I hope I am not seeing something in the essay that isn't there, but I don't think the 'hook' must be solely intra-textual a la new criticism/close reading. Part of the appeal of War and Peace or Brothers Karamazov is that it's a great book and an adventure to read. A mind prepared this way for an epic should be hooked on the world-building establishment in the early pages. It's still possible to decide it's not the right time to read a classic since the reader might not have the historical context or a large enough vocabulary or few enough distractions to get through dry but rewarding texts. The difference between classics and informational writing is that the classics should be put aside for later since there is no summary or conclusion that provides the useful takeaways, and the material is timeless.