Post a memorable first line from a poem, novel, play, or other such product of literature or fiction. Identify if you like, though it's more fun to let others guess!

Here's one I read today:

I walk through the long schoolroom questioning

"I believe in America..."

That line should be fairly obvious to most people

"Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed."

I am not sure if this one is too obvious or not, but I am pleased to offer it as my first post on this board.

Regards

"The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees . . ."

Judybug

My favourite first line is not fit for a family forum.

"Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun."

“Who is John Galt?”

"It is crucial to be mindful of death, to contemplate that you will not remain long in this life."

The schoolroom line is Yeats I think. John Galt is the protagonist of Atlas Shrugged, so I would be surprised if that isn't the first line of that book. I am running up to my library now to find a contribution of my own.

You're right Elalan, it is Yeats's poem "Among School Children," perhaps more famous for its final line.


Here's a semi-obscure one: "The pure products of America go crazy--"

The two I can think of right now:
"Twas the night before Christmas"
and
"Mr and Mrs Dursley of number 4 Privet Drive were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."
I have the first paragraph of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone memorized because I have read it so many times.

"The Night Before Christmas", I believe, Helene. Beautiful little poem. And the intro to HP & The Philospher's Stone is wonderful. In fact, it made me laugh when I first read it. And it made me want to keep reading - The sign of a good writer.

"Now is the winter of our discontent made gloious summer by this son of York."

Shostas

(Richard III by William Shakespeare)

"It was the best of times and the worst of times...."

"It began as a mistake."

Great opening line. Actually the author uses the idea more than once. Another of his work begins: "It all started as a mistake."

Doug

Wow, you just made my night! I adore this book. Strangely enough, your username is only one character off from that of my friend Ryan (macaddict), who is also addicted to HHGG!

"Call me Ishmael." I'm a sucker for Jack London.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”

First book I ever laughed out loud reading.

I know I've read this book, but can't place it. Is it Anthony Trollope? I'm guessing.

Judybug

Jane Austen - 'Pride and Prejudice'

I've read every novel of hers and have recently received a book with three shorter stories in it. That will be my fun reading over the Christmas holidays!

not Herman Melville?

Anyway, here's mine:

"A Saturday evening in November was approaching the time at twilight, and the vast tract of unenclosed wild known as Egdon Heath embrowned itself moment by moment".

Not only do I love this book, but the first line was part of a Monty Python skit

Want the full version?

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so.”

The Buck Mulligan one is Ulysses, of course.

Here's one of my favourites:

"Dr Iannis had had a satisfactory day in which none of his patients had died or got any worse.”

Ray

Well, of course! I've read all her novels, too - some of them several times. I should have known.

Judybug

A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

"I was born in the house my father built..."

"This is the saddest story I have ever known..." [Or "heard", I can't quite remember at the moment.]

OK -- the ones I remember off the top of my head have already been posted...but here are a few more...

"Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins."

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."

"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

Gah, girlieg33k beat me to 1984...

"He sat, in defiance of municipal orders, astride the gun Zam-Zammah on her brick platform opposite the old Ajaib-Gher - the Wonder House, as the natives call the Lahore Museum." One of my favourite books when I was young(er). Kim by Kipling.

As for poetry, it would have to be:

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." I've developed a soppy soft spot for Elizabeth Browning *sniff*

Oh! And

"The way was long, the wind was cold,
The Minstrel was infirm and old;
..."

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

I've lost track of the number of times I've read this.....

Ah, Sir Walter Scott's "The Lay of the Last Minstrel"

Judybug

I"m amazed that nobody's identified mine.

It's from the film "The Godfather". It's the first spoken words.

Here's another line which I love:

"Night is generally my time for walking. The bustle and hurry of broad noon are not adapted to idler pursuits like mine. One summer night, I had roamed into the city..."

It's the opening line of my favourite classic of English literature.

Patrick -- I beat you to 1984 by 16 years...

Edited: Cannot do basic arithmetic apparently.

If you can keep your head when all about you,

How about one of the most famous opening lines, "It was a dark and stormy night."

"One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found
himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin."

"The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed."

Nice! I've just started reading the fourth volume of this.

Ray

The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate ll its contents.




My father had a face that could stop a clock.



Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again


Grand Avenue cuts through the very heart of the city, from 71st Street all the way to the harbourfront, and although it is eight lanes wide, with a treed boulevard running down the middle, the Avenue feels claustrophobic and narrow.


Twas brillig, and the slithy toves . . . .


Tom glanced behind him and saw the man coming out of the Green Cage, heading his way.

Another that always sticks in my mind is Chaucer:

"Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
the droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
..."

I only read a couple of the Canterbury tales. I think I had better get the books out again, and make it a point to complete them during the winter.

Patrick

Rebecca

The Eyre Affair - the beginning of one of my favourite series of books!


[nodding] Jabberwocky - but can't remember if it's in Alice in Wonderland or Through the Looking-glass.

Great series. I thought the most recent book - First Among Sequels - wasn't quite up to the standard of the rest, though.

Ray

"If you can keep your head" -- If, by Rudyard Kipling
Gregor Samsa -- The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

My own favorite, or one of them, is, "A screaming comes across the sky."

"And death shall have no dominion."

Something a little less somber . . .

"I was born a poor black child."

"Oh Thou to whom the musical white spring..."

"The Jerk"

The last one is Anna Karenina.

Regards

It's from 'Through the Looking Glass'

Yes, Melville. I'm sorry about that. I have a hard time with names, I'm having a good day if I get my own right.

I'll try to redeem myself from my earlier mistake.

Once upon a midnight dreary
While I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many curious volumes
Of long forgotten lore. -Poe.