Which novel opens with the line "Call me Ishmael"?

• A. The Odyssey
• B. Moby-Dick
• C. The Great Gatsby
• D. War and Peace

Answer: (B)

That line is all about who is telling the story and how you’ll hear it. It opens the novel by introducing the unnamed narrator, Ishmael, and inviting readers to call him by that name. This sets up a first-person, conversational voice—the narrator directly shapes how the tale will be told, with humor, reflection, and personal perspective woven through the voyage ahead. The line signals that you’re entering Ishmael’s point of view from the very start, which is a defining feature of this book.

Other famous openings go in different directions. The Odyssey starts with a formal invocation to the Muse and epic scope, not a personal introduction by a narrator. The Great Gatsby begins with a reflective, social setup from Nick Carraway, but not through an explicit self-introduction like “Call me….” War and Peace opens with a broad portrait of Russian society rather than focusing on a single narrator introducing himself. So the line in question uniquely points to the work where the narrator’s voice is established right away.