JK Rowling’s Harry Potter Opening Line among Best Ever

Despite controversy surrounding the author, JK Rowling’s opening line from “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” has been voted one of the greatest opening lines in literature by Amazon readers. The line, which introduces the Dursley family, reads, “Mr and Mrs Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much,” and secured fifth place in the poll of British readers, with 22% favoring it.

Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” took the top spot with its famous line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” while George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” followed closely behind. The opening lines of other classics, such as JM Barrie’s “Peter Pan” and JRR Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” also made the list.

JK Rowling has faced criticism for her views on transgender issues and women’s rights, leading to calls for book boycotts and labeling her as a “terf.” However, this poll suggests that many readers have remained loyal to her work.

The survey commissioned by Amazon Books UK revealed that 43% of British readers believe the first few lines of a book can make or break it, and 64% admitted to stopping reading if the initial words failed to capture their interest. Nearly 40% of respondents remembered the opening lines of their favorite books by heart, highlighting the lasting impact of a compelling beginning.

Re-reported from the article originally published in The Telegraph