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'Salem's Lot

Stephen King (Goodreads Author)

4.03 · Rating details · 347,612 ratings · 11,079 reviews

Thousands of miles away from the small township of 'Salem's Lot, two terrified people, a man and a boy, still share the secrets of those clapboard houses and tree-lined streets. They must return to 'Salem's Lot for a final confrontation with the unspeakable evil that lives on in the town. ...more

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Paperback, 17th Impression, 483 pages

Published 1991 by New English Library (first published October 17th 1975)

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Mar 01, 2020 Kat rated it liked it · review of another edition

so i DID like this, and i don’t really have anything cool or fun to say about it for a review. but i just realized that i forgot to mention the boob euphemism of choice for this book was JAHOOBIES. i just wanted you all to know that....ok bye

4/12

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Jan 08, 2013 Matthew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: King fans and King newcomers

Shelves: stephen-king, suspense, horror, 2018, monsters, audio, read-more-than-once, own

4.5 stars

I feel like there has been a lot of debate over Stephen King's last few books about what genre he might be considered anymore. Mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, general fiction, etc. etc. etc. - you just don't hear Stephen King = horror all that much anymore. Well, if you want to get back to the roots, Salem's Lot is pure, raw, old school Stephen King horror at its finest!

I am doing a re-read of most of Stephen King's books chronologically and Salem's Lot was the next after Carrie. I read it or ...more

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May 14, 2012 Nataliya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: stephen-king

There was a time once when vampires were ruthless predators and not the misunderstood brooding and essentially harmless creatures. Ahhhh, good old scary times...

Vampire stories have been around for a long time - after all, people love a good scare, and what is more terrifying than a monster showing up at night and sucking the life essence out of you? But leave it to Stephen King to turn the terror up a notch, add a whole new layer to it. How? Simply - using the winning formula that he continues There was a time once when vampires were ruthless predators and not the misunderstood brooding and essentially harmless creatures. Ahhhh, good old scary times...

Vampire stories have been around for a long time - after all, people love a good scare, and what is more terrifying than a monster showing up at night and sucking the life essence out of you? But leave it to Stephen King to turn the terror up a notch, add a whole new layer to it. How? Simply - using the winning formula that he continues to employ in the vast majority of his work.

In addition to showing us the monsters of the night, he also brings into the picture the monsters and the darkness that are already with us, that live in the deep dark recesses of everyone's soul.

""The town knew about darkness."
"The town has its secrets, and keeps them well."
"The town cares for devil's work no more than it cares for God's or man's. It knew darkness. And darkness was enough."

The eponymous 'Salem's Lot is a small town in Maine, and it is not a stranger to secrets and darkness. It's quaint and pastoral on the surface, but once you look deeper you are bound to discover what lurks behind its respectable surface. And trust me, that's the discoveries that you can easily go without for the darkness of the human soul as presented by Stephen King beats everything that any monster or boogeyman can ever send your way. The small town of 'Salem's Lot can boast your usual lies, bullying, corruption, and prejudice - and spices it up with well-hidden child abuse, violence, and murders. Not so quaint, is it?
It is this portrayal of everyday people's secrets, of the towns being almost like living breathing organisms that is one of the big reasons why I am a huge fan of Stephen King's works.

From the very first pages of the novel we know that some terrible fate made 'Salem's Lot a ghost town with apparently only a couple of survivors. It doesn't take the reader long to realize, as we go back in time to see how the events unfolded, that the mysterious menacing Marsten House welcomed new evil that tends to lurk at night, floating past your (hopefully, tightly shut) windows.

The story itself is rather straightforward, steadily moving along to its almost-conclusion that we have glimpsed in the first few pages, and we watch with bated breath as our bunch of good guys - Ben, Mark, Susan, Matt - are trying to take on the supernatural horror. Oh, and did I forget Father Callahan? (view spoiler)

King is excellent with the plotting and the pacing (since this was only his second novel, he was still a stranger to writing larger-than-life brick-sized tomes). The story never lags, the suspense and sense of foreboding are rampant, and there are quite a few truly nailbiting situations. Nothing distracts the reader from the vampire story unfolding on the background of small-town horrors. There are no heavy-handed lessons to be learned, no deep morals to take out of the story - all we get is a thrilling and quite scary ride that may make you (a) sleep with a light on, and (b) be very careful about who you invite into your home. 5 stars. ...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: horror, 2016-shelf

Well this is annoying times two. I just wrote a review and lost it, and then there's the *other* issue.

What other issue?

Oh, the one where my 14 year old self of infinite wisdom and experience remembered a boring tale lacking truly epic blood and guts from what should be a vampire tale in a small town. If that 14 year old could have had his way, then 80% of the novel would have been excised for being too-character driven, too-focused on hundreds of characters only set up to be knocked down in gru Well this is annoying times two. I just wrote a review and lost it, and then there's the *other* issue.

What other issue?

Oh, the one where my 14 year old self of infinite wisdom and experience remembered a boring tale lacking truly epic blood and guts from what should be a vampire tale in a small town. If that 14 year old could have had his way, then 80% of the novel would have been excised for being too-character driven, too-focused on hundreds of characters only set up to be knocked down in gruesome death (or undeath), and too detail-driven and poorly-paced for a thriller.

Damn, I was a dipshit. I'm not saying that I'm no longer a dipshit, mind you, just that I think that kid was a real idiot. I mean, I'd only been reading anything at all for less than a year and 8 months of that was focused on learning *how* to read. Of course I was going to be influenced more by the all the slasher movies rather than novel construction. I even watched the crapfest that I considered the made for tv movie based on this book, and I think I might have been a *little* too harsh on it, too.

So flash-forward to now, when I jump up the rating from a scathing 3 stars to a full-blown 5, an adult reading an adult novel of suspense, emotionally invested characters, subtle humor, more high-brow words than I remember Stephen King usually using in his novels, and beautifully crafted passages of hometown life falling into what might as well have been a modern retelling of a medieval town falling under the spell of the Black Plague, with all the horror and sadness and superstition that entails.

This novel was gripping and intense to my adult sensibilities. Do I feel like a fool for my old memories? Yes. Am I embarrassed? Yes. Am I absolutely impressed and amazed that the very first "trash" novelist I got into as a kid actually turned out to be a consummate master of the writing craft? Yes.

All the things I hated as a kid happen to be the things I love the most, here. The characters were absolutely gorgeous. I fell into them, and later, I fell into love with the whole town. The fact that it had a cancer that was eating away at it from the inside, slowly, was only a tension-driver. This may be a vampire novel, but it is really a tragedy, through and through. We expect to love and lose our loved ones, and this is the true horror. Not just the eyes like stars or the breath that smells of pure putrescence or the image of a supernatural horror that no longer needs keys because, now, the dead can squeeze between door jams.

Of course, Part 3 was all action all the time, with the stakes as high as it can be. It was all for the sake of pure survival. But Part 1 (the get to know you) and Part 2 (something isn't right) were some of the best readings of Stephen King, like, ever. :) Believe me, he has a personal formula when it comes to his writing, but I know of no one who's able to pull off exactly what he pulls off. He makes everyone so damn real to me. :)

Fun fact! There's a dead John Snow who knows nothing in this novel! Isn't that fun?

So, I've eaten crow and said that I'm sorry for being an childhood idiot, but what I really mean is that There Are No Sparkles. This is a novel of horrible anticipation and and deep sadness, of exciting vampire hunting with truly intelligent foes. There are no levelled-up vamps or long antihero arcs or Master Vampire Hunters. And best of all, there are no werewolves.

There is, however, a sense of reality and loss and fear, and if you are missing a huge dose of that in your life, if only to hold up as a mirror to your own life to say that things aren't so bad with you, then you really ought to jump out there and pick up a copy. I can't believe this is only SK's second novel! Wow! ...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Char rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: haunted-houses, 70s-horror, re-reading, evil-in-a-small-town, vampires, dark-fiction, audio-book, evil-children

1.24.19-I just finished my third read of SALEM'S LOT, this time via audiobook. The narrator, Ron McClarty worked well for me and I found this tale as satisfying as it ever was.

11.1.2014-Original review.

I just finished a re-read of this book with the Horror Aficionados group here at Goodreads. I'm so glad that I participated!

Remember little Danny Glick?

I first read this book in junior high or high school. It's been about 30 years since then, unfortunately. I've read The Stand and IT a couple o ...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Lyn rated it really liked it

Vampires.

Years after I first read it, I can truthfully say that this is still on a short list of scariest books I have ever read.

King at his best.

An American re-telling of Dracula, King stays close to the vampire myth but with some of his own storytelling thrown in and some subtle changes that make for an original novel. I cannot help but think that Barlow helped to usher in a new generation of vampire literature, of which we have now been inundated for the past few years.

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...more

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Mar 21, 2018 Mario the lone bookwolf rated it really liked it

Shelves: king-stephen

I am so nostalgically looking back to a better time when certain fantasy creatures were still true monsters and not twinkling, soft, freaking feeling emo snobs.

Somehow the Lovecraftian, subtle, rising horror aspect King was so strong at the beginning of his career diminished over the years and there was not much of it left in the newer books I´ve read. Characterization, descriptions, action scenes, suspense, everything great as usual in the new works, but this special meta cosmic existential ho I am so nostalgically looking back to a better time when certain fantasy creatures were still true monsters and not twinkling, soft, freaking feeling emo snobs.

Somehow the Lovecraftian, subtle, rising horror aspect King was so strong at the beginning of his career diminished over the years and there was not much of it left in the newer books I´ve read. Characterization, descriptions, action scenes, suspense, everything great as usual in the new works, but this special meta cosmic existential horror vibe and feeling of the first few and the drug fueled King years went missing afterward. Especially his first short story collections show this, they are epic, gothic horror masterpieces, while his new ones are much more dealing with human related meta topics dipped in some mystery and horror ghost magic. I love all, fanboy for life, jay, but somehow this old school style was more unique, especially because it sadly isn´t manufactured anymore nowadays, shame on you, damn mainstream ruining everything.

Some soft spoilers ahead, but nothing too specific worth mentioning, just meta.

So enjoy it even more if it´s the first time, look at all the red herrings, McGuffins, and Chekhovs King is throwing around to mix them with symbolism and innuendos, enjoy how the pathetic, weak humans stagger towards perdition, laugh whenever evil scores the next bloody goal, and be a happy witness of the moment when the legend of the greatest horror writer of all times starts unfolding by using the ancient trope of rabies symptoms made folk tales.

Google that, by the way, it´s so cool, the time until someone infected with rabies dies, how they behave to smell and light, what happens to their brains and libido, nature is amazing. It must have been so much fun to be locked up during long, cold, mountain winters with no change to escape, knowing that a few of the citizens and families may turn into real, freaking vampires. „Mommy is eating daddy, I fear she'll come for us when she is hungry again.“ Thanks to stupid rabies vaccination and general scientific, social, and medical progress, these amazing massive real life zombie vampire role playing games are now sadly just a reminiscence of the past, but at least literature can let one undergo it again.

Did I read Dracula? I am not sure, but the pop culture reference potential of both the original and this darker retelling is immense and how King let it escalate seems to be much more entertaining than what I know about the original. Sorry, classic literature, King just owns you. This idea of whatever evil coming to town, or always being in town and waking up again, becoming more and more extreme in its manifestations is one of the core elements of both King´s work and humankind itself. Could also be seen as an allegory about a snowball effect, tiny origin, huge massacre style. Or, how appropriate and contemporary, a virus.

It´s kind of making me twinkle in anger when I think about how true, hard topics have been mainstream flanderized
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
until nothing of the cool, original content was left to fit to appeal to the teeny target audience. Shame on you, americanization and disneyfication, you murdered evil, torturing monsters to turn them into sensible, romantic love interests that freaking understand woman, what´s wrong with you? That´s so sick and disgusting, I will possible once unsubscribe my Disney+ account in a beer ridden anger act of defiance. Just joking, they have Marvel and Star Wars too. Wait, my long time memory is just telling me in one of its rare appearances that I don´t watch TV anymore. Damn.

Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph... ...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Julie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: scribd, 2019, vampires, e-book, horror, re-read, audio, overdrive, retro-read

Salem’s Lot by Stephen King is a 2011 Anchor Books publication. (Originally published in 1975)

I read a decent amount of horror novels when I was a teenager. My first introduction to Stephen King was with ‘Carrie’. But it was the heyday of pulp horror novels, with lots of books to choose from out there and long story short, I never got around to reading this book until the early eighties. I had read other King books by that time, and if memory serves, I’d watched the made for TV movie before I re Salem’s Lot by Stephen King is a 2011 Anchor Books publication. (Originally published in 1975)

I read a decent amount of horror novels when I was a teenager. My first introduction to Stephen King was with ‘Carrie’. But it was the heyday of pulp horror novels, with lots of books to choose from out there and long story short, I never got around to reading this book until the early eighties. I had read other King books by that time, and if memory serves, I’d watched the made for TV movie before I read this book. Eventually, I got around to getting a paperback copy of the book, and while I’m sure it would have given me a few restless nights under ordinary circumstances, I had a unique, humorous and unforgettable experience while reading this book, which was truly nightmarish-

I was only a little way into the book, when my roommate invited me to stay at her parents’ house one weekend. Apparently, her family had just purchased a fixer upper Victorian and were eager to show off their latest renovations. As it turns out, the house was located out in the middle of nowhere, which is great, during the daylight hours. My room was on the top floor, and as always, even way back then, I’d packed a paperback with me. As everyone settled in for the night, the quiet, the inky, pitch-black dark, an unfamiliar house, out in the middle of nowhere… and reading Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King, made for a sleepless night spent tossing and turning and jumping at every little sound. I kept imagining Danny Glick floating outside one of those second story windows. This book scared the crap out of me!! And I loved it!! 🦇🦇

When I joined Goodreads, I automatically slapped a five- star rating on the book, but I have only read it the one time. With Halloween approaching, I was in the mood for an old-school horror novel, one from ‘my era’. Several books were up for consideration, and this was one of them. Remembering my experience while reading the book, grinning at how scared silly I’d been, I had to wonder if the book would have the same atmosphere now… or if I would find it dated, and maybe even a little cheesy? So, I decided to find out. Thankfully, my library had a copy of the book and Scribd came through with the audio- something I thought might be fun to try. (The audio is read by Ron McLarty, a veteran narrator.)

The book gets off to a good start and as the story progressed, my memory kicked in and many details I’d long forgotten started to come back to me. King follows the traditional vampire lore in the novel. An old house, rumored to be haunted is purchased by a wealthy man, whose assistant is seen a lot more often than the owner. Meanwhile, a boy goes missing, then his brother comes down with strange anemia-like symptoms and pretty soon, the entire town is gripped in terror. Crucifix’s, stakes through the heart, and all the customary vampire traditions apply here. For its time this was a gripping, updated spin on the conventional vampire tale. Through the years, vampires have morphed into something less confined, with the power to enjoy light and withstand the sight of a crucifix… and some of them even sparkle. 😁😁

But I miss the time-honored folklore of bloodsucking vampires, the scary undead creatures who never age, kill indiscriminately, can’t walk around in the daylight, and can only be conquered by beheading them and driving a stake through the heart. King’s vampires are more ruthless and are in no way conflicted or remorseful. They are pure evil.

This second reading of the book was a different experience, of course. Although I had both an e book and the audio version, the story was bit too long and lost momentum on several occasions. Of course, a book written back in 1975 will have some references that are dated now, but by no means was the book cheesy. The story is as atmospheric as I recall and stands the test of time- and yes, it still scared the crap out me!! 😨😓😱
4.5 stars
...more

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Jan 02, 2016 Delee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, supernatural-or-paranormal, favorites, horror-medium-rare-not-too-bloody, books-i-have-read-more-than-once, vampire-books-that-dont-suck, fantasy, ivonne-is-a-big-chicken

I was a bit of a wimp before I entered my teen years...so I stayed away from anything vampire. My first vampire experience was Love at First Bite, and not knowing it was a comedy (yes, it was before you could Google) I put on a brave face for the friend that invited me- and entered the movie theater terrified by what I would see. Luckily the evenly tanned George Hamilton awaited me...along with some mighty impressive disco dancing. The scary blood suckers would have to wait to frighten me.

Next ...more

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Oct 30, 2007 Mary rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: horror

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

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Jun 13, 2014 Will M. rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, books-i-own, 2015, paranormal

A novel about a creepy town and deadly vampires. This should've received 5 stars from me, but I was a bit disappointed with this novel.

I swear I wanted to love this novel, but it was an okay read for me. An okay read from the King. I'm 100% sure that something is wrong with me, and not the novel.

My main problem with the novel would be the fact that it took almost 350 pages for it to become really interesting. The character and plot introduction felt 150 pages longer than it should've been. Aside ...more

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Oct 26, 2009 Justin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Hey.
I’m not a vampire fan, okay?
I mean, I am cool with scary books, and I read scary books, but vampires...
They’re just not really my thing.
If I had to power rank my favorite types of horror novels, and I can’t imagine a time where I would have to do that, except now, obviously...
Vampires would be near the bottom of the list.
Vampires would be one or two spots above werewolves.
Werewolves are stupid, and so are books about them.
Werewolves, give me a break.
Now, I am a Stephen King fan.
Not al ...more

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May 18, 2020 Gabby rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, writers-authors-as-characters, liked-it, thrillers-or-mystery, 500-or-more-pages, classics, has-a-movie, adult, own, 4-star-books

Closer to a 3.5
I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I vlogged my experience reading it: https://youtu.be/MmRbre1wn8o ...more

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Feb 07, 2008 Dan Schwent rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016, horror, 2016-books

When writer Ben Mears moves back to 'Salem's Lot, a sleepy Maine town he spent a few years living in as a child, he has bitten off more than he can chew. 'Salem's lot is home to an ancient evil. Can Ben Mears and his friends stop the vampire in their midst before falling victim to his lust for blood?

One of the great things about getting older is that old books magically become new books after ten years. I forgot most of the wrinkles of this one so I figured it was a good time to give it another ...more

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Dec 05, 2018 Ginger rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, 2018

FULL REVIEW UP
4 bloody and bite worthy stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

'Salem's Lot was a nice venture into the mind of Stephen King in regard to vampires! I’ve read so many vampire stories over the years that I went into this one hopeful and looking for something different.

Did I get a different type of vampire tale? Not really but I got something similar to the classic Dracula and I was all about that!

Stephen King really got the culture and characteristics of vampires down.
You can tell he liked Dracula because ...more

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Oct 23, 2020 preoccupiedbybooks rated it it was ok · review of another edition

A slow build vampire story, which missed the mark for me!
description

Author Ben Mears returns to Salem's Lot, where he spent some of his childhood, to write his next book, but discovers something evil residing there.

This was my least favourite Stephen King novel so far. It was about vampires, so why was it so boring and uninteresting?! At least they didn't sparkle though...

'Salem's Lot did have a few interesting characters, I liked Matt Burke and Mark Petrie, and Ben Mears was okay, but there were way too m ...more

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Feb 13, 2009 Danielle The Book Huntress (Back to the Books) rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Required reading for all vampire fiction lovers

Shelves: vampire, dont-read-after-dark, favorite-or-autobuy-author, started-but-put-down, reluctant-or-unlikely-hero, horror, spell-out-september, small-town-slice-of-life, favorites

City folk have a distinct misconception about small towns. We tend to believe that they are tranquil and innocent. That the denizens are wholesome and full of family values. But, we don't see the hidden rot that lurks beneath the sleepy facade.

Stephen King does a lot to shatter that myth with 'Salem's Lot. This a horror novel about a vampire who destroys a town from the inside out. This is a horror story about the darkness that we don't see clearly (or maybe we ignore) about our friends, familie City folk have a distinct misconception about small towns. We tend to believe that they are tranquil and innocent. That the denizens are wholesome and full of family values. But, we don't see the hidden rot that lurks beneath the sleepy facade.

Stephen King does a lot to shatter that myth with 'Salem's Lot. This a horror novel about a vampire who destroys a town from the inside out. This is a horror story about the darkness that we don't see clearly (or maybe we ignore) about our friends, families, and neighbors.

What was the most horrific part of this book for me? You're going to guess wrong. It wasn't the horror of the vampires. It was seeing a woman punch her ten month old baby in the face because he was crying. Yes, that bothered me more than any of the actual supernatural horror. I say to Mr. King that you know what fears lurk in our hearts. The dark is full of potential evil that can possess us, take over our bodies, and turn us into monsters. But, the truest monsters are the human ones. With this novel, Mr. King showed me both kinds of monsters.

Do you believe that there are no true secrets in a small town? You'd be right if you said yes. You'd be equally right if you said no. The townspeople of 'Salem's Lot know a lot more than they want to know about their neighbors, but they overlook it, ignore it, sweep the sins under the rug until the rug starts to bulge in the middle, and it won't hold those secrets back.

For example, 'Salem's Lot harbored an ex-mobster who had a penchant for devil worship. He lived in a scary house on the top of a hill, the Marsten House. It was a house that haunted Ben Mears after he went there as a nine year old on a dare. He went there, and saw something that was from his worst nightmares, but he believed even in his adulthood to be true. The evil that Hubie Marsten brought into existence never died. The house held it as a battery holds a charge. It was the perfect place for a vampire and his evil minion to set up shop in this little town.

I read the introduction to this story with interest. I love knowing how an author came to craft his or her story. Mr. King was a fan of Bram Stoker's Dracula, and he wrote 'Salem's Lot as an unofficial homage to that classic vampire novel. In my inexpert opinion, I think he did a great job. I feel that Mr. Stoker would probably nod in approval, even if he didn't get all the modern references. Mr. King wrote his idea of a vampire story, and it holds his individual stamp on it. Yet, the aspects that make Dracula such an excellent vampire novel, at least to this vampire aficionado, are clearly represented. Mr. Barlow could give Count Dracula a real run for his money as far as being a completely evil, despicable, and formidable being. His minion, Straker, could give Renfield some lessons in evil. And Matt, Ben, Jimmy, Susan, Father Callahan, and Mark could compare notes with Van Helsing, Harker, Mina, Holmwood, and Quincy. But, if Mr. Stoker would forgive me, I think that Mr. King ramped up the fear level significantly, because his world is not sentimental and endowed with as many basically 'good' people. His world is full of flawed humanity who have really nasty proclivities, although I still feared for their safety and didn't want them to succumb to the evil of the vampire that infected this town.

In this story, we learn about the heights and depths of the human condition. How a person can bounce back from despair, face his/her worst fears, and quite possibly wrap his mind around events that cannot be real to an empirical mind. We learn about what a person's limits are. Can you go into that house and do what needs to be done? Do you have the nerve? Or will you turn away and pretend it's not happening, as some members of this town do, for their own sanity? Can a thirteen- year-old boy show the bravery that a seventy-year-old man in the twilight of his life lacks? Can a non-believer trust in the symbols of a faith that held no relevance to him, in the face of an evil that defies scientific explanation? All these questions are explored in this story, with answers that might surprise you.

I deliberately read 'Salem's Lot during the day, because it is quite, quite scary. Even still, I thought about a pair of red eyes haunting me in the night. Feared for the scratching of a lost loved one against my window pane as I tried to sleep at night. Some part of me hoped that I had not inadvertently invited the wrong person into my home. If that is what makes a successful vampire novel, I'd say Stephen King has succeeded in a big way. ...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Samadrita rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: spookfest, in-by-about-america, fantasy-mythology, creepy-crawlies-of-the-night, paranormal-supernatural

The last time I picked up a King novel, my inclination towards critical analysis of a text was still just a budding obsession. Now it is an enduring preoccupation. Try as I may, I cannot overlook the subtle slips in King's plot arrangement and characterization any more - the inevitability of women being cast in the molds of the lover or the victim of abuse or the tactless ingenue is a veritable threat to my fangirlism. (This is not to mention the tropes of the 'magical negro' and other assorted The last time I picked up a King novel, my inclination towards critical analysis of a text was still just a budding obsession. Now it is an enduring preoccupation. Try as I may, I cannot overlook the subtle slips in King's plot arrangement and characterization any more - the inevitability of women being cast in the molds of the lover or the victim of abuse or the tactless ingenue is a veritable threat to my fangirlism. (This is not to mention the tropes of the 'magical negro' and other assorted cliched representations of people of color.)

And yet I cannot challenge the legitimacy of his repute as a master story-teller. Even though it has been many years since I picked up my first King title from the bookshelves of a friend, his words still make me break out in goose flesh in the middle of the night, his narrative voice exerts a hypnotic pull rendering me incapable of detaching myself from the world wrecked by paranormal phenomenon that he carefully builds from scratch. The horror that King conjures up here is not just a direct consequence of the emergence of an unknown, malevolent force which destabilizes the functioning of a secluded small town but the sinister darkness of the human soul which needs just the right trigger to be unleashed, to soundlessly absorb all capacity for reason and leave a bestial urge for carnage in its place. The supernatural forces that threaten to disrupt the lives of King's characters are symbolic of the evils existing in the realm of reality - the ominous shadows of war, hunger, poverty, totalitarianism.

All accusations of profit-making and sacrificing good writing on the altar of plot can be damned to hell. King can write a wordy passage fraught with grim philosophical reflections when he wishes to. He can still rescue me from a miserable reading rut and remind me of the hollowness of ritualism - that faith is not prayer offered without feeling or the routine thumbing of rosary beads but simply the mind channeling an inner strength to purge the darkness within, professing unwavering devotion to a worthy cause.

...the good was more elemental, less refined. It was ore, like something coughed up out of the ground in naked chunks. There was nothing finished about it. It was Force; it was Power, it was whatever moved the greatest wheels of the universe.

Before the abomination called 'Twilight' inspired the publishing industry to mass market vampires as lustful, gorgeous, innocuous hunks ready to pleasure women at their behest, there were fictional bloodsucking fiends like the ones in 'Salem's Lot. And no that is not a spoiler, given most community reviews here contain more generous spoiler-y synopses in this regard.

In terms of thematic resonance and characterization this is far from King's best work, but if you haven't yet made yourself familiar with Bram Stoker's masterpiece and wish to make the acquaintance of vampires who give rise to pure spine-tingling, bone-chilling terror, this is the book for you. Fans of The Haunting of Hill House will also find something of value here.

I am just glad that there are a great many number of King titles out there left for me to devour. ...more

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Nov 07, 2016 Matt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, fiction

I don’t read a lot of horror, so it’s taken me a bit longer than most to recognize the genius of Stephen King. Belated as it might be, I am finally making my way through his surprisingly versatile oeuvre. At this point, I think I’ve skimmed off much of the cream, having read several of his undisputed classics (The Stand, It, Pet Sematery, etc). Now I’m ready to bore down into the second level. Salem’s Lot is definitely a step down from King’s best, most enduring novels. That being said, horror d ...more

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Feb 10, 2014 Carmen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: King fans, Vampire fans

Shelves: published1975, fiction, he-says, horror, traditionally-published

Stephen King's take on vampires. I didn't enjoy this book as much as CARRIE.

THE HEROES:
- An author. Of course. Self-insertion much? Notably the only character who has good sex in the novel. (I'm not complaining about the self-insertion... but I want you to know I notice what you're doing, Mr. King.) Ben Mears

- A priest. Irish-American. A drunk. Fed up with the suffering, abuse, rape, and hate he sees every day. When can he fight the Big Evil? Human evil is boring, apparently. This character e ...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Edward Lorn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is the greatest vampire novel ever written. Forget Stoker, ignore Rice, this is it. Why? Because the vampires herein are not your friends. They are not your lovers. There is nothing remotely lovable about Barlow's children of the night. They simply want to fucking drain you.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Oct 09, 2017 Celeste rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

Full review now posted!

If you’re looking for vampires with some bite, look no further.

There are few monsters as enduring as the vampire. For well over a thousand years, mankind has told itself stories of preternatural beings who look like us, and perhaps even used to be us, but who now live by draining the life from us. Sometimes, these are just campfire stories, meant to give us a chill and a thrill before we drown them out with reality. But other times, we can’t help but believe our own storie ...more

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Oct 03, 2017 J.K. Grice rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, favorites

Maybe the greatest vampire novel of all time. Certainly one of the scariest stories I've ever read. I loved everything about this book. The audio version is also excellent, narrated by Ron McClarty. The best vampire book since SALEM'S LOT would have to be

by Michael Rowe. ...more

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Nov 18, 2018 Erin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: king-me, november-2018

I love reading books multiple times because each time I read it I feel completely different about it. I find new things I missed, I view things from a different perspective. Each time its like reading a new book. I first read Salem's Lot when I was a teenager, I liked it but I didn't fully appreciate it.

Salem's Lot is a vampire novel but its so much more than that. Salem's Lot is about small town America and the disintegrating social fabric. One of the things I've come to appreciate most about ...more

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Oct 12, 2016 Christy rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Those who want a great vampire tale--not too gory, but just right--even for some younger readers

Shelves: vampires

****WARNING: The following lyrics, and police account are sickening and grotesque---not for children!!!! (Though no spoilers...the man is mentioned in the book briefly ...during a discussion between Father Callahan and Matt Burke in his hospital room, filled with books on vampires...heres's more about the real one behind the myth. If you are easily made sick to you stomach, just don't go there,really...just move down to the regular review....
I need a victim to do things sickening
I just want to m ...more

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Nov 28, 2020 Henny rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: trigger-warnings, horror, audiobooks, stephen-king

Update: I decided to reduce my rating to 3.5 and round down to 3 stars. Don't get me wrong, Salem's Lot is a good book. I just didn't enjoy it as much as other 4 star rated books on my shelves (reasons stated in my review below). Still recommend though!
-----------
Original Review

3.75

I do think Salem's Lot was all right. Like a lot of people, I'd say it's not one of King's best works. However, I can see why it's considered a classic and it's really impressive that it was only King's 2nd p Update: I decided to reduce my rating to 3.5 and round down to 3 stars. Don't get me wrong, Salem's Lot is a good book. I just didn't enjoy it as much as other 4 star rated books on my shelves (reasons stated in my review below). Still recommend though!
-----------
Original Review

3.75

I do think Salem's Lot was all right. Like a lot of people, I'd say it's not one of King's best works. However, I can see why it's considered a classic and it's really impressive that it was only King's 2nd published book. That being said, it has a lot of good parts but it doesn't come without some flaws and in typical King-manner, the ending is one of them.

See, I'm not a fan of vampires (Twilight really ruined everything). And King didn't reinvent the wheel here. Nevertheless, Salem's Lot felt refreshingly new (despite its age) and different than all the vampire bullshit nowadays. The vampires weren't scary - I could listen to the audiobook before going to bed - but the atmosphere was still dark and suspenseful and there were some moments - the window scenes - that were genuinely unsettling.
Like always, King takes his sweet time to establish the threat and get the story going. It felt like forever in here (almost half the book). But when things finally started to roll, I was hooked until the end. I really enjoyed the vampire hunting and how everything spiraled out of the characters control so quickly. The ending sadly was anticlimactic and disappointing. King really has a problem with writing strong endings.

Some of the characters were another issue I had with Salem's Lot. Ben was an unbelievably boring MC. He didn't really had substance and I wasn't buying his development. Wasn't a fan of Susan either. She felt like the stupid horror movie love interest who thinks herself super smart and independent but is far from that. Matt, Mark and Jimmy however were characters I really liked and who made every scene better. The rest of the cast was all right as well and showed that King's strength as a writer often lies in his characters.

If you wanna start reading King, I think Salem's Lot is a great choice for that. Entertaining read with some flaws but definitely a must read for fans and rookies alike!
------------------------
Turned out better than I initially thought. RTC ...more

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Aug 13, 2016 Graeme Rodaughan rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Anyone seeking a genuine scary vampire story

Shelves: horror, vampires

Vampires are my personal bogeyman

I remember seeing "Salem's Lot" the movie, with David Soul as Ben Mears, when I was fifteen years old, and I truly believed in the existence of vampires for at least a week after watching that movie. (...and maybe, I never stopped believing...)

Sometime in my early twenties, I picked up a copy of Salem's Lot and read it for the first time. So it's been a while, close to thirty years between reads.

Some people may say that this book begins as a slow burn, but I didn ...more

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Aug 31, 2016 Mike's Book Reviews rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Full Video Review Here: https://youtu.be/_O0YIrJHy8w

It was a time before the Young Adult genre had completely made vampires not scary anymore. I first read this book in 1993 and it had a different affect on me this time than last. King is still in top form here and his love for old monster movies and comics is quite apparent. The lead is likable, as is his small group of survivors he brings along the way. King is at his most vicious here as no one in the cast is safe and they drop like flies as ...more

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Mar 29, 2017 Ashley Daviau rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I fall more in love with this book and its characters every single time I read it. It's both heartbreaking and terrifying and that's a huge part of why I love it so much. I always have a hard time enjoying vampire novels and I definitely think that stems from my love of this book. King does vampires in such a horrifying way that nothing quite lives up to Barlow after reading this book. Despite finding him utterly terrifying, I absolutely adore Barlow as a character. In fact, I think he may just ...more

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Feb 06, 2018 Robert Vanneste rated it it was amazing

'Salem's Lot is my favorite Stephen King novel . Granted I haven't read every book he's put out . I read it the first time in the late 70's or early 80's . Ouch that was a long time ago . Overall I've reread it 4 or 5 times so it's a guilty pleasure of mine . I feel another reread coming on . ...more

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2021 Reading Chal...: 'Salem's Lot	28	55	Feb 12, 2021 02:46PM
Classic Trash: Salem's Lot: In Progress (No spoilers please)	12	22	Jan 18, 2021 12:37PM
Club de Lectura d...: El misterio de Salem' s Lot: Vuestras minirreseñas	2	3	Dec 20, 2020 08:45AM
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Supernatural Fict...: 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King	87	48	Oct 21, 2020 12:23PM
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About Stephen King

Stephen King

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Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, 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, M Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, 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 them. 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 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 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 met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. 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 were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English 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. ...more

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Quotes from 'Salem's Lot

“But when fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous ass as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed. It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since last he saw you.” — 595 likes

“God grant me to SERENITY to accept what I cannot change the TENACITY to change what I may and the GOOD LUCK not to f*** up too often” — 435 likes

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