What successful ingredients belong in the first pages of a novel?

Answer 1

You need to have a hook. It does not necessarily have to be a major hook that will pull the reader through the whole book (that typically comes later) but something that will compell them to read on until they come to the major hook (typically in the first 50-75 pages). You must begin to establish character psychology to some extent in the first few pages. Too many novels I have read have nothing of psychology, and I find myself wondering why I should care about the characters.

Answer 2

You need an opening sentence that pulls them in.