Peter Pan is the book with the nation's favourite opening line | Daily Mail Online
Peter Pan's opening line of 'All children, except one, grow up', is the nation's most memorable
Peter Pan is the book with the nation's favourite opening line, according to a new poll.
'All children, except one, grow up,' wrote JM Barrie in his children's classic which scooped 20per cent of the vote in a poll commissioned to mark World Book Day next month.
But it's not just childhood fairytales that adults have fond memories of, as the opening lines from classic 19th Century novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens came second place, while George Orwell's 1984 completed the top three.
However, the first words of 50 Shades of Grey did little to inspire as just one in 20 (five per cent) were wooed by EL James' opening line.
One in five of those polled admitted they will put a book down if the first line isn't engaging.
However, one in four (25per cent) said they will continue reading a novel to the end even if they don't enjoy it and, with complete disregard for the opening line, 15per cent admit jumping to the last chapter first to find out a book's ending.
When it comes to reading with their children, one in eight parents (12per cent) say youngsters will switch off if a book doesn't capture their imagination quickly, and one in 10 are forced to adopt the characters' voices to make reading more enjoyable.
Parents know when they deserve an Oscar, as one in seven children (14per cent) will enjoy a book so much that they will read it again and 21per cent of people admit they've used a line from a book as their own in order to impress a member of the opposite sex.
RELATED ARTICLES
Share this article
Share
The poll was commissioned by Asda. Laura Grooby, Asda's book buyer, said: 'First impressions are everything, and even though hundreds of new books are released every week, it is clear the nation never forgets a famous opening line.
'This year, we hope by encouraging everyone to pick up and persevere with a book on World Book Day, children and adults alike will enjoy the pleasures reading can bring.'
THE NATION'S TOP 10 MOST MEMORABLE OPENING LINES
George Orwell's 1984 (left) and J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring both feature on the top ten list
1. 'All children, except one, grow up.' - Peter Pan
2. 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.' - A Tale of Two Cities
3. 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' - 1984
4. 'When Mr Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.' - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
5. 'Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice "without pictures or conversation?"' - Alice in Wonderland
6. 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of good fortune must be in want of a wife.' - Pride and Prejudice
7. 'Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.' - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
8. 'Here is Edward Bear, coming down the stairs now, bump bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin.' - Winne-The-Pooh
9. 'My father got the dog drunk on cherry brandy at the party last night.' - Adrian Mole
10. 'The sun did not shine, it was too wet to play, so we sat in the house all that cold, cold wet day.' - The Cat in the Hat