What is the subtle difference between the following two sentences?
The man slithers up next to the young woman.
The man slithers next to the young woman.
That is, I want to know how the feeling is changed.
What is the subtle difference between the following two sentences?
The man slithers up next to the young woman.
The man slithers next to the young woman.
That is, I want to know how the feeling is changed.
Slithering up next to somebody
in this case gives the impression of approaching somebody or creeping up on to them in a creepy, shady manner. Slithering next to
gives the impression of literally slithering along side somebody like a snake, and is therefore wrong in this context I would say.
As @Andrew pointed out in the comments, slithering next to
could be used by the author is he were trying to give a certain image of the man, for example that he is like a snake in the way he acts. Personally I think if this were the case a phrase such a he was slithering around the pub
would be more natural. Either way the point stil stands that "slithering up to" implies approaching, while just "slithering" or "slithering around" implies some sort of continuous movement.