Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka gives the reader no time to adjust to what’s going on; Samsa has become an insect, and off we go. The tone of the opening line is strangely matter-of-fact considering the circumstances, but this fits perfectly with the absurdist nature of the novel. (It’s also worth noting that, depending on the translation, Samsa is perhaps not an insect but a “monstrous vermin” or a “monstrous cockroach.”)

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens’ bold, declarative opening sentence uses antithesis to set the scene and the overarching tone of the novel. The contrasts draw the reader in, setting the time and place (London and Paris during the time of the French Revolution), while also raising the issue of comparison: Can any era be considered the best or worst of times?

Oscar Wilde

He was born in 1854 and died in 1900. During those all-too-brief years, he built a reputation that would long outlive him. And while today he is known for his literary works, he is arguably just as famous for his legendary wit — as well as the scandal and ensuing imprisonment that upturned his life.

As a literary figure, Wilde is perhaps best known for his play The Importance of Being Earnest, his only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and “The Ballad of Reading Gaol,” a poem he wrote in exile after his release from prison. But when Oscar Wilde’s name is mentioned, it’s not only his writing that people remember. The name is synonymous with flamboyant manners and rapier wit, and a certain type of genius that dazzled society, whether it was in the clubs of London or the lecture halls of the United States.

When Wilde went to the U.S. in 1882 to lecture primarily on aestheticism — an artistic movement that emphasized the aesthetic value of art, or "art for art's sake" — he encountered a hostile press but was well received by the general public. The trip made him an international star. It also gave rise to one of the most famous quotes attributed to Wilde (though there’s no evidence to support the claim). When he arrived at U.S. customs to begin his tour (so the story goes), he was asked if he had anything to declare. With typical wit, he replied, “I have nothing to declare but my genius.”

Back in London, things turned sour when questions about Wilde’s private life spiraled out of control. His homosexuality became public knowledge, and soon he was charged with gross indecency and sentenced to two years of hard labor. His name was tarnished, his reputation left in tatters, and he spent his remaining years in exile in France, where he died in a cheap hotel in 1900. It was a tragic end, and sadly, even today, the events of his life are perhaps more widely known than his work.

But there was a lot more to Wilde than writing, wit, and scandal: He was a complex man with a complex personality. And as Wilde once wrote, “Personality is a very mysterious thing. A man cannot always be estimated by what he does. He may keep the law, and yet be worthless. He may break the law, and yet be fine. He may be bad without ever doing anything bad. He may commit a sin against society, and yet realize through that sin his true perfection.”

As Stephen King said, “An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story. It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.” This is the writer’s hook, the way to grab the reader and hold their attention. But not all opening lines are created equal. A Charles Dickens novel might have a first sentence that’s more than 100 words, while a classic of comparative stature might have just three: “Call me Ishmael.”

July 3

Battle of Gettysburg ends on Pickett’s Charge (1863); Dow Jones publishes its first stock average (1884); Tom Cruise born (1962); Musician Jim Morrison dies (1971); Actress Olivia Munn born (1980)

Nathanael Greene

Nathanael Greene was born August 7, 1742 in Warwick, Rhode Island.

https://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/greene.html

June 30

Aztec emperor Moctezuma II dies in battle with Spanish conquistadors (1520); Famous Oxford debate on evolution takes place (1860); Singer and civil rights activist Lena Horne born (1917); Olympic legend Michael Phelps born (1985). 

July 1

Civil War Battle of Gettysburg begins (1863); Canada becomes a country (1867); Abolitionist and author Harriet Beecher Stowe dies (1896); Princess Diana born (1961); China regains sovereignty over Hong Kong (1997).