Mug em or seduce em?

[Lindo]

I've been running into something a lot lately...another of those things that makes some sort of sense in screenwriting, but is questionable in a novel. Namely that you have to grab people in the first chapter or page or paragraph or whatever. Leap out there with sex, violence, or whatever grabs people or they won't read on.

Well, that seems like a crock to me. The great books of literature aren't like that. They sort of assume that you're reading the book for a reason and won't toss it away in boredom if they build up a little character and atmosphere.

I don't get it (as I don't so many pronouncements from the field that contradict stark reality). Maybe it's another one of those things foisted off by the drones that read manuscripts before the agents and publishers get hold of them. This is certainly the case with screenplays. Actually great films...and a lot of even current films like "Babel"...saunter in casually, slowly seducing the viewer instead of mugging us in the first minute. But with NOVELS????

I'm particularly puzzling about this over my current marketing nightmare, a book that relies strongly on humor from a character's writing...but it takes awhile to get there. It's not exactly snoring exposition along the way, but the real meat of it comes later. Problem is, how to make a damn agent read it.

I'm sure you've run into it. They want first three chapters or first 50 pages or whatever and just REFUSE to look at midbook stuff because it's probably some scam you're pulling or something. So should you move all your guns to the first chapter to please them? Or what? Anybody had any luck getting somebody to read the first chapter, then some strong ones from later once war actually breaks out or the comic relief character is introduced or whatever?

Any thoughts on all this, anyone?