From daphne du mauriers rebecca and j r r tolkiens the hobbit, to toni morrisons beloved and f scott fitzgeralds the great gatsby, here are the 27 best opening lines in books. Danvers, the fictional estate manderley, and its opening lines. Everything is about the constant presence of memory, and the. How has a novel about a nameless young heroine, swept off her feet by. About rebecca opening the almost overwritten, schoolgirllike opening to du mauriers most famous and enduring work introduces the reader to its unnamed narrator and her dream about. I get the feeling id probably enjoy them even better.
Rebecca was adapted by alfred hitchcock into a popular film 1940. Psychologically astute and disturbingly romantic, rebecca was an immediate bestseller on publication in 1938 and has cast a sinister spell ever since marie claire addictive and. In orwells 1984, what does the opening sentence suggest. Its the line that sets the tone for the rest of the novel. I found it interesting that the protagonist remains nameless the only hint we are given is that she has a very lovely and unusual name 24. Having that in mind, weve rounded up the first lines of some of the worlds most famous books, and they stand as excellent examples of how a short sentence or two can set the tone for an entire story and define its legacy for decades to come.
This quotation is the opening sentence of rebecca has become one of its most oftenquoted lines. A good cover may make us pick the book up and think about buying it. What is the nature of this mysterious manderley, and more, importantly, what happened to it that makes the narrator dream. I am glad it cannot happen twice, the fever of first love. It immediately establishes significant questions about the plot of the novel. This novel even blurs the lines between villain and victim, disrupting any. And its the line that, if done well, has the potential to. The first lines of novels set the tone for the story to come.
Rebecca, gothic suspense novel by daphne du maurier, published in 1938. Rebecca is a novel by english author daphne du maurier. George orwells wellknown dystopian novel, nineteen eightyfour, opens with the following statement that should seem out of the ordinary. But with the benefit of decades of perspective, its viewed as a masterful psychological thriller. And its the line that, if done well, has the potential to be the one that everyone remembers and quotes. This is a shrilling story of two wornout souls, which are looking for, and finally find each other in the surrounding darkness.
This woman, our narrator, is dreaming of returning to a place called manderley, but she and the man shes with can never go back. Rebecca chapters 14 summary and analysis gradesaver. Depending on what youre reading, a great first line can be funny or meaningful or sad or somehow all of the above. Esther lombardi is a veteran journalist who has written about literature, education, and technology.
Opening lines are the initial portions of dialogue or text in a written book or other media work often constituted by at least the first sentence or a fragment thereof. When i turned the last page of the book, i had so many feelings and immediately i began comparing it with my cousin rachel. The story begins with her memories of how she and maxim first met, in monte. And then going out and telling ten other people about the incredible experience. The opening line to daphne du maurier s most famous novel, rebecca is one of the great opening lines in english fiction. She returns to her room and looks at the book, noticing the inscription maxfrom rebecca. A good opening line, or incipit, is usually considered desirable. A number of them are so wellknown that they are remembered long after the work, while others are so famous. I read the book ages ago and i am pretty sure ive seen the movie but again, that was a long time ago. Never out of print, rebecca by daphne du maurier is loved for its opening line. The r of rebecca seems somehow stronger than the other letters, and the narrator is unnerved.
From daphne du maurier s rebecca and j r r tolkien s the hobbit, to toni morrison s beloved and f scott fitzgerald s the great gatsby, here are the 27 best opening lines in books. I should revisit these and see how well i enjoy them now. I told my family it was an investment, but it was really a desire to get as physically close to rebecca as was possible. In one stroke, du maurier establishes the voice, the locale, and the dreamlike atmosphere of the story. Its the authors first invitation into a world of their own creation. The best opening lines in literature, ever rebecca, daphne du maurier above 1938 last night i dreamt i went to manderley again. Alex barclay psychologies with one of the most evocative first lines ever, daphne du mauriers fifth novel has everything a reader could ask for.
The opening sentence of a book can determine a lot of things including whether or not you decide to keep going with said book. In homage to that fact, we asked former stylist contributors to share the opening lines. Of happening upon a book youve never heard of, reading it, and absolutely loving it. Widely considered a classic, it is a psychological thriller about a young woman who becomes obsessed with her husbands first wife. Rebecca by daphne du maurier delivers superb characters, haunting mysteries, and mounting tension to the last page. The investigator of the inquest of the true cause of rebeccas untimely demise. You dont know about me without you have read a book by the name of the adventures of tom sawyer.
Rebecca, a unique novel by daphne du maurier, an english author and playwright of the 20th century, is a love drama with gothic elements. The best 100 opening lines from books is one of stylists most popular piece of content ever. They are not brave, the days when we are twentyone. Mention rebecca to any reader and the first line has immediate recall last night i dreamt i went to manderley again. Parodied, spoofed, and misremembered, austens celebrated zinger remains the archetypal first line for an archetypal tale. First published in 1938 it was an immediate hit and sold nearly 3 million copies between 1938 and 1965. And when the story becomes a classic, the first line can sometimes become as famous as the novel itself, as the quotes below demonstrate. From its iconic first line last night i dreamt i went to manderley again to its last twist, rebecca has kept readers riveted for decades. The above mentioned was in the book but there was also a lot. Your favourite opening lines in literature after a huge response to our feature on great opening lines, weve assembled our favourite openers posted by readers fri, mar 28, 2014, 01. In orwells 1984, what does the opening sentence suggest about the book. Pride and prejudice 18it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. I had already read my cousin rachel by the same author and just loved it.
Rebecca by daphne du maurier the famous first lines from du mauriers modern gothic, rebecca, set up the eerie tone of this book. A bestseller, there were 2,829,3 copies of rebecca sold between its publication in 1938 and 1965, and the book has never gone out of print. They are full of little cowardices, little fears without foundation, and one is so easily bruised, so swiftly wounded, one falls to the first barbed word. For it is a fever, and a burden, too, whatever the poets may say. Dont judge a book by its cover instead, try and wait for the last line following our massively popular and lovingly selected list of the 100 best opening lines from books, its now time.
Van hopper about maxims first wife and her tragic death by drowning. With one the most famous opening lines in books, i dived into the most popular work of daphne du maurier rebecca. A great first line will pull you in, introduce you to the narrator, and set the tone for the entire book. Rebecca s famous opening line, last night i dreamt i went to manderley again, sets the scene for a novel in which dreams become nightmares, obsessions take root in. In the movie failure to launch, theres a line that goes, well, she certainly is yar, in reference to a yacht. Rebecca last night, i dreamt i went to manderley again. Looking back at rebecca by daphne du maurier the hindu. Quotes from rebecca by daphne du maurier literaryladiesguide. Its the line that must capture the readers interest so that they continue to read or buy the book having read the opening line.
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