Favorite Lines Friday

I am cheating for this Favorite Lines post. I simply refer you to this fabulous list of the 100 Best First Lines from Novels from American Book Review:

100 Best First Lines From Novels

There are all the old familiar lines, like "Call me Ishmael," "It was a dark and stormy night...", and "Happy families are all alike..." but there are, of course many with which I was not familiar. I particularly like the short, punchy lines that not only make me desire to read what is next, but are also particularly wise. Like:


"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board." from Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston(1937)

and

"The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there." from The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley (1953)

And here's one that I'm a little afraid might apply directly to me all too soon:

"Dr. Weiss, at forty, knew that her life had been ruined by literature." from The Debut by Anita Brookner (1981)


Of course, I was a little disappointed that "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." did not make the list, since, concise and wonderful as it is, that line not only launched an epic tale, but also an epic appreciation for well-done fantasy literature.

So far, my favorite first line from the novels I have written about on The Distractible Reader is from Summer Knight by Jim Butcher:

"It rained toads the day the White Council came to town."


How about you? Any favorite first lines from novels that you'd like to share? Please "Comment" below if you do. I'd love to read them.