Questions & Answers about Het verhaal is meeslepend, althans in het begin.
Why is althans used here instead of tenminste if both mean "at least"?
While both can mean "at least," althans is specifically used to restrict or correct a statement you just made. The speaker is scaling back their praise: it is compelling, but only in the beginning. Tenminste can also work here, but althans is the most precise word for an "or rather / strictly speaking" correction.
Where does the word meeslepend come from?
It is the present participle of the separable verb meeslepen (to drag along, to carry away). By adding -d to the infinitive, it becomes an adjective. A meeslepend story figuratively carries you away, meaning it is gripping or immersive.
Does adding althans change the word order?
Not in this sentence. Because althans in het begin is added after a comma as a clarifying phrase rather than a full clause with its own subject and verb, it doesn't trigger inversion or push any verbs around.
Can I put althans at the very end, like we often do with "at least" in English?
No, you cannot leave althans dangling at the end of a sentence. It must directly precede the specific restriction it introduces, which is why it sits right in front of in het begin.