Last Lines: Commonplace Book

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

The Great Gatsby, F.Scott Fitzgerald

"After all, tomorrow is another day."

Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell

"'From the Land of Oz,' said Dorothy gravely. 'And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! I'm so glad to be at home again!'"

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum

"I wish you all a long and happy life."

The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold

"It's funny. Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody."

The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger

"But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest a little boy and his Bear will always be playing."

The House At Pooh Corner, A.A. Milne

"For Siddalee Walker, the need to understand has passed, at least for the moment. All that was left was love and wonder."

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells

"Again and again I called out for Midori from the dead centre of this place that was no place."

Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami

"And then we continued blissfully into this small but perfect piece of our forever."

Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer

"'When the day shall come, that we do part,' he said softly, and turned to look at me, 'if my last words are not ‘I love you’ – ye’ll ken it was because I didna have time.'"

The Fiery Cross, Diana Gabaldon

       Last lines are not usually viewed as the most important lines of a book. Instead, they are often the last to be planned, the last to be written, and the last to be edited. But the last lines of a book are often as important as the first, as the provide the reader with a final, lasting impression, and as the last thing read, may be what is most remembered. This is a collection of ten good final lines, lines that make an impression both on their own and within the context of the story. They come from a wide range of books, some of which are more respected than others. What they have in common is their creativity, their effect on the reader, and their ability to serve as inspiration in my own writing.