Famous First and Last Lines

Famous First Line: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

This first line is from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. Jane Austen was born in 1775 in England, and was close to her family throughout her entire life, particularly her older sister. She had an informal education taught from her independent reading, and the male members of her family, like her father and older brothers.

Pride and Prejudice is a tale of an wealthy English family's efforts to find happy marriages for their single daughters. Specifically, two of five single daughters within one family, Jane and Elizabeth have their romances detailed. Jane is hoping to catch the eye of one Mr. Bingley, while Elizabeth experiences a belligerent but passionate courting with a man by the name of Mr. Darcy. The tale is abound with complications in the romances and the occasional appearance of a love triangle while Elizabeth and Darcy appear to be too stubborn to admit their feelings to each other throughout the novel.

I think I would enjoy reading this novel for a number of reasons. I enjoy complicated plots, and have a fondness for romance so those would be the most prominent of reasons. I would also enjoy the themes of the story of finding happiness on one's own terms and not for the benefit of others.

Famous Last Line: Yes, she thought, laying down her brush in extreme fatigue, I have had my vision.

This last line is from To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, first published in 1927. Virginia was a troubled American woman born in 1832, who struggled with bouts of depression and mood swings. Her early life was difficult, as she suffered abuse from the hands of her half-brothers, as well as the death of her mother and sister.  She eventually went on to marry Leonard Woolf.

To the Lighthouse is a book covering the events of a the Ramsay family's stay in a summer home before World War I, their experiences during World War I, and their visit to the lighthouse across from their summer home after the war. The experiences of Lily, a young painter friend of the Ramsays and James Ramsay are covered in detail.

I would enjoy reading this book because I have recently began reading Virginia Woolf's work and I am intrigued by it. Her insight into social relations is very interesting, as one could note from any of her books.