I like to think I am not the kind of person who judges books by their covers but I have to say I am a sucker for a great first line. If the opening sentence is quirky, engaging or thought-provoking I am ready to read. A great first line can move a book with cringe worthy cover art to a place on my to be read list. If a new book captures my attention with nice cover or a blurb from an author I like I will open it. But if it doesn’t pass my first line test I probably won’t bring it home. I know many people can give a book 50 or even 100 pages to capture their full attention. Others will always open to the same page or paragraph to test their interest. Me, I want to love the first line.
Today I want to share the opening line of The Name of the Wind. This is the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss and on my list of great reads.
It was night again. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts.
Do you judge a book by the first sentence, opening lines, or first paragraph? Do you look forward to the early beginnings of a great story or are you willing to give the author 50 pages to draw you in?
They have to grab me by the end of the first paragraph, though I may be more forgiving of authors I know and love. Gosh, if they don’t have my by the 10th page, I’m not giving them any more time.
Yes, I think so too! Life is too short to read boring books. 🙂