A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (1859)

[dimitrovb]

"There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face, on the
throne of England; there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with
a fair face, on the throne of France. In both countries it was clearer
than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves and fishes,
that things in general were settled for ever."

This paragraph makes me feel a heavy stagnation settled in both kingdoms. Both kings with large jaws and queens with fair faces create a humorous setting from the very beginning. This do be the first paragraph of a book I would read without knowing anything about the rest of the story.
I rate this paragraph without having to think it deeply a 5/5 for it's atmosphere.

[Shahid]

There are some paragraphs that tell you the whole story in a few words. Even you can carve your own stories out of these few lines. And above all, after a few years of studying a book you would either just remember the title of the book or the main plot. The rest is always a gone story. But there are these paragraphs that would always remain a part of your memories. You may describe these words as masterpieces of the masterpieces. Absolutely wonderful.
I cannot stop myself rating this paragraph 5/5 for its depth.