Great Beginnings: Opening Lines of Great Novels

by Georgianne Ensign

A great novel's opening paragraph creates a magical space that draws in its reader. In an instant, the vista of an intriguing and wondrous world beckons. Great Beginnings presents hundreds of these glorious openings, from the early nineteenth century to the present, each one pulling us into a new and different universe. Some novelists stroll unhurriedly into their stories, while some leap directly into the action. Arranged in fourteen categories, from "Once Upon a Time" to "Brevity Doesn't Count," Ensign's selections show the sheer technical artistry, breadth, and genius of the novel. Great Beginnings will bring a delight of recognition with first lines that are so remarkable they have become memorable as famous quotations, such as "Call me Ishmael" or "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...." But the pure enjoyment of Great Beginnings lies in the length of the excerpts: Instead of a jumble of first sentences, Ensign's excerpts are full paragraphs that impart the essence of these miraculous novels. Great Beginnings selections are sure to send readers back to their old favorites as well as lead them on to new discoveries. Entertaining and inspirational, Great Beginnings will appeal to anyone who has spent long afternoons caught in the spell of a novel.

Genres: Books About Books

176 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1993

Reviews

[Marc · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Vonia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Concept? Ingenious. Execution? Not so genius. This is nothing but a compilation; Ensign doing the work of a librarian, collecting the beginning lines of the classics. She could have done so much more, like sort them, discuss them, explicate on why authors may have made the decisions they made in their writing. I will note that in the sequel, Great Endings, Ensign does redeem herself somewhat...

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

For such a cute little book with such a promising premise, this turned out to be much more ponderous than I had hoped or expected. It felt oddly repetitious, and really pretty dull.

[Kent · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as intriguing as you'd think. It's kind of like seeing a bunch of perfect breasts with no heads or bodies attached, or tasting delicious food in a drop of chemical aroma instead of eating.

[Lisa Mcbroom · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Book Lovers! This book was so much fun! I would try to guess the excerpts from the lines! Also for budding writers, you learn different styles of writings from the greats!