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15 Stellar Opening And Closing Sentences Of Famous Books

Do you know any of these by heart?

Nov 15, 2018

15 Stellar Opening And Closing Sentences Of Famous Books

I'm always fascinated by the first and last sentences of books because, hopefully, the author meant to put them there for a specific reason. Here are some popular ones, and some personal favorites.

1. "Call me Ishmael."

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- Herman Melville, Moby Dick (1851)

2. "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth."

- J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (1951)

3. "It was a pleasure to burn."

- Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

4. "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."

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- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

5. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."

- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1997)

6. "All this happened, more or less."

- Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five (1969)

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."

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- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)

Closing Sentences

8. "He loved Big Brother."

- George Orwell, 1984 (1949)

9. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)

10. "Are there any questions?"

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- Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale (1986)

11. "Everything we need that is not food or love is here in the tabloid racks. The tales of the supernatural and extraterrestrial. The miracle vitamins, the cures for cancer, the remedies for obesity. The cults of the famous and the dead."

- Don DeLillo, White Noise (1985)

12. "So much of life in its meshes! She called in her soul to come and see."

- Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937)

13. "All was well."

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- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)

14. "A LAST NOTE FROM YOUR NARRATOR. I am haunted by humans."

- Markus Zusak, The Book Thief (2005)

15. "Reader I married him."

- Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre (1847)

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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15 Stellar Opening And Closing Sentences Of Famous Books

Do you know any of these by heart?

​1. "Call me Ishmael."

​3. "It was a pleasure to burn."

4. "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."

​5. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."

6. "All this happened, more or less."

​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."

Closing Sentences

8. "He loved Big Brother."

9. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

10. "Are there any questions?"

11. "Everything we need that is not food or love is here in the tabloid racks. The tales of the supernatural and extraterrestrial. The miracle vitamins, the cures for cancer, the remedies for obesity. The cults of the famous and the dead."

​12. "So much of life in its meshes! She called in her soul to come and see."

13. "All was well."

14. "A LAST NOTE FROM YOUR NARRATOR. I am haunted by humans."

​15. "Reader I married him."

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The Best Lines from the Fab Four

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make

The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you

Love is old, love is new, love is all, love is you

There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be

Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend

He say, "I know you, you know me", One thing I can tell you is you got to be free

Oh please, say to me, You'll let me be your man. And please say to me, You'll let me hold your hand

It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play. They've been going in and out of style, but they're guaranteed to raise a smile

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see

Can you hear me? When it rains and shine, it's just a state of mind

Little darling, it's been long cold lonely winter. Little darling, it feels like years since it' s been here. Here comes the sun, Here comes the sun, and I say it's alright

We danced through the night and we held each other tight, and before too long I fell in love with her. Now, I'll never dance with another when I saw her standing there

I love you, I love you, I love you, that's all I want to say

You say you want a revolution. Well you know, we all want to change the world

All the lonely people, where do they all come from. All the lonely people, where do they all belong

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they're here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday

And when the brokenhearted people, living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be.

And anytime you feel the pain, Hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders

I'll give you all I got to give if you say you'll love me too. I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you. I don't care too much for money. Money can't buy me love

All you need is love, love is all you need

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, Take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life, You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Though I know I'll never lose affection, for people and things that went before. I know I'll often stop and think about them. In my life, I love you more

Obviously the best superpower.

There have been many lessons learned.

1. The importance of traditions.

2. How to be thankful for family and friends.

3. How to give back.

4. What the word "community" really means.

5. That it isn't about the destination, but the journey.

6. The consequences of making bad choices.

7. To trust people, until you have a reason not to.

8. To be welcoming and accepting of everyone.

9. How to be my own, individual person.

10. How to work for what I want.

11. How to be great at giving directions.

12. How to be humble.

13. To be well-rounded.

14. How to be great at conflict resolution.

15. The beauty of getting outside and exploring.

16. To be prepared for anything.

17. That you don't always have to do it alone.

18. How to be creative.

19. To brush off gossip.

I have never been so thankful to know you.

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

Don't freak out

Email the professor

Attend the first class

Keep attending class

Have a backup plan

Remember that everything works out at the end

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