Novel Quiz: Famous Opening Lines

[sat8997]

Have you ever been so moved, amused, or provoked by the first line of a novel that it stayed in your memory long after you finished the book and put it back on the shelf? Here's your chance to see just how many first lines you remember (or how many you can guess). Try to match each of the following opening lines with the correct novel.

 

11/13 I'm happy with this as some of these I read years ago.

 

Famous Opening Lines

[Cynical Romantic]

I got only 9/13, which is pretty embarrassing. Guess I have to brush up on my reading.

[Benji]

Have you ever been so moved, amused, or provoked by the first line of a novel that it stayed in your memory long after you finished the book and put it back on the shelf? Here's your chance to see just how many first lines you remember (or how many you can guess). Try to match each of the following opening lines with the correct novel.

 

11/13 I'm happy with this as some of these I read years ago.

 

Famous Opening Lines

 

..........I was most intrigued by;

 

"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 ..."

 

But alas I got 10/13!

[Libby Drew]

I got ten out of thirteen as well. And I was shocked to find it never came down to guessing. I either knew it, or had absolutely no clue. What does that say?

 

I came across an online quiz a few weeks ago that tested people's knowlegde on the second lines of famous novels. For example, what sentance followed, "All children, except one, grow up?" Now that was hard. I think I got two out of ten correct. :wacko:

 

Thanks for the bit of fun!

[Krista]

I got nine correct... sigh... I was excited to see "The Catcher in the Rye," I love that book. So it's safe to say I got that one right.

 

 

Krista

[Graeme]

9/13, but I've only read one, maybe two of the books (I possibly read it about thirty years ago for school) and I didn't remember the opening line of either of them. However, I've seen references to two of the opening lines in books on writing, which is where I recognised them from. Two I worked out from knowing the author -- it sounded like what they would do, and one was referenced in the other thread mentioned about opening lines, and a couple of others I guessed based on what I knew the story was about: "All children, except one, grow up." was an easy one -- that comment is famous, even if I've never read the book.

[myself_i_must_remake]

11/13. bam.

[corvus]

10/13. My opinion of Dickens' prose is low enough that I picked Bleak House instead of Paul Clifford (anyone even heard of that??), and I got tricked by the whole Misanthrope thing. And I should've known -- the Clarke excerpt didn't even smell vaguely of Bradbury.

[jovian_w2002]

12/13! How do you like them apples? Haha, admittedly and surprisingly, I randomly chose the right answers for 2 masterpieces that I have yet to read.

[J_Ross]

10/13. My opinion of Dickens' prose is low enough that I picked Bleak House instead of Paul Clifford (anyone even heard of that??), and I got tricked by the whole Misanthrope thing. And I should've known -- the Clarke excerpt didn't even smell vaguely of Bradbury.

Missed the same question, for nearly the same reason.

 

12/13

 

There were two in there I hadn't read, but I got lucky...

[David McLeod]

I got nine correct... sigh... I was excited to see "The Catcher in the Rye," I love that book. So it's safe to say I got that one right.

 

 

Krista

 

 

Nine, too. And Catcher in the Rye is superb. Have you seen the movie, "Chasing Holden?" Excellent.