How do you play Opening Lines?

Read the opening sentence and choose the novel it belongs to. Look for the narrator, setting and tone as clues. A remembered first sentence can help, but a line can also be a starting point for finding a new book to read.

When do the daily book games change?

New puzzles arrive at midnight UTC. That may be morning, afternoon or evening in your time zone. The date on the game identifies the puzzle everyone is playing.

Can I play without an account?

You can play the daily games as a guest. Sign in if you want to keep your streaks across devices, and use the archive links when you want an earlier puzzle. Avoid posting an answer where people who have not played will see it.

Secondhand · Well-read · Much loved

Creasy Spines

“Every crease is a story.”

Vol. I · No. 292Monday, 19 October 2026Today’s edition

Opening Lines #59 · Monday, 28 September 2026

Opening Lines

Five first sentences from public-domain classics. Which book does each one open?

Replaying an archived puzzle. Play today’s

Line 1

“My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire; I was the third of five sons.”

Les MisérablesVictor HugoCrime and PunishmentFyodor DostoevskyRobinson CrusoeDaniel DefoeGulliver's TravelsJonathan Swift

Line 2

“There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.”

Great ExpectationsCharles DickensJane EyreCharlotte BrontëWar and PeaceLeo TolstoyPride and PrejudiceJane Austen

Line 3

“Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress.”

To the LighthouseVirginia WoolfThe Count of Monte CristoAlexandre DumasMiddlemarchGeorge EliotLittle WomenLouisa May Alcott

Line 4

“April is the cruellest month, breeding”

Alice's Adventures in WonderlandLewis CarrollThe Jungle BookRudyard KiplingThe Waste LandT. S. EliotPersuasionJane Austen

Line 5

“Marley was dead: to begin with.”

Robinson CrusoeDaniel DefoeA Christmas CarolCharles DickensTreasure IslandRobert Louis StevensonEmmaJane Austen

Archive · Your stats · First lines are from works published before 1930.

A few playing notes

How do you play Opening Lines?: Read the opening sentence and choose the novel it belongs to. Look for the narrator, setting and tone as clues. A remembered first sentence can help, but a line can also be a starting point for finding a new book to read.
When do the daily book games change?: New puzzles arrive at midnight UTC. That may be morning, afternoon or evening in your time zone. The date on the game identifies the puzzle everyone is playing.
Can I play without an account?: You can play the daily games as a guest. Sign in if you want to keep your streaks across devices, and use the archive links when you want an earlier puzzle. Avoid posting an answer where people who have not played will see it.