I love starting in medias res, and I likewise enjoy stories that start in medias res. Jumping around in time is a great way to plant clues and red herrings. One of my favorite devices (which works best in screenwriting, as far as I can tell - but feel free to give me literary examples) is when the writer shows the same scene over and over, each time providing a few more seconds of action or a new camera angle or perspective, and each time, it completely changes the viewer's interpretation of what happened during that scene.

My husband, on the other hand, ABHORS narratives that jump around in time (he's not a reader, so this specifically applies to screenwriting.) He finds it confusing and hard to follow.

So, however you choose to narrate your story, know that there will probably be an audience for it. Likewise, someone will probably complain about it. That's just the reality of entertaining.

Here are two articles listing celebrated novel opening lines. One lists literary classics, and one lists popular novels. What are your thoughts about the lists? Any favorites? Any you disagree with?

Opening lines from literary works  
Opening lines from popular books  

(there is some crossover, but the first list didn't include The Gunslinger, which, IMHO, absolutely has to be included in any "best opening lines" analysis. )

Cheers,
Michelle