Fascinating Firsts

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Sandra was right on the money 'Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.' Virginia Wolfe's fascinating first line of Mrs Dalloway.

This is one of those first lines I carry around in my head. It's fascinating for some reason and I don't know why. Perhaps it's because we are dropped straight into Mrs Dalloway's day, but also because it sets up a lot of questions. Why did she need flowers? Why buy them herself? who is this person anyway?

I haven't finished Mrs Dalloway yet, will let you know if I ever get the answers to these questions, but the fact that I haven't read it yet begs another question...how do I know the first line at all? Some iconic pieces of literature filter their way into the collective unconscious carrying with them a certain social capital so perhaps this is why I know this first line. Moving in literary/education circles, is it possible I’ve picked up this line and use it to my advantage — look how much I know? I hope not. That’s one of the reasons I’m reading it now so that I can ‘own’ the capital.

So to my question for you...

Do you find this line interesting if so why? Do you have any first lines that you find fascinating for no particular reason?