33) - Best Opening Sentences


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic is the top ten best book openings/closings.  Since I wouldn't want to give anything away by including closing sentences, I decided to do opening sentences only.  There are just so many amazing first sentences out there, I had a really hard time getting it down to ten, but I managed to do it anyway.

Top Ten Opening Sentences
  1. "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 by Jane Austen
  2. "I write this sitting in the kitchen sink."  - I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
  3. "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."  - Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
  4. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."  - Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
  5. "It was a pleasure to burn."  - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  6. "It's a funny about mothers and fathers.  Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful."  - Matilda by Roald Dahl
  7. "My mother thinks I'm dead."  - Legend by Marie Lu
  8. "I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died."  - Amber House by Kelly Moore, Larkin Reed & Tucker Reed
  9. "It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die."  - The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
  10. "I've been collecting bugs since I was ten; it's the only way to stop their whispers.  Sticking a pin through the gut of an insect shuts it up pretty quick... Crickets, beetles, spiders... bees and butterflies.  I'm not picky.  Once they get chatty, they're fair game."  - Splintered by A.G. Howard
So what do you think?  Any you agree or disagree with?  What are some of your favorite opening sentences?
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14 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 30, 2013 at 12:33 AM

    The beginnings of I Capture the Castle and Legend really caught my attention (I'll have to read those soon) and Fahrenheit 451 has so many good quotes! :) My TTT list: http://aliceinreaderland.com/2013/07/29/lines/

    Alice @ Alice in Readerland

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    1. UnknownJuly 30, 2013 at 10:48 AM

      I Capture the Castle is one of my favorite books. It's so well-written. And I love quoting Fahrenheit 451. I feel like it's so relevant to today's society.

      Thanks for commenting! :)

      Delete
  2. UnknownJuly 30, 2013 at 1:25 AM

    I adore the opening line of Matilda - it was my favorite book as a child. Splintered hooked me right from the beginning. I need to read the Scorpio Races, but probably not soon, because Shiver was a so-so read for me. Happy reading!

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    1. UnknownJuly 30, 2013 at 10:53 AM

      The way you felt about Shiver was how I felt about Raven Boys. It was just so-so. But I thought the Scorpio Races was so much better. I hope you enjoy it.

      Thanks for commenting! :)

      Delete
  3. AnonymousJuly 30, 2013 at 3:55 AM

    I really want to read I Capture The Castle. I adore Matilda. It's on my list this week too.

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    1. UnknownJuly 30, 2013 at 10:59 AM

      I highly recommend I Capture the Castle. It's one of my favorite books, and it's the book that inspired me to be a writer.

      Thanks for commenting! :)

      Delete
  4. UlaJuly 30, 2013 at 5:25 AM

    3 and 4, haha! Yes, Eustace. Little bastard. :D Great selection of the quotes!

    Happy reading!
    My TTT
    My DESIGNS blog

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    1. UnknownJuly 30, 2013 at 11:01 AM

      Thanks! He really does deserve that name. Lol!

      Thanks for commenting! :)

      Delete
  5. AnonymousJuly 30, 2013 at 12:54 PM

    P&P, Harry Potter and Matilda are all on my TTT post as well. I love those books, and the opening lines are perfect. And I just started reading I Capture the Castle. I liked that opening line, too :)

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    1. UnknownJuly 30, 2013 at 1:35 PM

      I really hope you like I Capture the Castle. It's one of my favorite books, and it inspired me to be a writer. Or to at least attempt to be a writer.

      Thanks for commenting! :)

      Delete
  6. Girl!ReporterJuly 30, 2013 at 4:56 PM

    Great list - some of your choices match mine. Others I haven't read, like The Scorpio Races, but that opening line makes me want to grab it off my shelf and read it right now. I can't though, I have other stuff to read!

    Here's my list. I've gone mostly for opening lines.

    Sarah

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    1. UnknownAugust 1, 2013 at 9:22 AM

      Well, I hope you get a chance to read The Scorpio Races soon. It's awesome. But I know how you feel. I was looking through people's lists and thinking about how much I'd like to read some of their book choices... if I had the time.

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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  7. AngelaJuly 31, 2013 at 11:53 PM

    Fantastic list! Love the Matilda quote.

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    1. UnknownAugust 1, 2013 at 9:25 AM

      Thanks! Matilda is one of my favorites. That whole first chapter is so sarcastic and funny.

      Thanks for commenting! :)

      Delete

Thank you so much for commenting! I always appreciate reading what you have to say.

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