A line that becomes great(er) after you've read the book is not what most people would think of as a great opening line. Personally I think a plain line can wor

A line that becomes great(er) after you've read the book is not what most people would think of as a great opening line. Personally I think a plain line can work as well as a more baroque one, and that's in general what Wolfe does so well. Fifth Head of Cerberus left a big impression on me for that reason.