Rating: 
Summary: Very Odd
Review: "The Lair Of The White Worm".....it is a very odd book.....it was written back in Victorian times but has a sort of modern feel to it....it is a hard book to describe....it is not as well put together as "Dracula" but was a rather amusing read.
Rating: 
Summary: Bram Stoker, but not at his best.
Review: Adam Salton, born and raised in Australia, is contacted by his granduncle in England, for the purpose of establishing a relationship between these last two members of the family. Adam travels to Richard Salton's house in Mercia, and quickly finds himself in the center of some inexplicable occurrences.The new heir to the Caswall estate, Edgar Caswall appears to be making some sort of a mesmeric assault on a local girl. And, a local lady, Arabella March, seems to be running a game of her own, perhaps angling to become Mrs. Caswall. There is something strange about Lady March, something inexplicable and evil. This book has elements that should make it a gripping story. Unfortunately, the tendency of the characters to move on, after a fantastic event, as if nothing unusual had happened gives the story a disjointed, surreal feel. This story just does not come together, but rambles along to its uninspiring conclusion. I do not recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: THE GRAND MASTER'S FINAL NIGHTMARE
Review: Allegedly written while the author was going insane, "The Lair of the White Worm" is a fantastic, dream-like narrative whose only saving grace is that there's nothing else like it out there. The plot, if one can call it that, is a maze of myth and pseudo-gothic imagery that, while never the least bit convincing, is somehow irresistible. It is to Stoker's credit that he was able to infuse even a total failure with a mesmeric readability--perhaps he had taken lessons from one his own characters (read the book and you'll get it)! The whole has shades of "Dracula," though none of that work's macabre artistry. Whereas "Dracula" is a frequently subtle, carefully crafted piece of literature which defies the reader to refute its horrors, "Lair of the White Worm" requires so many leaps of faith that it's impossible to achieve any suspension of disbelief. But again, despite its literary deficiciencies, the book inexplicably entertains on a minor level. Amidst the decaying estates through which his characters stumble, the hackneyed romance, the stupefying telepathic duels, the clouds of protective pigeons and the malevolent kite (!)and the gross-out climax in the midst of a raging storm--between all these things are glimpses into a great writer's mind that, to the true devotee of classic horror, might make this book worth buying. Caveat Emptor!
Rating:
Summary: THE GRAND MASTER'S FINAL NIGHTMARE
Review: Allegedly written while the author was going insane, "The Lair of the White Worm" is a fantastic, dream-like narrative whose only saving grace is that there's nothing else like it out there. The plot, if one can call it that, is a maze of myth and pseudo-gothic imagery that, while never the least bit convincing, is somehow irresistible. It is to Stoker's credit that he was able to infuse even a total failure with a mesmeric readability--perhaps he had taken lessons from one his own characters (read the book and you'll get it)! The whole has shades of "Dracula," though none of that work's macabre artistry. Whereas "Dracula" is a frequently subtle, carefully crafted piece of literature which defies the reader to refute its horrors, "Lair of the White Worm" requires so many leaps of faith that it's impossible to achieve any suspension of disbelief. But again, despite its literary deficiciencies, the book inexplicably entertains on a minor level. Amidst the decaying estates through which his characters stumble, the hackneyed romance, the stupefying telepathic duels, the clouds of protective pigeons and the malevolent kite (!)and the gross-out climax in the midst of a raging storm--between all these things are glimpses into a great writer's mind that, to the true devotee of classic horror, might make this book worth buying. Caveat Emptor!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing, a minor work from a master
Review: As other reviewers did, I liked the premise of the book (which is in fact why I buy most fiction books). However, a premise is nothing if it's not carried out properly, and Bram Stoker gives us an account of how not to do that. Charachters do all sort of ilogical things, so as visiting the "baddies" for no real reason. The strenght of fantasy and horror novels lies in their ability to make you belief this could happen to you (meaning you have to feel empathic towards the characters and the plot must have logical, even is surprising, turns). This is one thing this book fails to do.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best, but.....
Review: I am an avid fan of Bram Stokers works and would heartily suggest this book to anyone who enjoys his writings. A library of his works wouldn't be complete without a copy. On the other hand, this is arguably his worst work of fiction. It was his last finished novel and his declining mental and physical condition is evident in the disjointed writing style. While I somewhat enjoyed the surreal nature of the work, other readers might become incredibly annoyed by it. I wouldn't blame them either. To summarize, if you are a fan of Stoker, pickup a copy. If not, you might as well skip it.
Rating: 
Summary: Keep taking the pills....
Review: I'm not altogether surprised that this book has produced a mixed bag of reactions. It is so different to the very conventional Dracula style of novel that Stoker usually wrote that the casual reader must be totally bemused, if not confused. The fact of the matter is that Stoker was an ordinary novelist, but at the time of his life that he wrote this book he was addicted to laudanum, hence this book is actually a product of drug culture. As anyone who has read novels by drug-induced authors will know, the results can be very odd, and this book is no exception. I loved it when I first read it and I enjoyed the fact that it broke the rather severe 'rules' of turn of the century fiction. Sadly, Bram kicked his habit and his fiction returned to its more staid nature....great book though!
Rating:
Summary: Keep taking the pills....
Review: I'm not altogether surprised that this book has produced a mixed bag of reactions. It is so different to the very conventional Dracula style of novel that Stoker usually wrote that the casual reader must be totally bemused, if not confused. The fact of the matter is that Stoker was an ordinary novelist, but at the time of his life that he wrote this book he was addicted to laudanum, hence this book is actually a product of drug culture. As anyone who has read novels by drug-induced authors will know, the results can be very odd, and this book is no exception. I loved it when I first read it and I enjoyed the fact that it broke the rather severe 'rules' of turn of the century fiction. Sadly, Bram kicked his habit and his fiction returned to its more staid nature....great book though!
Rating:
Summary: Not the best, but.....
Review: I've heard two different stories of Bram Stoker's mental state at the time he wrote this book. A review below stated that he was hooked on drugs and another story (and I like this one better) was that he was dying of syphillis when he wrote it. What this book reminds me of is a bizarre dream where everything makes sense at the time but when you look at it afterwards nothing makes sense. The characters constantly engage in strange behavior with obscure motivations. For example a few characters engage in psychic mind battles over mid-afternoon tea on a regular basis, one character sends solid metal and glass objects to a kite in mid-flight by some unexplained method for no apparent reason, and the evil snake woman sells her house and lair to the hero whom she is also trying to kill and he agrees to buy it because fine china can be made from the clay on her property. I've had dreams like this without drug or venereal disease influence so maybe Stoker just decided to write a dream down without bothering to make sense of it. This gives the book a very surreal feel but causes it to fail as a narrative. I think its worth a look if you want to read something a bit different, but if you want a good, well-plotted story skip this one.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe Stoker just had too much pizza before bedtime...
Review: I've heard two different stories of Bram Stoker's mental state at the time he wrote this book. A review below stated that he was hooked on drugs and another story (and I like this one better) was that he was dying of syphillis when he wrote it. What this book reminds me of is a bizarre dream where everything makes sense at the time but when you look at it afterwards nothing makes sense. The characters constantly engage in strange behavior with obscure motivations. For example a few characters engage in psychic mind battles over mid-afternoon tea on a regular basis, one character sends solid metal and glass objects to a kite in mid-flight by some unexplained method for no apparent reason, and the evil snake woman sells her house and lair to the hero whom she is also trying to kill and he agrees to buy it because fine china can be made from the clay on her property. I've had dreams like this without drug or venereal disease influence so maybe Stoker just decided to write a dream down without bothering to make sense of it. This gives the book a very surreal feel but causes it to fail as a narrative. I think its worth a look if you want to read something a bit different, but if you want a good, well-plotted story skip this one.
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