BOOK OPENING

Adam Salton sauntered into the Empire Club, Sydney, and found awaiting him a letter from his grand-uncle. He had first heard from the old gentleman less than a year before, when Richard Salton had claimed kinship, stating that he had been unable to write earlier, as he had found it very difficult to trace his grand-nephew’s address. Adam was delighted and replied cordially; he had often heard his father speak of the older branch of the family with whom his people had long lost touch. Some interesting correspondence had ensued. Adam eagerly opened the letter which had only just arrived, and conveyed a cordial invitation to stop with his grand-uncle at Lesser Hill, for as long a time as he could spare.

REVIEW OF BOOK OPENING

Bram Stoker is a master of classic horror, with the Gothic novel, Dracula to his credit. But one should keep in mind the time period in which The Lair of the White Worm was written (1911) before I spill the beans on my thoughts of this introduction. (Dracula was written in 1897)

I’m sure if Bram Stoker were to write this novel today, he would make a great many changes. But this is BookOpening.com and I’m here to review the opening of books, and I have to admit that this book opening does not work for me.

The mysterious letter held some promise, but it was quickly dispelled of any mystery by the end of the paragraph in which it was introduced. The entire introductory paragraph relies more on telling than the showing. The idea that “some interesting correspondence had ensued” would be much better if he had given us a glimpse of such correspondence, and maybe something that would make us want to know more.

To sum up this book opening, a young man gets a letter from an older gentleman whom he is distantly related to, and he is excited to receive said letter which invites him to come for a visit.

There is no beautiful prose, I know nothing about the protagonist at this point and he doesn’t appear to have any desire or needs. I just have an invite for a visit, so at least there is a hint of a possible journey. The rest of the first page doesn’t get any better I’m afraid.

For me, this is a 2 out of 5 Book Opening.

John Reinier

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