The last example I want to dig into is V.E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic. I wanted something very recent and a genre example but even without those constraints, this is one of my favorite first pages. From the first line I found myself mesmerized by this book. These days I rarely have time to read a whole trilogy but this one grabbed me by the collar and I inhaled all three in a row in a glorious sprint through a mad adventure.
I find this opening very akin to 'Hill House' in the sense that it has very deliberate sentence flow, rhythm, and punctuation. Nothing in it is accidental. It's supremely different, for a very different book, but handled with the same level of lyricism and authority.
These are great case studies of openings. I suspect you teach craft classes from time to time, but if not, you should. :-)
I find this opening very akin to 'Hill House' in the sense that it has very deliberate sentence flow, rhythm, and punctuation. Nothing in it is accidental. It's supremely different, for a very different book, but handled with the same level of lyricism and authority.