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'Salem's Lot

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''Salem's Lot'' by Stephen King is a classic horror novel that revolves around a small town named Jerusalem's Lot, which becomes plagued by vampires. The story follows writer Ben Mears as he returns to the town to exorcise his demons and ends up uncovering the sinister secrets hidden within. The book delves into the darkness of human nature, intertwining elements of suspense, fear, and mystery. King's writing style captures the eerie atmosphere of the town, building tension and creating chilling moments that keep readers on edge.

The plot of ''Salem's Lot'' unfolds gradually, starting with character introductions and setting the stage for the impending terror that descends upon the town. As the story progresses, the narrative builds up momentum, leading to a climactic battle against the vampires that have infested Jerusalem's Lot. King's ability to blend supernatural horror with realistic human emotions adds depth to the storyline, making it a compelling and memorable read for fans of the genre.

Characters:

The characters range from heroic figures to tragic ones, depicting a variety of responses to the encroaching evil.

Writing/Prose:

King's writing is both immersive and descriptive, bringing the characters and setting to life while occasionally slowing the narrative with extensive detail.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around the arrival of a vampire in a small town, leading to horror as townspeople are slowly turned, exploring the darker sides of human nature.

Setting:

The atmosphere of the town is crafted vividly, enhancing the creeping sense of dread throughout the narrative.

Pacing:

The pacing is deliberately slow at first, building tension before ramping up as the horror unfolds.
By the time he had passed Portland going north on the turnpike, Ben Mears had begun to feel a not unpleasurable tingle of excitement in his belly. It was September 5, 1975, and summer was enjoying her...

Notes:

Salem's Lot by Stephen King is a modern take on Bram Stoker's Dracula, set in a small New England town.
The novel explores the theme of evil within a community, not just the supernatural creatures.
Susan Norton fulfills the roles of Lucy and Mina from Dracula, while also reinterpreting Mina's corruption scene.
King's vampires are portrayed as terrifying, vicious monsters rather than romanticized figures.
The use of sunlight affecting vampires is a nod to the original Nosferatu film.
Father Callahan, a character in Salem's Lot, later appears in King's Dark Tower series.
The detailed character sketches of the townspeople add depth to the story and enhance the horror.
The slow build in the story establishes the tension that makes the horror impactful when it arrives.
The depiction of everyday darkness in small town life adds to the creepy atmosphere.
Salem's Lot addresses societal issues, including alcoholism, abuse, and communal secrets, making it relatable beyond the horror genre.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for Salem's Lot include strong themes of violence, child abuse, and death.

Has Romance?

While there are romantic elements between Ben and Susan, they do not dominate the narrative, making it a medium presence in the story.

From The Publisher:

Ben Mears has returned to Jerusalem's Lot in hopes that exploring the history of the Marsten House, an old mansion long the subject of rumor and speculation, will help him cast out his personal devils and provide inspiration for his new book. But when two young boys venture into the woods, and only one returns alive, Mears begins to realize that something sinister is at work-in fact, his hometown is under siege from forces of darkness far beyond his imagination. And only he, with a small group of allies, can hope to contain the evil that is growing within the borders of this small New England town.

With this, his second novel, Stephen King established himself as an indisputable master of American horror, able to transform the old conceits of the genre into something fresh and all the more frightening for taking place in a familiar, idyllic locale.

Ratings (215)

Incredible (41)
Loved It (86)
Liked It (52)
It Was OK (29)
Did Not Like (7)

Reader Stats (355):

Read It (220)
Currently Reading (2)
Want To Read (96)
Did Not Finish (4)
Not Interested (33)

5 comment(s)

Liked It
1 month

It's a good read, I skipped a lot of the book while reading (I like instant gratification, okay? Its a problem). I loved keeping up with the characters and kept a running tally on who was "infected" and who was a vampire, lol.

 
Loved It
2 months

'Salem's Lot is a weird book. It's so long, but once the action starts happening, it is so short. It was scary, almost a cross between a plague novel and a vampire novel, and the fact that it is happening in the seventies means NO CELL PHONES (I kept thinking, if only he had a cell phone)....the comparative length of the actual book and the brevity of the action is like the days that go by in the novel: you have all day to stake helpless vampires, but somehow the day just gets away from you and next think you know you're punching a little kid in the mouth and there's blood everywhere! We've all been there.

I did find the book very enjoyable and scary, but King is getting at the idea of evil in a way that bothers me a little. He seems to uphold Barlow, the vampire, as true Evil, while the modern day evil (domestic abuse, adultery, more domestic abuse) gets not looked over so much as tamped down. This is seen in Father Callahan more than any other character; the priest finds himself losing faith in this new world where Arendt's "banality of evil" is a greater foe than anything seen in the Old Testament. But.....it is, though. I feel like King didn't quite wrestle out Father Callahan's troubled faith as much as I would have liked. Vampires are scary and bad and this is a vampire novel, but why does King bring in all this stuff about what's really bad and what isn't?

Also, there are not a lot of photographs in the illustrated edition.

 
Loved It
5 months

An early book of Stephen king and intriguing one. There is all usual king's character building but it also follows different story telling techniques of chapters and news clippings inspired by dracula. Overall good read.

 
Incredible
1 year

Stephen King is a master of horror. "Salem's Lot" is a terrifying nail biting read. Set to have the reader on the edge of their sofa! The book is terrifying and blood curdling and shocking.

 
Incredible
1 year

Salem's Lot was one of my first Stephen King reads - it gave me nightmares for a week. Gothic horror, in a contemporary setting. Perfect.

 

About the Author:

Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Among his most recent are Doctor Sleep; Joyland; 11/22/63; Full Dark, No Stars; Under the Dome; Just After Sunset; End of Watch; and the latest novel in the Dark Tower saga: The Wind Through…

 
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