Twelve of the Best Final Lines in Literature

These books ended with a (figurative) bang

Everyone knows that the first line of a novel sets the tone for the whole book. From “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” to “Call me Ishmael,” examples abound of opening lines that leave an indelible mark on readers. I even did a three-part series on the subject, using the idea that instead of a complicated marketing campaign you could recommend a book simply by using its first line (I’ll link to that series at the end).

If the first lines of novels are often so memorable, what about the final lines? Are there as many examples of ones that have taken on a life of their own even beyond the book that contains them? I found myself wondering about this recently, and to my surprise the answer is not really. There are any number of amazing novels with superb endings, but those endings rarely translate into a single killer line to close out the book.

This seems to be exactly the opposite of movies, where the opening lines rarely stand out on their own but the final ones embed themselves in our cultural consciousness forever. From King Kong’s “It was Beauty killed the Beast,” to Casablanca’s “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” to E.T.’s “I’ll be right here,” films just seem to do a better job sending us back into the world with the perfect sentence to ponder (and if you’re not tearing up just a little over that last one, you never saw the movie).

Regardless, I started down this rabbit hole and was determined to find at least as many examples of great last lines as I did for each article on best opening lines (fifteen). In the end, I failed to reach that number, coming up with only twelve, but I’ve got a good excuse. I left off any novel where the last line could constitute a spoiler of any kind.

A few of the novels that I listed in those earlier pieces as having excellent opening lines also show up here (they are indicated with an asterisk), which isn’t a surprise. It’s actually a surprise that more didn’t. And though these are not ranked in order of preference, I do consider the first one the greatest last line ever, from perhaps the greatest novel ever written in the English language.

1. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

2. “Soon afterward, like figures made of steam, father and son disappear into the crowd of the Ramblas, their steps lost forever in the shadow of the wind.” — Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind*

3. “And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” — John Steinbeck, East of Eden

4. “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” — George Orwell, Animal Farm

5. “Within, walls continued upright, bricks met nearly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.” — Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House*

6. “He was soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance.” — Mary Shelley, Frankenstein*

7. “After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain.” — Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

8. “When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.” — S. E. Hinton, The Outsiders

9. “I never saw any of them again — except the cops. No way has yet been invented to say goodbye to them.” — Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye

10. “Tomorrow, I’ll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.” — Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind

11. “I am haunted by humans.” — Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

12. “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.” — A. A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner

How’s that for ending on an upbeat note? Let me know in the comments which ones stood out to you, and add any you think I should have included. I expect there are quite a few; after all, I can only read so many books.

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