Forum Topic

First and last lines in novels.

Help! Would some kind soul settle an argument. What are the last words in Dickens' novel "A Christmas Carol" ?And while you're at it, what's the first line of Herman Melville's Moby Dick?And just to end, are these the first or last lines of Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities"?:"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known".Thanks.  ;-)

Gerry Tan ● 6862d16 Comments

The last quote is indeed the final lines of A Tale of Two Cities said by Sydney Carton as he walks to the gallows.

Piero Vitelli ● 6862d

Sorry - not gallows, guillotine.

Piero Vitelli ● 6862d

Crickey, those Frenchies were a messy lot.

Gerry Tan ● 6862d

Sounds like you are setting a Christmas Quiz!  What about "Reader, I married him" for a last line and "Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful" for a first line.

S. D. Brock ● 6862d

Still are.And they last used the guillotine in 1977.

Alan Brainsby ● 6862d

And the first lines of your last book were "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

S. D. Brock ● 6862d

A Christmas Carol - First Line - Marley was dead to begin with. Last Line - God bless us everyone.

David Archer ● 6862d

Moby Dick - Call me Ismael?

David Archer ● 6862d

Some of my Book Group have such trouble getting a whole book read, maybe we should just read the first and last lines and then spend the evening pondering what might have happened in the middle.

Jane Salisbury ● 6862d

"Reader, I married him" isn't the last line of jane eyre but the first line of the last chapter

Sara Nathan ● 6860d

My favourite first line is from James Joyce's 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man':"Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo..."

Kirsty Murdoch ● 6860d

"It was the devious-cruising Rachel, that in her retracing search after her missing children, only found another orphan."

Francis House ● 6860d

The Bottoms succeeded to Hell Row.

Philippa Bond ● 6860d

Sons and Lovers???

Sara Nathan ● 6860d

Yes! Can't remember much else about it though.  I think it was 'A' level English.

Philippa Bond ● 6859d

Slightly extending the topic I would suggest:http://www.g0akh.f2s.com/isihac/Killer_First_Lines_Page.phpEnjoy.

Alan Brainsby ● 6859d