Great openings in literature

Another. This one, as you should recognize instantly, is from Herman Melville's famous "Moby Dick":

"CALL me Ishmael. Some years ago -- never mind how long precisely -- having little money or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen, and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off -- then I account it high time to get back to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball."

In these maddening times, I suspect most of us wish we could "get back to the sea." (I'm enjoying this so much, I'll try to post great openings or passages on a daily basis. Besides, it's a good excuse to revisit some of the dustier corners of my home library.)