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'Salem's Lot: Illustrated Edition

by Stephen King, Jerry Uelsmann (Photographer)

4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 · rating details · 23,666 ratings · 134 reviews

Upon its initial publication in 1975, Salem’s Lot was recognized as a landmark work. The novel has sold millions of copies in various editions, but it wasn’t until Centipede Press published a special limited edition in 2004 that King’s masterpiece was brought to brilliant and eerie life. With the addition of fifty pages of material deleted from the 1975 manuscript as well...more

Hardcover, Illustrated Edition, 594 pages

Published November 1st 2005 by Doubleday (first published October 17th 1975)

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Apr 23, 2009 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sk-group

It has been years since I originally read this book, but after all this time, it didn't disappoint. I live in the country where it gets very dark at night and the woods surrounding the house and area can be somewhat spooky. One friend said I was moving into a "Stephen King house" when I first moved in. Well, when reading Salem's Lot, let's just say I didn't want to go outside at night.

As far as this volume, it was a nice treat. The photographs were excellent and added to the dark theme of the bo...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Kernos rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror—occult

The only other King I've read is The Stand which I enjoyed as a dystopian Science Fiction. I liked the plot, the characters, the prose. I was bored by 'Salem's Lot and almost gave it up several times. The short stories at the end of this edition were far more interesting.

So, why didn't I like it. To paraphrase Emperor Joseph II in Amadeus, "Too many words!" and a lot of them in the wrong place or completely unnecessary. I did not find the story very interesting. Though a vampire story, it had n...more

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Jun 13, 2009 Mark added it

It has been probably 15 years since I last read this book. The added chapters were seamless. I didn't notice them anyway. What struck me is how Stephen King's handling of horror, once so groundbreaking, has become the de facto handling of horror in contemporary fiction/pop culture. I enjoyed imagining what it must have been like to read this when it was first in print, without a schlocky movie and 40+ more novels padding the impact... While I'm not an elitist by any stretch of the imagination wh...more

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Dec 14, 2009 Jillian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-thriller

Even though I generally hate horror books, I keep returning to Stephen King because despite his churn-out-the-pulp reputation the man really does know his craft. Yes, 'Salem's Lot is a vampire story (which thanks to the Twilight etc. craze is the last thing I wanted to read right now) but while the undead add suspense and prompt illuminating discussions about the nature of Evil, the book is just as much about standard American life, an insightful exploration of the small town environment and of...more

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Nov 06, 2008 Abailart rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: abandoned

My first King novel. He is a very good writer, some passages are excellent, the observation close and precise. The narratives fit together well, there is a maintaining of atmospheric tone. And so on. But not for me just now. I went here for a light read, which it certainly is, and pleasurable, yet not what I need just now. Am two thirds through and will return it to the library, maybe pick it up again for a train journey. I seem to have got bored with light fiction. Last exposure was ok, a lot o...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Craig Nickerson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, vampires

This was Stephen King's second published novel. It was the first King novel that I read and it still remains my favourite. In spite of its flaws and clunky moments here and there, its greatness rests in being a very well executed realization of a terrific idea. This idea being to rewrite Dracula in a modern American small town setting and see what happens.

What happens is that you get, as King's editor at the time remarked, Peyton Place with vampires. Note that we don't get Grover's Corners with...more This was Stephen King's second published novel. It was the first King novel that I read and it still remains my favourite. In spite of its flaws and clunky moments here and there, its greatness rests in being a very well executed realization of a terrific idea. This idea being to rewrite Dracula in a modern American small town setting and see what happens.

What happens is that you get, as King's editor at the time remarked, Peyton Place with vampires. Note that we don't get Grover's Corners with vampires. This is not the tale of a pleasant little Norman Rockwell community besieged by evil, something along the lines of Santa Mira in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (with which 'Salem's Lot has something in common). Jerusalem's Lot is a banal little town plagued by the banal evils of poverty, child abuse, alcoholism, prejudice, infidelity and violence. It's one of many little pockets of nowhere that can be found all over North America. It embodies a kind of living death long before the vampire arrives.

And Barlow takes some time to arrive. He lingers and lurks in the background, casting a shadow over everything as the reader turns the pages in anticipation. This is a rare case in which King starts out strong and keeps gaining strength until the climax. So many times he's able to grab the reader with a captivating premise but then loses some steam along the way. This is not something particular to King, sustaining a consistent level of engagement is no easy feat, especially in a novel length horror story. King's talent is evidenced in his consistent ability to nail that first part. Yet it's always a pleasure to come across a work in which the best parts are saved for last.

I like how the vampires are handled here. I'd go so far as to say that I've never read an example of vampires done better. At this point I'm obliged to bash Twilight and its ilk so consider it done. The emo superheroes that populate the majority of vampire fiction alternately depress me and piss me off, there. Oh sure, Interview with the Vampire wasn't awful and vampires are just made up fantasy nonsense anyway so who cares what direction you take them in? Well I like my vampires scary. Part of what makes vampires scary is that they might bite you and make you one of them. This only works if being one of them involves spending eternity as a hideous unclean thing that sleeps in the dirt. An eternity of being a gorgeous super powered sexpot that will forever look fabulous in Priape outfits just doesn't sound scary at all. All I need to do is develop a thirst for blood? Sign me up. I never liked the sun all that much anyway.

With the exception of Barlow, the vampires of 'Salem's Lot don't have much personality (come to think of it, neither does Edward Cullen...oh SNAP!). Barlow has made a pact, possibly with Satan, probably something worse. He gets to continue on through the centuries as an avatar of pure evil. Yet those he infects are little better than animals. They have no real inner life, no real memory, just an unquenchable thirst for blood and compulsion to obey their master. They have been damned. Their threat is not simply physical but profoundly spiritual. I read an interesting observation once, though I can't remember who said it in regards to what, it might well have been King discussing this novel though I haven't been able to find the source. In any case it applies. The novel begins with a large cast of characters and is narrated at times through their perspectives. Once they become the other, in this case a vampire, we no longer get their perspective. The effect is similar to watching lights slowly going out all over the town. The descriptions of the undead townsfolk lying silent within seemingly empty houses during the day are eerie.

The major theme of the novel is the nature of evil and whether or not pure, supernatural Evil can coexist with the modern world. It begins with the writer Ben Mears exploring the question in the book he's working on, researching the creepy Marsten house that overlooks the town and in which he had a terrifying experience as a child. Later, this thread is picked up with the character of Father Callahan, who has always secretly hoped that such a thing existed, a worthy spiritual opponent. Be careful what you wish for. 'Salem's Lot is an exercise in toying with the reader's suspension of disbelief. Of course, vampires and the modern world can't coexist. As Father Callahan tries to convince Henry Petrie in his brightly lit kitchen, he is immediately shut down in an assault of reason. Despite the reader knowing that Callahan is telling the truth it as also obvious that Henry Petrie is completely right. But then the lights go out and Barlow rises up out of the darkness...

"Salem's Lot works as a pot boiler and an adventure yarn but most importantly as a horror story. This illustrated edition is fancied up with Jerry Uelsmann's eerie photography, a couple of short stories related to the novel, and some alternate and excised material. The alternate scenes with Father Callahan are particularly interesting though I think King made the right choice in what he went with. The scene with Dr. Coby and the rats however is more disturbing than what was published. You can't have too many rats.
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Jun 27, 2012 Allie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, vampires

'Salem's Lot follows the takeover of your typical small town by a slowly growing force of vampires. Given its 4+ star rating here on goodreads and the fact that it was a Stephen King novel, I was sure I'd love 'Salem's Lot. Once I started reading it, I figured that if I trudged through the boring beginning things would eventually get exciting - and, of course, Stephen King-scary.

They never did. 'Salem's Lot suffers from a bloated cast and a lack of any real horror or scares. The characters are c...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-tales

Salem's Lot I first read when I was perhaps too young since it scared the living daylights out of me. It took me months before I could sleep without any lights on. It took me even longer before I dared to open any curtains when I heard something against my window (It is still in the back of my mind more than 32 years later).

It is a different take upon the vampire-lore, something that has been utterly destroyed by the coming of Lestat and its later ilk. It is a modern version of Dracula that bril...more

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Jan 29, 2012 George rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: King fans

It has been at least 25 years since I read 'Salem's Lot, King's terrific take on the vampire story set here in America. And I have to say, while it is a bit dated (set in the mid 1970's), it holds up nicely. The terror I felt while reading it was completely gripping (I almost fell out of my chair when the phone rang and startled me, so engrossed had I become in the story) and the main characters are sympathetic.

While this edition is illustrated, there are only a few illustrations at the beginni...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

WHERE IS THE 6 STARS BUTTON?!?!?!

If YOU have not read this book already... Where have you been?? Me? I've been under a rock wasting away hours with the likes of That twilight lady and Lauren Kate. WHY? Because I'm STUPID that's why.

Stephen King. I love you. Forever and Always.

Man, this guy is the best storyteller in America. His plot is perfect, though I was able to guess who would most def. become one of THEM But you know, I've read to much horror to not be able to guess at least one part o...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Travis Ghent rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

The first chapters of the book painted a picture of small town life that was at times ideal and at others disturbing. King mixed in just enough of the strange and macabre early on to add an air of mystery to the quiet Maine countryside, but it is the halfway point where things really take off. King himself mentioned being influenced by two primary sources: Dracula and the old E.C. Comics vampire stories. The first half of the book takes its tone straight from Dracula and second half throws in a...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 02, 2011 Wendy Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is one of the few times that I've seen the movie before reading the book. In this case, I saw the movie when I was a kid and it scared me to death, so much so that I had vampire-related nightmares for months. My bed faced my window and I was convinced that one night, a vampire would be there, scratching the glass and waiting to be invited in. I confess that for a long time, I couldn't fall asleep without the sheets and blankets pulled up to my chin to cover my neck.

Fast forward a couple of...more This is one of the few times that I've seen the movie before reading the book. In this case, I saw the movie when I was a kid and it scared me to death, so much so that I had vampire-related nightmares for months. My bed faced my window and I was convinced that one night, a vampire would be there, scratching the glass and waiting to be invited in. I confess that for a long time, I couldn't fall asleep without the sheets and blankets pulled up to my chin to cover my neck.

Fast forward a couple of decades or so and I decided that this would make a great Halloween read and I wasn't disappointed. I finished the book sitting on my patio one night. The moonless night, crisp fall air and the random rustling and night noises outside set the perfect tone for the mood for the conclusion.

The story centers on Ben Mears, an author who comes back to the Lot to write about the old Marsten House. The house was the scene of a gruesome crime and sat abandoned for years. Mears, as a young boy, went into the house on a dare where he encountered the festering corpse of the previous owner. Was it a hallucination or supernatural event? Mears isn't sure but he plans to write the experience out of his subconscious. Shortly after he arrives, he's surprised to find that the old house has been sold.

A child disappears and then his brother succumbs to a mysterious illness days afterward. The story quickly picks up pace as other townspeople began to fall prey to the same illness. Is it a coincidence that these events started after the new Marsten House resident moved to town? When one of Mears's friends, Matt, invites one of the sick people to stay as his house guest for the night, he witnesses the unbelievable - the man had become a vampire.

Mears teams up with Matt, Mears' girlfriend Susan, the town doctor, a priest, and a young boy, in a quest to rid the town of vampires before the entire town falls victim and many of them do not survive the confrontation with ancient evil and the small army of vampires that it has created.

Although 'Salem's Lot isn't as polished as some of King's later books, it delivered in the creepiness department. The book got off to a slow start as the first 4 chapters serve as stage-setting and there are almost too many characters to keep everyone straight but the story was compelling and satisfyingly scary. (less)

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Jul 22, 2008 Luke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, horror, stephen-king

This is King's second novel and the one that eternally typecast him as a "horror" writer. This is a monster novel. If you don't like Dracula or Frankenstein then don't bother. Unlike many of King's books which aren't actually horror this one is in a very classic sense. If you know this going into it you should have a lot of fun reading it. There's also some neat tie ins to The Dark Tower.

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Feb 12, 2013 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. I would have given it three and a half stars, had I the option. It didn't frighten me terribly like some of King's books have (namely "It"), but it definitely has its creepy elements. I have not seen any of the adaptations to film, but would like to see them (David Soul, Rob Lowe). I have read the Rob Lowe version leaves a lot to be desired because it changes main parts of the storyline quite a bit -- something for which I have low tolerance.

The illustrated edition only inc...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

For the last few years, I’ve tried to read a Stephen King book every October. Last year, it was “Under the Dome.” This year, it was the perennial, creeptastic vampires-in-a-small-town story… where they don’t sparkle… or brood… or moon over the average-looking girl that all the prepubescent readers identify with… they just rip your throat out.

My verdict: That Uncle Stevie likes his high word-counts… But an interesting story, no matter how verbose it feels sometimes… Even though we as a nation and...more

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Jul 16, 2009 Paige rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, very much stays to the more traditional myths and legends surrounding vampires. It isnt so much the blood and gore that make this book so frightening, its the choice of words that Stephen King uses to set the atmosphere. In certain parts I actually had to stop reading because it became too intense for me to handle haha!

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Oct 19, 2010 Bert Edens rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-fiction

This was just as good as it was when I read the original version 30 years ago. The Illustrated Edition has a lot of extras that are fun, and the pictures are just creepy. In a Stephen King book, that's a good thing :)

Anyone who wants to rediscover "'Salem's Lot" or even discover it for the first time, this would be a great place to start!

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Aug 25, 2012 Julian rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wanted to get to the roots of vampires, so I picked this book.

You will find no "post-modern" vampires here. Here you find UGLY vampires and that's exactly what I was looking for.

I hadn't found a book that made me compulsively turn the pages for awhile. As horrific as the story is, I had a blast reading it.

In his into to this edition, King observes that Dracula was the most optimistic horror novel ever written and now that he mentioned it, I totally agree. King takes a different approach. While...more

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Oct 20, 2009 Meaghan (phillipnmeaghan) moos rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2009, paranormal-fantasy

My first Stephen King book ever and I loved it! It was just the right amount of scary/creepy, but nothing that will give you nightmares or anything. I'm really looking forward to reading more of his books, especially this time of year seem perfect for them.

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Feb 01, 2013 sj rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-read, yorwtfiw, sk-in-order, read-with-heather-l

Originally posted here.

I hardly think FIVE PHOTOS constitutes an Illustrated Edition, jerks.

Moving right along in my quest with Heather to read all of Stephen King's work in order of publication, this weekend we tackled 'Salem's Lot. Well, we started it Sunday, and gave ourselves til Friday to finish, but I am going to do something I rarely do and attempt to talk about a book I just finished moments ago.

Literally, moments. Of course, by the time you're reading this, it will have been hours, BUT...more

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Dec 01, 2009 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: stephen-king, horror

Another older King book which is still very good. Sometimes it seemed a tiny bit slow going but at the same time it was very creepy.

Very tiny spoiler, but King continues his trend of killing off characters you really like.

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Jan 16, 2013 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hardback

latest re-read 2/6/2012

I really appreciated the material that had been cut from the original book since I really love this book.

What I'd like to know is what idiot told them that 5 photos make an illustrated edition...

S

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Jul 20, 2007 Martina rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

This book was so amazing. When I wasn't reading it, it's like i was craving to read it. I loved it. There were times when it got so intense that I actually held my breath while reading. Great story of vampires. it's awesome.

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May 19, 2010 Tryphena rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. I have read it before but it was better the second time around. What I really like about King is his ability to makee the reader feel like it could happen to them.

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Jun 08, 2013 Rochelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

A genuinely creepy, scary and unsettling early novel from Stephen King that's sort of a modern day retelling of Bram Stokers original fanged fiend. But these aren't any ordinary vampires, they are monsters connected to a deeper evil that haunts the town. King has managed to create a vampire that is the mix of the old Dracula kind and a newer, more savage vampire of the kind seen in 1970s comics of Tales from the Crypt. The novel is also a reflection of Vietnam era America in looking at the dispa...more

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Oct 10, 2008 Steven Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: stephen-king, horror

My favorite vampire book by King. I read the original in 1976, and bought this illustrated edition in 2006. I love the extras and behind-the-scenes King included in this edition.

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Dec 01, 2007 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Pretty dark, but very well written and good plot. Definitely kept the pages turning. I'm going to try to read all of Stephen King's novels in the order he wrote them...

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Aug 07, 2007 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: stephenking

My friend Tim got me this for my birthday. Other than 30 Days of Night, this is probably the best modern day Vampire story out there.

Good read for the winter time.

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Jul 21, 2007 Tony rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Probably the scariest book I've ever read. Granted, I read it when I was about 14, but...I just got the new edition with all the new illustrations and can't wait to re-read it.

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About Stephen King

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of the elderly couple. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and then Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He and Tabitha Spruce married in January of 1971. He met Tabitha in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University of Maine at Orono, where they both worked as students. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many of these were later gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.(less)

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