Opening Lines from Famous Novels...which is better

[MKSheppard]

Lord of the Rings

When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.

Bilbo was very rich and very peculiar, and had been the wonder of the Shire for sixty years, ever since his remarkable disappearance and unexpected return. The riches he had brought back from his travels had now become a local legend, and it was popularly believed, whatever the old folk might say, that the Hill at Bag End was full of tunnels stuffed with treasure. And if that was not enough for fame, there was also his prolonged vigour to marvel at. Time wore on, but it seemed to have little effect on Mr. Baggins. At ninety he was much the same as at fifty. At ninety-nine they began to call him _well_-preserved, but _unchanged_ would have been nearer the mark. There were some that shook their heads and thought this was too much of a good thing; it seemed unfair that anyone should possess (apparently) perpetual youth as well as (reputedly) inexhaustible wealth.

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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

THE year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious
and puzzling phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Not to
mention rumours which agitated the maritime population and excited the
public mind, even in the interior of continents, seafaring men were
particularly excited. Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels,
skippers, both of Europe and America, naval officers of all countries, and
the Governments of several States on the two continents, were deeply
interested in the matter.

For some time past vessels had been met by "an enormous thing,"
a long object, spindle-shaped, occasionally phosphorescent, and
infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale.

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The Time Machine

The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was
expounding a recondite matter to us. His grey eyes shone and twinkled, and his
usually pale face was flushed and animated. The fire burned brightly, and the
soft radiance of the incandescent lights in the lilies of silver caught the
bubbles that flashed and passed in our glasses. Our chairs, being his patents,
embraced and caressed us rather than submitted to be sat upon, and there was
that luxurious after-dinner atmosphere when thought roams gracefully free of the
trammels of precision. And he put it to us in this way--marking the points with
a lean forefinger--as we sat and lazily admired his earnestness over this new
paradox (as we thought it:) and his fecundity.

`You must follow me carefully. I shall have to controvert one or two ideas
that are almost universally accepted. The geometry, for instance, they taught
you at school is founded on a misconception.'

[Shinova]

The most awesome opening line from a novel, I have. It's from "The Fist of God" by Fredrick Forsyth. Here's the line:


The man with ten minutes to live was laughing.



Forsyth's books are AWESOME. And the line from above is awesome too.

[Shinova]

As for those three quotes, I think the one from 20,000 Leagues under the Sea is the best from those three.

[Larz]

You forgot the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities... It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... need to find it again, I liked that one

[Guest]

My vote goes to 20,000 Leagues.

[haas mark]

None of them: Moby Dick rocks ass. Call me Ishmael. I am saddened that you forgot that. *sigh*

[neoolong]

None of them: Moby Dick rocks ass. Call me Ishmael. I am saddened that you forgot that. *sigh*

Have you seen the Gregory Peck "Moby Dick" movie? When they used that as the first line of the movie, it was done so badly. Hard to imagine they could screw up three words.

I liked the 20,000 Leagues opening.

[haas mark]

None of them: Moby Dick rocks ass. Call me Ishmael. I am saddened that you forgot that. *sigh*

Have you seen the Gregory Peck "Moby Dick" movie? When they used that as the first line of the movie, it was done so badly. Hard to imagine they could screw up three words.

I liked the 20,000 Leagues opening.

I know....movies suck ass....nothing like the book. (Not that I got further than six pages thru it, mind you...)

[Enlightenment]

Doesn't Iain Banks have some good ones?

Like "it was the day my grandmother exploded?"

[Sea Skimmer]

The open lines of Starship Troopers where pretty good.