# Guess the book: first sentence/last sentence **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 17, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690 "2009-05-17T00:16:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/1 "2009-05-17T00:16:22Z")
Here are the first and last sentences of well-known books, truncated to three words each. The books were chosen either because their opening line is pretty famous, or their last line–that is, famous enough for me to vaguely remember them. They’re in chronological order of publication. 1. It was the / have ever known 2. No one would / among the dead 3. In my younger / into the past 4. Last night I / from the sea 5. What’s it going / all that cal 6. This is my /death, that’s all 7. The sky above / saw Molly again The following three would be too easily guessable from the first or last three words, so you just get the first and last word. 1. Call / orphan 2. Stately / Yes 3. It / Brother ---
**Author:** ![AllWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@AllWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllWalker)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/2 "2009-05-17T00:22:14Z")
> [@De\_La\_Rue](#): > > 1. It / Brother 1. I think. I don’t remember the starting sentence, but boy do I remember the ending one. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/3 "2009-05-17T00:26:00Z")
1. Tale of Two Cities 2. Great Gatsby 3. Princess Bride 4. Neuromancer ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/4 "2009-05-17T00:28:33Z")
Yup–the first sentence is “It was a cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” (in response to AllWalker) ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/5 "2009-05-17T00:42:59Z")
1. Rebecca? 2. Moby Dick? ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/6 "2009-05-17T01:39:33Z")
All right so far. Man, I thought this would be difficult… ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/7 "2009-05-17T01:46:06Z")
#9 is _Ulysses_. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/8 "2009-05-17T01:46:28Z")
1. War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells ? I don’t remember the last line, but i think the first goes, “No-one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that human affairs were being watched” etc. To be honest, although i’ve read the book a few times, that line is always more memorable when read by Richard Burton in Jeff Wayne’s rock opera. ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/9 "2009-05-17T01:58:17Z")
What the heck, two more: 1. The boy with / friend called Piggy 2. Mr. Jones, of / which was which Famous last lines, I’ve noticed, are in less supply than first lines. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/10 "2009-05-17T01:58:47Z")
May I contribute a few more? 1. You don’t know / been there before 2. There was no / come, Lord Jesus! 3. You will rejoice / darkness and distance. 4. The Signora had / into the Mediterranean. 5. I thought the / live so long. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/11 "2009-05-17T02:00:00Z")
#11 – _Lord of the Flies_? ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/12 "2009-05-17T02:07:18Z")
12–Animal Farm? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/13 "2009-05-17T02:15:04Z")
1. In a hole…the tobacco-jar. ---
**Author:** ![Elyanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Elyanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elyanna)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/14 "2009-05-17T02:17:16Z")
13–Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/15 "2009-05-17T02:20:50Z")
13: Huckleberry Finn 16: A Room With a View I see nobody guessed #5… ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/16 "2009-05-17T02:23:14Z")
Right on #13 and #16. I’m going to guess _A Clockwork Orange_ for #5. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/17 "2009-05-17T02:23:51Z")
In / Amen The Monitor Lady / a long time. [Wow, this one is easier than I thought.] Great game. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/18 "2009-05-17T02:29:50Z")
In the week before their departure to / history will call us wives. ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/19 "2009-05-17T02:33:39Z")
Meeko: wouldn’t that be I’ve watched through / a long time ? ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690/20 "2009-05-17T02:35:38Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > 1. Neuromancer To think, I just went back to get a few of my books out for this game, I passed up 'Mancer, cause I never got past the first page.\* \*At the time I picked it up, I was clueless as to what “It’s not like I’m using” meant. Then again, the number of books I’ve started reading, and put down… Let’s not go there. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-book-first-sentence-last-sentence/496690.md?page=2)