I’ve read a lot of books with plots so great that they demand you read them in one sitting.  But when a book grabs you from that very first line, it’s a memorable and exciting experience; the promise of great writing to come.  Gripping a reader from the very first line is a marker of a great author, so here are 10 of my favourites from some great novels. *May contain slight spoilers*

• “It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea.” – Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve.

This first sentence manages to grab the readers attention immediately by mentioning a well-known city but subtly making it unusual by describing it as ‘chasing’ a small town.  There’s no prior explanation for how or why cities are chasing towns but it’s clear that this world is different to our own because the cities and towns can move.  It makes the reader want to learn more, discover how this world works and what’s contributed to this new and strange Earth.  Mortal Engines is a clever and poignant story which addresses the impact that technology and nuclear weapons could have on the world we live in today; it’s a reminder that worlds can change very quickly as a result of humanity’s actions.  The characters are different, they each stand out for their own reasons and experience, each contribute something different to the overall plot.  It’s a great and cleverly written novel with a warning undertone that reminds the reader, our world is a fragile place, and we shouldn’t abuse it.

• “Mr Hungerton, her father, really was the most tactless person upon earth – a fluffy, feathery, untidy cockatoo of a man, perfectly good natured, but absolutely centred upon his own silly self.” – The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle.

I love this first line so much because it highlights Arthur Conan Doyle’s spectacular ability to bring his characters to life.  The description of a ‘fluffy, feathery, untidy cockatoo of a man’ pains such a vivid a comical image in the reader’s mind.  It illustrates the character of Mr Hungerton so well and urges the reader to carry on and discover more about this character and the other characters to come.  The comical description also highlights the sarcastic and imaginative humour of Arthur Conan Doyle.  The Lost World is a thrilling adventure and discovery novel, and the descriptions of places and people are always so vivid and dramatic that it just engages the reader throughout as they discover this ‘lost world’.

• “He is fast asleep in his bed on the night that the demon and the once-men come for his family.” – Armageddon’s Children by Terry Brooks (Genesis of Shannara Series).

Terry Brooks’s Shannara series is one of my favourite fantasy series.  The whole series is split into smaller series, so you really discover every aspect of this fantasy world, it’s history and lineage.  This first line is a great one because it immediately thrusts the reader into the action, there’s no descriptions of places or people, it’s just straight into the story.  I love this type of first line because it shocks the reader with immediately putting them in the centre of the action and urges them to read more and discover what’s going to happen, what’s lead to this situation.  It adds a real sense of danger and fear, mentioning ‘demons’ and targeting someone in there most vulnerable state, sleep.  It sets a pace for the novel, one where the adventure never ends, and the characters are constantly in danger or being targeted by other-worldly beings.  Terry Brooks is a great fantasy writer; I never get bored of his plots or characters.  The Shannara series is a fantastic book series and well worth reading if you want to escape into a different world for a bit.

• “There was once a young man who wished to gain his Heart’s Desire.” – Stardust by Neil Gaiman.

This first line immediately attracted me because it reminded me of the traditional; ‘once up a time’ beginning of fairy tales.  It captures your youth from the get-go and seems like a dramatic beginning, indicating the tale to come will be full of that same drama and intensity.  I also like how it’s a straight-forward first line but it’s also ambiguous in that it doesn’t tell you what the young mans ‘Heart’s Desire’ is, why he wants it or how he’s going to get it.  So, the reader must read on to find answers to these questions.  I just love the simpleness of it, and yet it’s a dramatic start, it feels exaggerated like the beginning of a fairy tale.  Neil Gaiman is a write who I greatly admire because his writing is so simple but so complex, it’s compelling in every way and every thing he writes is enjoyable and different.  Stardust is a magical story, it’s filled with so many imaginative characters and situations, it feels like a very modern and developed fairy tale, to be enjoyed by children and adults.

• “Marley was dead, to begin with.” – A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

A Christmas Carol is an absolute classic, it’s the very soul of Christmas in a story, loved by so many generations.  It’s clear to see why when you read it, and this first line is a perfect example of how short introductions can really hook a reader.  It’s a short sentence with a lot of information and hints of what’s to come.  It indicates that it’s going to be a ghost story of some sort which isn’t the usual path of a Christmas story, it introduces a character who is already dead which is rarely done in novel writing; and it builds tension.  The way it finishes with; ‘to begin with’ just builds a sense of curiosity in the reader, a tension and excitement to discover what that beginning actually means.  So many people watch the movie at Christmas but so few have read the original book and it’s such a shame because it’s a classic example of brilliant writing.  It’s so well put together and it’s such a heart-warming tale, it reminds you of what’s important at Christmas, not the presents; but the generosity of people and the importance of family.

• “If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book.” – The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events).

Not many books begin by telling you to go elsewhere and read another book.  It’s like the tactic of telling someone to close their eyes, knowing their going to try and peek.  It’s a reverse psychology technique, by trying to deter the reader, it just makes the reader more motivated to carry on reading.  It’s a great writing technique, I love the irony and cheekiness behind it.  At the same time, it hints at this dark, unhappy story to come and it sounds so mysterious, so tempting, that you must continue reading.  As a child, I loved the Series of Unfortunate Events books because they were so unique.  They had this real dark aspect to them, characters struggling with tragedy and a villain who seems relentless.  It’s an amazing series, it gives children a chance to read a different story, one that is constantly tinged with danger and insecurity.  Despite this, it still keeps a sense of humour; some of the characters are comedic and it cuts through the dark undertone following the story.  Reading it as an adult, I still smile at some of the situations the characters find themselves in, and I still enjoy the dark side of storytelling.

• “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” – 1984 by George Orwell.

This first line is one of those ‘double take’ moments, it sounds relatively normal and then you get to the end and question you’re reading it right.  It’s such a simple way of hinting at an unusual experience to come.  By just adding ‘the clocks were striking thirteen’, it hints at a world different to our own, where the normal rules of time don’t apply any longer.  It’s a great foreshadowing of the story to come, because although it has elements of our reality, it’s not.  The thing I love most about this book is its relevance, despite being written so long ago, it feels as if it could describe the world we live in today.  It feels modern and futuristic, it feels possible and that’s quite a disturbing prospect if you’ve read the story.  It highlights some important issues; about the ways government and technology can interfere with privacy and free will.  It’s a book you have to read and experience because it does encourage the reader to ask questions and it’s a memorable and impactful story.

• “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.  Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” – The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

I’ve never read a sentence that exudes so much comfort and cosiness, and all it does is describe a hole.  It also manages to sum up the central characteristics and desires of a hobbit; to be comfortable and have lots of food.  It’s a warm first line that manages to endear the reader and make them invested in the story, in the hobbit race.  It’s a first line that I relate to which is why I love it so much, who doesn’t want to be in a cosy nook with great food, surrounded by comfort and safety.  Despite that start, it’s still a story that follows a quest, an adventure.  It manages to feel cosy and warm while also describing a journey that includes danger and fear.  It follows a character who comes across as very stubborn and set in his ways and takes him out of his comfort zone.  It’s a great character development to read. The whole Hobbit and Lord of The Rings series is fantastic, they are the epitome of fantasy and adventure novels.

• “One thing was certain, that the white kitten had had nothing to do with it – it was the black kitten’s fault entirely” – Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.

This is just a first line that takes me back to my childhood, back to when I believed that animals could talk and think like people.  It’s an innocent and mischievous first line that just clutches at the readers heart strings and makes them want to read on and find out what mischief these kittens have been up too, and which is really at fault.  That innocence and mischief is the essence of Alice in Wonderland, it reflects the whole mood and atmosphere these stories create.  It’s a first line that encourages the reader to use their imagination and they won’t stop using it until the story is over because it’s such a fantastical experience.  Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are my favourite children’s literature because they embrace nonsense and uniqueness, they don’t conform, and they encourage children to dream and be whoever they want to be.  At the same time, you can read them as an adult and still feel inspired and awed by the world described in the story. 

• “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.” – The Gunslinger by Stephen King (The Dark Tower Series).

I’ve saved my favourite to last.  Stephen King is one of my all-time favourite authors, I’ve read all his novels and The Dark Tower series is a sci-fi/fantasy/thriller series, that is so underrated.  This first line is a great one because it raises questions in the reader that can only be answered by reading the book; who is this man in black? Who is this gunslinger? Why is one following the other? Why is the man in black fleeing? Who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist?  It’s one of those first lines that hints at a great story, a great mystery and as the reader, you need to learn more and discover these characters’ secrets.  This first line seems so simple which is a complete contradiction to the story because the plot and characters in this novel are so complex.  The world and the characters portrayed are written in a way that make them seem so genuine and you can’t help engaging with them and becoming invested in their journey.  It’s a series full of twists and mysteries, it’s a fantastic reading experience written by an author who knows how to write a compelling thriller.