Lesson 2 Journey Through the Pages
Great Opening Lines
You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
It is very important to make a good impression on others when we meet them for the first time.
But people aren’t the only ones who make first impressions — books do as well.
A powerful first line of a book can catch readers’ attention and make them want to read on.
Authors often spend weeks, months, or even years coming up with the perfect opening line for their books.
Let’s take a look at some of them.
Peter Pan
“All children, except one, grow up.”
- Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie
No one can stop the sands of time.
Every child becomes an adult whether they want to or not.
But the opening line of Peter Pan states that there is one child who is the exception to the rule.
Peter Pan is a boy who refuses to grow older.
He wants to have fun and stay a child forever.
One night in London, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell visit the home of Wendy, John, and Michael.
Peter Pan invites them to a fantastic island in the sky called Neverland.
It is a magical place where dreams are born and excitement never ends.
The children take Peter Pan’s hand and their adventure begins.
Only children can visit Neverland, and they do not grow up as long as they remain there.
They have a wonderful time in Neverland.
But in the end, the three children decide to return home and grow up.
What is the reason for this unexpected decision?
Read the book to find out.
Holes
“There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.”
- Holes, Louis Sachar
What comes to mind when you hear the word “camp?”
Many people would think of fun activities like fishing, having a barbecue, and sleeping under the beautiful stars.
So what kind of place do you imagine Camp Green Lake is?
Perhaps it is a beautiful place where a green forest surrounds a blue lake.
But the first line of Holes paints a different picture.
It states that there is no lake there despite its name.
Through this irony, Sachar is hinting that Camp Green Lake is not a normal camp with fun and games.
In fact, Camp Green Lake is not a camp at all.
Located in the desert, it is like a prison for bad boys.
The main character of the book, a teenage boy named Stanley Yelnats, is different from the other boys in the camp.
He hasn’t done anything wrong.
He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Stanley and the other boys at Camp Green Lake are expected to improve their character by digging holes every day.
Stanley suspects that there is another reason for the digging.
Will Stanley successfully dig up the truth about Camp Green Lake?
1984
“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”
- 1984, George Orwell
Typically, clocks strike from one to twelve times.
But George Orwell’s well-known novel, 1984, opens with the clocks striking thirteen times.
In a normal world, a clock striking thirteen is out of the ordinary.
But in this mysterious place, it doesn’t seem to be unusual.
Not just one clock but all clocks strike thirteen here.
What’s more, the number thirteen is often associated with bad luck in Western cultures.
In this way, Orwell hints to the readers that they are about to enter a world that is dark and unfamiliar.
The story takes place in an imaginary country called Oceania in the year 1984.
The government tries to control everyone’s life.
It has even created a new language to limit people’s thoughts and expressions.
Big Brother, the leader of Oceania, watches everything that goes on through television screens.
As long as Big Brother is in power, the people of Oceania will never be free.
The main character, Winston Smith, does not agree with what the government is doing.
He wants to fight against Big Brother, but he can’t do it by himself.
Will Winston find others to join him?
Or will he give in and be controlled by Big Brother like the rest of the people?
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