Hello people! Time for another discussion. This one is about first lines. And there's a nice little quiz for you to test your first-line-remembering-abilities.
I don't know about you guys, but I don't tend to put a lot of stock into first lines. I mean, sure, if there's an attention grabbing first line, that might make you more likely to keep reading the book, but in most cases, it really doesn't matter whether or not the first line is interesting or not. It's really the rest of the book that's much more important. I mean, look at this line:
There is one mirror in my house.I guess that's an okay first line, but is it particularly compelling? Does it make you go 'OH MY GOSH I MUST FIND OUT WHY THERE IS ONE MIRROR IN THE HOUSE!!'? Frankly, for me, not really. However, this is the first line of a book that many, many people, including me, love (and in fact the third book in this series is coming out quite soon). If we were to judge the entire book by this first line though, I mean, it's a bit boring isn't it? And that's why the first line of a book (the one which authors are tormented over and devote much time to perfect) unfortunately doesn't really tend to have that much of an impact on my opinion of a book.
Anyway, quiz time. Some of these are quite obvious, as they have characters' names in them, but I thought I'd give you some easy ones along with some more difficult ones. And if you get stuck, keep scrolling, there are some hints as well. I'm not going to include the answers in this one- try answer in comments (and don't cheat by looking at other peoples' comments :P) and I'll reply if you get any wrong!
1. Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, 'and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversation?'
2. "You've got to be kidding me," the bouncer said, folding his arm across his massive chest.
3. Late in the winter of my seventeenth year, my mother decided I was depressed, presumably because I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over, ate infrequently, and devoted quite a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death.
4. The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle.
5. All children, except one, grow up.
6. Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
7. Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood.
8. Walking to school over the snow-muffled cobbles, Karou had no sinister premonitions about the day.
9. The week before I left my family and Florida and the rest of my minor life to go to boarding school in Alabama, my mother insisted on throwing me a going-away party.
10. When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End annonced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.
11. If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book.
12. There is one mirror in my house.
Hints if you need them (these are pretty obvious, so hopefully you'll get them haha)
1. Alice. ALICE. Come on, man!
2. The bouncer is bouncer-ing a club named Pandemonium
3. Why would someone feel depressed? Further really obvious hint if needed: BECAUSE THEY HAVE CANCER.
4. Surely you don't need a hint for this one.
5. Flying. Lost people. Hooks.
6. Nope, no hint for this one, buddy.
7. A half-blood is also known as a demigod.
8. Wishbones. Angels and demons.
9. One might say the protagonist is looking for something.
10. I might get him a ring for a birthday present.
11. Wow that is a really bad start to a book and series. How unfortunate.
12. As I said before, the third book in this series is coming out very soon.
So what do you think about first lines? Do they have a big impact on your opinion of a book?
1. Alice in Wonderland, don't need the hint for that :D
ReplyDelete2 ? Don't think I've read this book.
3. I believe this is The fault in our stars.
4. CINDER <3
5. No hint necessarily, Peter Pan :D
6. Haha, if you don't know this one, you've been living under a rock. Harry Potter!
7. x Probably haven't read this book.
8. Daughter of smoke and bone.
9. - No idea.
10. Lord of the rings.
11. Only because of the hint and if I'm correct I've only seen the movie, a series of Unfortunate events?
12. Divergent.
:D
Mel@thedailyprophecy.
Nice on Mel, you got most of them correct! Here are the ones that you didn't know:
Delete2. City of Bones
7. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson)
9. Looking for Alaska
1. Alice in Wonderland
ReplyDelete2. City of Bones
3. The Fault in Our Stars
4. Cinder
5. Peter Pan
6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone
7. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone
9. Looking for Alaska
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings
11. Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events ( I don't know what the title of the first book is exactly)
12. Divergent
That was fun!
No first lines don't impact my opinion of a book. But a great first line of a good book makes it even more memorable.
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Congrats! You've gotten them all correct!
Delete11. is The Bad Beginning by the way :)
I have to honest, I often forget the first line of a book, so it's not particularly memorable for me in general :P
I don't really think too much about first lines either. In English class, they're always teaching you about how first lines should hook you in but that isn't always the case. Still, when I come across a really great first line, I do mark it down.
ReplyDelete1. Alice in Wonderland
2. Haven't read this book.
3. The Fault in Our Stars?
4. Cinder
5. Peter Pan
6. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone! <3
7. Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief
8. Haven't read this book but pretty sure it's Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I recognize that name!
9. What?
10. I know it's the Lord of the Rings but...don't ask me which one
11. Thanks for the hint! It's been such a long time since I read the first book! I remember I loved them soooo much though.
12. Divergent!
2. City of Bones
Delete9. Looking for Alaska
10. The first one!
I think I have trouble really remembering bookish quotes in general haha. It's difficult enough for me to remember titles and authors, actually XD
Thanks for doing the quiz Annie :D
I don't pay a lot of attention to the first lines of books... It's more like, if the first chapter is not good, the book is not going to be something mind-blowing, either. But some books do have compelling first lines!
ReplyDelete1. Alice in Wonderland.
2. City of Bones! I'm pretty sure. Okay, not that sure...
3. Ummmmm... no idea? If I read the book, then I don't remember it.
4. CINDER!
5. Petet Pan.
6. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone <333
7. A Percy Jackson book, maybe? No idea.
8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
9. Looking for Alaska
10. Lord of the Rings! Fellowship of the Ring, right? I haven't read the books, tbh.
11. No idea.
12. Divergent.
I do agree, it's mostly the entire first chapter that really grips you. Have you read The Sea of Tranquility? That passage at the start had me like o.O
Delete3. THE FAULT IN OUR FREAKING STARS. <3
7. Yep, The Lightning Thief!
11. The Bad Beginning. It's the first book in the Series of Unfortunate Events series. They're really clever, so if you haven't read them before, I'd definitely recommend them!
1. Alice in Wonderland
ReplyDelete2. ?
3. ?
4. Cinder
5. Peter Pan
6. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
7. ?
8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone
9. ?
10. Lord of the Rings
11. ?
12. ?
I can appreciate a really good first line, but it's not a make-or-break thing for me. I think my opinion of a book is more likely to be coloured by the last line; some of them are really cheesy and can make an otherwise good book seem a little less great.
2. City of Bones
Delete3. The Fault in Our Stars
7. The Lightning Thief
9. Looking for Alaska
11. The Bad Beginning
12. Divergent!
Well said. I feel the same way! Like the last line of Breaking Dawn, "our perfect little piece of forever" or whatever it was -_-
OH YAY! I love quizzes! So let's see (I'll do this without the hints. I hope I can at least pass XD)
ReplyDelete1. Alice In Wonderland (Alice gave it away, obviously!)
2. Errm... nope this doesn't ring a bell. Probably haven't read it XD
3. The Fault In Our Stars (I remember because she kept reading An Imperial Affliction. Ha!)
4. Cinder (It's right there).
5. Peter Pan (He will ALWAYS be the boy who never grows up).
6. HP : The Sorcerer's Stone (DUUUHHHH)
7. The Lightning Thief (I remember how he didn't use the correct term at first :D)
8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Karou is a very distinctive name).
9. .... Okay I come up empty D:
10. I'm pretty sure this is an LOTR book but... dunno which one!
11. This is a Lemony Snicket isn't it?! Unfortunately (haha) I don't recall the title.
12. Divergent (Yeah, that line sort of stuck because of her Abnegation-ness).
So I'm hoping for an 8 at least XD That's passing :) I don't really try to dwell on first lines so much, and I don't really think they help my interest in the book. They're just single lines, and I won't be able to gauge much by just looking at them. So yeah, but I guess I can remember them well enough if they give hints :D Fun quiz Nara! <3
I love quizzes too :D It's fun making them up as well!
Delete2. City of Bones!
7. haha yeah he was all "half god" and Annabeth was like "Nope, it's halfblood or demigod" :P
9. Looking for Alaska
10. The first one!
11. Yep. The Bad Beginning :D
So you did indeed get more than 8! Good job haha.
I've seen a lot of talk over best & worst first & last lines in the book world, and to me they're not all that important either. Well, the first lines aren't. The last lines can really push a story home if they're done right. But I don't usually get compelled by the first line, or even paragraph, and it's super hard to make a judgement until I get into the book a little ways.
ReplyDeleteOh fun, a quiz! :)
1. Alice in Wonderland
4. Cinder
5. Peter Pan
6. Harry Potter! Although I don't know which one. (Because I haven't read them. Don't hurt me!)
8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone
10. Lord of the Rings
11. Series of Unfortunate Events (or something like that)
I don't even have guesses for the rest, and I've actually only read 1, 4, and 8. :x
A crappy last line can definitely be a major disappointment. I like a nice conclusion to my books. I mean, imagine if a last line was "and then I woke up" (we all did it in primary school...)- it's just so cliched and ridiculous.
DeleteYay! You got all the ones you've written down right!
Here are the others in case you've read them but just forgot :P
2. City of Bones
3. The Fault in Our Stars
7. The Lightning Thief
9. Looking for Alaska
12. Divergent
1. Alice in Wonderlandddddd
ReplyDelete2. Ummm... you say club named Pandemonium which is the one from City of Bones... I think. Can't remember but that's me guess.
3. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS OMG
4. Cinderrrrrrr
5. Peter Pan >.<
6. Harry Potter and the asdfghjkl;'s stone. Sorry... dunno how to spell so that was my attempt :)
7. WELL DUH IT'S PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF WHOOOOOP!
8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone
9. Looking for Alaska! Only 2 people went to the party if I remember looool
10. Never read but your clue made me think of Lord of the Rings?
11. Series of Unfortunate Events-- I watched the movie
12. DIVERGENT.
I think I like starts that are really blunt and already produce many questions. Ones that start with dialogue aren't my favourite though.
Great post and quiz! <33
CONGRATS MEL! You got them all right!
DeleteI don't mind dialogue to start off. But it depends what it is, I guess. Like, I'm pretty sure Pivot Point starts off with dialogue- "heads up" or something like that. And that was actually quite a solid start.
You always come up with the funnest quizzes ever, Nara! Okay, I'm going to try my hand at this one, though I'll probably do badly because -- BOOK AMNESIA. It's horrible. And embarrassing. Especially when it comes to quizzes like this on your blog. ;) Nyeh nyeh.
ReplyDelete1. Alice in Wonderland
2. City of Bones
3. The Fault in Our Stars
4. Cinder
5. Peter Pan
6. HARRY POTTER OMG I'M SO HAPPY YOU INCLUDED THIS ONE YOU WONDERFUL PERSON *hug* <- Totally not an overreaction.
7. Percy Jackson
8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone
9. Looking for Alaska (I haven't read this yet, if it's true)
10. The Fellowship of the Ring
11. A Series of Unfortunate Events (?)
12. Divergent
Okay, I didn't expect to be able to list down all of these, but it was thanks to my super intelligent brain. (And not your hints at all, haha.) As for first lines, I'm with you. They don't really have much of an impact on me, and besides, I tend to forget them the second I finish the first chapter. I mean, if it really starts off with a bang, like "The aliens came on the fifth day." (not an actual first line), then of course I'd be interested, but on the whole, they don't really change my opinion of the book. It is the rest of the book and its content that decide for me.
Fun quiz, Nara! I'm looking forward to more. >:D
hahaha oh god ATTACK OF THE BOOK AMNESIA. Don't worry, I actually had to go to my bookshelf and look up most of these first lines :P I'd do horribly if it was me doing the quiz haha
Delete6. *tackle hugs back* OF COURSE I WOULD INCLUDE THIS ONE IT'S A CLASSIC!
haha I made the hints pretty obvious :P It does seem to have helped a lot of people! And definitely, the rest of the book has much more of an impact than the first line. I guess an attention grabbing one might make me more compelled to read the rest of the book, but it really depends on what it is.
Wohoo, I got them all. Either that, or I'm way too confident in my guesses.. but no, no. I got them all.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love number 11! I didn't read the book, but I liked how they did it in the movie.
As to first sentence, I'd say they're pretty important for me. More important than they should be, to be honest. In writing, they're the first thing that comes to mind. I can have absolutely NO idea what the plot is, but I know what the first sentence of my book will be. Pretty random. In reading, though, they hook me in, which is important because I'm one of those readers that are very skeptical of a book within the first two chapters. Actually, come to think about it, I hate all books when I first start them, and the only thing that changes my mind (other than actually reading the book), is the first sentence.
Here's a little quizzy for you. This is my favourite 1st sentence:
First the humans, then the colors.
*cough* actually, it's: first the colors, then the humans . Gosh, I have a terrible memory.
DeleteI don't think I've ever heard of that line! Or maybe I have and it's the book amnesia kicking in again...
DeleteI suppose from a writer's perspective, they would be the first thing to come to mind, because they'd set in motion the rest of the book. Although if I were to ever write a book I'd probably plan a bit of a plot before the first line comes to mind...
haha that's an interesting point of view. I suppose in that case then the first sentence would be quite important for you :P
4 is definitely Cinder! -points at Cinder's name-
ReplyDelete8. Daughter of Smoke & Bone; who else is named Karou?
After reading the hints:
1. Alice in Wonderland (I thought it was this one, but you can't be TOO sure right?)
2. City of Bones; I can never forget that awful club name
3. The Truth In Our Stars; OHHHHHHHH I KNEW THAT ONE SOUNDED FAMILIAR!
5. Peter Pan?
6. I don't think I read this one.
7. Percy Jackson!
9. No clue
10. Lord of the Rings? The Hobbit?
11. OH. The Series of Unfortunate Events!
12. Divergent? I think?
Yeah, I pretty much suck...until the hints. :P
I love your quizzes Nara! :D
6. DUUUUUUDE! HARRY POTTER!!
Delete9. Looking for Alaska!
And the rest of them are correct :D
Thanks for doing the quiz Kelly! It makes me very happy to see people actually doing the quizzes haha
I would rather be racking my brains with this quiz than reading a whole post of scary halloween stories. Hahaha.
ReplyDeleteUnlike you, I don't think give much care about first sentences because I don't believe in the saying that, "first impressions last." I'd be happier if the story would beautifully unfold in my very eyes. Not to mention that most of the time, they're very confusing and instead of focusing my time on reading, my mind would go obsessed with trying to understand the first line.
Anyway, I will try my very best to answer this question. Nyahahaha.
1. Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, 'and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversation?' Alice in the Wonderland
2. "You've got to be kidding me," the bouncer said, folding his arm across his massive chest. TMI: City of Bones
3. Late in the winter of my seventeenth year, my mother decided I was depressed, presumably because I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over, ate infrequently, and devoted quite a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death.
4. The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle. Cinder- I haven't read the book yet but I think the name is already a dead giveaway. Hahaha.
5. All children, except one, grow up. Errrr~
6. Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- Bwahahahaha. Who would ever forget this???
7. Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood. Percy Jackson?
8. Walking to school over the snow-muffled cobbles, Karou had no sinister premonitions about the day. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone- I am glad to finally read the book 2-3 weeks ago.
9. The week before I left my family and Florida and the rest of my minor life to go to boarding school in Alabama, my mother insisted on throwing me a going-away party. Looking for Alabama?-Not so sure if there's a book titled like this. I know that John Green wrote a book called Looking for Alaska. And Marchetta also wrote Looking for Alibrandi.
10. When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End annonced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton. The Hobbit or The Fellowship of the Ring. Argh. My LOTR knowledge is already so rusty.
11. If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book. Anti Fairy Tale book???
12. There is one mirror in my house. Dracula or The Era of Vampirers?- Well, they're kind of afraid of mirrors. So I deduced that this book is some sort of a vampire story.
I need to eat more peanuts to ensure that I can answer your future quizzes, Nara. Hahaha!
Not surprised you couldn't get number 3, you haven't read it yet! It's TFIOS haha.
Delete5. Peter Pan
9. HAHAHA nah it's Looking for Alaska :P
11. The Bad Beginning (first book in the Series of Unfortunate Events series)
12. Divergent! So not a vampire story unfortunately haha
Peanuts? That's random haha :P
Oh yes. I don't take a lot of stock into first lines, but I do think sometimes that the first paragraph can be quite telling. Like for the Divergent one you mentioned above, the first line itself isn't that captivating, but once you read the next couple lines and find out they only even look into that mirror a couple times a year or something, that's quite intriguing!
ReplyDeleteAnddd oh quiz!
1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (or whatever the actual title is).
2. City of Bones
3. The Fault in our Stars
4. Cinder
5. Peter Pan
6. Harry Potter
7. Demi-God? Hmmm... I'm drawing a blank >.> (Oooh looked at someone else's. Doh. But I haven't read this one, so I'll forgive myself.)
8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone
9. Looking for Alaska?? What other book talks about looking for something?
10. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
11. A Series of Unfortunate Events
12. Divergent
Oh look, I got them all except for the Percy Jackson one. Though that's not completely accurate, because I utilized your helpful hints for a couple of them... ;)
(PS. Sorry I took so long to comment back! Trying to work on that now ><)
True, it's more the backstory of the first line I guess. Or just the book in general haha
Deletelol the hints were pretty good weren't they ;) so incredibly subtle :P
aww Asti, no need to apologise! I know you've been really busy with the move to the UK and settling in and such :) Plus I don't comment on your blog just to get comments back, it's because I want to share my thoughts with you :D
That being said though, feel free to comment on the blog whenever you want :P
Oooo. I like this post.
ReplyDeleteSeemingly as everyone has already participated in the quiz, and I only know, like, half, I'm going to skip on that one. Don't hate me :D
I was just thinking, if a book has a prologue, or one of those chapters that isn't really the story yet, but some kind of lead-in, which line counts as the first? Is the first line the first sentence you come across when reading that book, or the first line of the chapter? *shrugs* I'm not sure.
First lines are pretty important to me because it kind of sets the scene for the rest of the book. Sure enough, if the first sentence is crap it doesn't mean the book will be crap, but the first line definitely gets you interested. If I am really unsure of what book to read/buy next, I will read the first sentence, and see if it intrigues me enough to keep reading. If it does, then that's the book I'm going to read/buy. If there's more than one book that intrigues me with its first sentence ... that's where the problem starts :P
Anyway, super rambly comment. But hey, if your post can get me talking, that's a good thing :D
haha no problem. To be honest, I didn't know most of them and had to go look them up :P
DeleteI'd say that the prologue line is the first line, because prologues are still technically part of the story. I don't count epigraphs though, because they're not part of the story. If that makes sense.
I'm weird and read the middle of the book to get a sample of the writing. Which is kind of bad because I might accidentally get spoilered...(and yeah, it's happened before). I don't even know why I do it lol.
We welcome rambly comments here! haha