My favorite first line is not from my favorite book — but I think the first line of Isak Dinesen’s Out of Africa is one of the best first lines I know.
“I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills.”
Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) wrote this novel of her life in Africa originally in English, and to me it sounds like English poetry — not quite iambic and not quite dactyl — maybe something in between and definitely lyrical and lovely.
I had a FARM in AF-ri-ca, at the FOOT of the NG-ong Hills.
The author’s presence is firmly established with the first word “I” as is the presence of the second major character of the novel, the “farm in Africa”. One knows from the outset what this story is about. It declares the entwining of these two characters. Karen Blixen was in Africa and Africa was in her.
“…at the foot of the Ngong Hills.” This single phrase for me evokes a place of mystery — as Africa is for a person who has never been there. I see the colors of Africa in this one line: green hills, red dirt, blue skies, white clouds, golden sun. I hear in the name “Ngong” the people of the land, the third set of characters in this novel. The novel is not really about Europeans coming to Africa. It is actually about the people of this land before their paradise was ruined. This one line offers the suggestion of what life was like in the Garden of Eden before the Fall: beautiful, perfect, timeless, numinous.
This first line holds a mythological motif that resonates with me. In a way, I wish I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills.
ljg (c) 2012
January 6, 2013 at 10:50 am
I never read the book, but I saw the movie and that line haunted me for years–it’s definitely a great first line. My favorite is Dickens’ “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
January 6, 2013 at 3:53 pm
Agreed, I love this book.
January 6, 2013 at 6:41 pm
This gave me a lot to think about Lori! Thanks for the brain food🙂
January 13, 2013 at 4:50 am
the book is somewhere on my book shelves but I’ve never got round to reading it although I enjoyed the film. What a beautiful cover your one has.
January 13, 2013 at 4:52 am
Actually, this is not the cover from my copy. This image is from Wikipedia and is the cover of the first edition. My cover is a cheesy image of Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Thanks for stopping by.