How do opening lines of best seller novels attract readers?

Many use vivid descriptions. By painting a picture in the reader's mind right from the start, like a description of a unique setting or an interesting character. For instance, an opening line that describes a spooky old house makes you want to know what's inside. Also, some opening lines introduce a conflict early on, which makes readers eager to see how it will be resolved.

Well, take 'The Great Gatsby' for example. Its opening line 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.' This makes the reader curious about what that advice was. It creates a sense of personal narrative and mystery.

They create mystery. For example, the opening of 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier: 'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.' It makes readers wonder what Manderley is and why the narrator is dreaming about it. This mystery draws them in.

Well, some opening lines create mystery. For example, if it starts with something really strange like in 'Neuromancer' by William Gibson, it makes you want to find out more. His opening line has this cool, cyberpunk vibe that draws you in.

The first lines often introduce something unique. In many best - selling novels, the first line might introduce a strange setting or an unusual character. For example, if the first line is about a character with purple hair and a third eye in the middle of their forehead living in a floating city, it's so different that it grabs your attention. It gives a sense of the extraordinary that might be in store in the rest of the story.

They create intrigue. For example, a good opening might pose a question in the reader's mind. If a novel starts with 'The door was ajar, and a strange noise came from within.', it makes the reader wonder what's behind the door and what the noise is.

Well, they often create intrigue. For example, the opening of 'The Great Gatsby' - 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. "Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."' This makes you curious about what that advice will lead to and what kind of story the narrator has to tell. It's like a hook that pulls you in.

Some first lines use a strong statement. In '1984' with 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' The abnormal time - the clocks striking thirteen - grabs the reader's attention. It makes them want to explore this strange world where normal rules seem to be broken.

Well, first lines can introduce a mystery. For example, in 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.' This makes the reader wonder what that advice was and what kind of experiences the narrator has had because of it. It hooks the reader by making them want to find out more about the narrator and their story.

They create intrigue. For instance, the first line of '1984' by George Orwell 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' The abnormal 'clocks were striking thirteen' makes readers want to know more about this strange world.