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Favorite First Lines

You shouldn't judge a book by its cover alone. But engaging opening lines can sure pull you in. Here are 10 of our favorites.

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Moby Dick by Herman Melville

"Call me Ismael."

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Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

"I am an invisible man."

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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possesion of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

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Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

"It was a pleasure to burn."

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A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. . ."

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Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love."

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Beloved by Toni Morrison

"124 was spiteful."

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The Gunslinger by Stephen King

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

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1984 by George Orwell

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

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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

"Here is a small fact: You are going to die. "

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