/”The Lair of the White Worm/” is a horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, published in 1911. The story follows Adam Salton, an Australian who is invited to England by his great-uncle, Richard Salton, to inherit his estate, Lesser Hill in Derbyshire. Upon arrival, Adam becomes entangled in mysterious and supernatural occurrences. He encounters Edgar Caswall, the heir of the neighboring estate Castra Regis, who engages in mesmeric practices on a local girl, Lilla Watford, influenced by a chest he inherited that once belonged to Franz Mesmer.
Moreover, Arabella March of Diana’s Grove appears to have sinister intentions, possibly aiming to marry Caswall. As tensions build, strange events unfold involving Oolanga, Caswall’s sinister servant, who ultimately meets a gruesome end engineered by Arabella. At the heart of the mystery is the legend of the White Worm, a giant, snake-like creature that dwells beneath Arabella’s house, feeding on whatever living creatures it can find. As Adam delves deeper, he discovers the creature’s destructive nature.
Adam, alongside Sir Nathaniel, a Van Helsing-type character, plots to destroy the Worm. The climax sees a massive thunderstorm that destroys both the Castra Regis tower and Diana’s Grove, effectively killing the White Worm and Arabella simultaneously.
Despite its compelling plot, the novel has been critically panned for its execution, cited by many including H.P. Lovecraft as one of the worst horror novels due to its clumsy style and underdeveloped potential.
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