The first and last lines of a novel are crucial in setting the tone and leaving a lasting impression on readers. Here, I will provide a detailed answer by sharing the first and last lines from a selection of famous novels.
1. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” – A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Last line: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
2. “Call me Ishmael.” – Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
Last line: “It was the devious-cruising Rachel, that in her retracing search after her missing children, only found another orphan.”
3. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Last line: “With the Gardiners, they were always on the most intimate terms. Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them.”
4. “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” – Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Last line: “But that’s only the beginning of the story.”
5. “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” – 1984 by George Orwell
Last line: “He loved Big Brother.”
6. “It was a pleasure to burn.” – Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Last line: “But he knew that he was leaving a little of himself behind, too.”
7. “In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.” – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Last line: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
8. “I am an invisible man.” – Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Last line: “Who knows but that, on the lower frequencies, I speak for you?”
9. “It was a dark and stormy night.” – Paul Clifford by Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Last line: “It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.”
10. “Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins.” – Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Last line: “I am thinking of aurochs and angels, the secret of durable pigments, prophetic sonnets, the refuge of art.”
These examples demonstrate the wide range of opening and closing lines in famous novels, showcasing the power they hold in capturing the essence of the story and leaving a lasting impact on readers.