my favourite first lines

The first line of a book should be a door flung open. It should be like peering through a keyhole, or lifting the lid of an old, dusty jewellery box. It should make you wonder. It should intrigue you. It should shock you. It should make you sit up and pay attention. It should blow like cold wind straight through you.

My favourite quote about first lines is:

Whenever possible, tell the whole story of the novel in the first sentence. — John Irving

I really thought about this when I was drafting The Sisters of Straygarden Place, the first sentence of which is:The house dressed Mayhap Ballastian in blue on the day her sister disappeared.Here are some of my favourite opening sentences: I found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon. — Skellig by David Almond

Our mother had a dark heart feeling.

— Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee

On the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of Weep, a girl fell from the sky.

— Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

They say the day the Governor arrived, the ravens did, too.

— The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

They must think I don’t have long left, because today they allow the vicar in.

— Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller

Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.

— Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

The chastities keep asking me why I can’t sleep.

— Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill

The first time I saw them, I thought they were angels.

— The Nest by Kenneth Oppel

The following day, no one died.

— Death With Interruptions by Jose Saramago

Wolf wilders are impossible to spot.

— The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell

What makes these first lines so delicious? I think they all do a few things: They prompt a reader to ask a question: What is a wolf wilder? Who are the chastities? Who did he find in the garage? Why did no one die?They’re simple enough to draw a reader in. Simple enough that we’re able to form an image in our minds so that we can ask questions about it.They all have confidence. By which I mean: they all give off the sense that they know what they’re talking about. There’s a deliberateness to them, a directness. They speak straight to you. What do you think makes a perfect first line? I’d love to know.