From the Bookshelf of Never too Late to Read Classics…

’Salem’s Lot

Stephen King

Start date: February 1, 2025

Finish date: February 28, 2025

Discussion: The Horror of it All

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The Horror of it All

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Aug 26, 2017 Josh Caporale rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is my second round of reading 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King. I read it for the first time when I was in eighth grade and felt that I was not able to indulge in the experience the way that I should have, so I gave it a second chance. I read a good chunk of the book back in 2016 before returning to it this year in order to fulfill a buddy read that I planned with my friend, Jessica. I really feel that it was the right decision to return to this book, for I feel that I have much more patience a This is my second round of reading 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King. I read it for the first time when I was in eighth grade and felt that I was not able to indulge in the experience the way that I should have, so I gave it a second chance. I read a good chunk of the book back in 2016 before returning to it this year in order to fulfill a buddy read that I planned with my friend, Jessica. I really feel that it was the right decision to return to this book, for I feel that I have much more patience as a reader at this time and I have been able to appreciate the story as King's most noteworthy take on the vampire genre. This is King's second novel to be published, as it was published in 1975, after two and a half years of hard work in putting this together.

Ben Mears is the central character in this piece. Ben has moved to Jerusalem's Lot (known by the shortened name of "'Salem's Lot") in order to do research on the monstrous inhabitants that have resided in this town for a new work he is putting together. Ben is already a published author, having released books such as Conway's Daughter and Air Dance. During his stay in Jerusalem's Lot, he stays at a boardinghouse owned by Eva Miller, befriends a teacher named Matt Burke, and falls for a young woman and fan of his named Susan Norton (much to her parents' dismay). Upon his arrival, though, things start to get eerie. First with the disappearance of Ralphie Glick and what happens to his brother, Danny, and then we begin to see a great outbreak that brings the town to its knees, begging for mercy. Whether or not this town and its residents have the ability to survive is information that one must read to find out about.

I like King's main approach to the vampire novel. Vampires, along with zombies, saturate the horror fiction market the way that the creamiest, most delicious ice cream saturates your fat intake. This is such a delight, though, in how it abides to the traditions that were either started by Bram Stoker or in the 1922 German adaptation, Nosferatu. We get just enough of what we are looking for, while also being introduced to a cast of fleshed out characters, everyone from Ben, Susan, and Matt Burke, to younger resident Mark Petrie that is often dealing with circumstances hands-on, Father Callahan and how he is challenged both physically and spiritually, and even minor characters like school bus driver Charlie Rhodes and dump attendant Dud Rogers are fleshed out. What happens to these characters, though, presents a challenge to this work at hand. It is clear that the narrator is one that sees all and yet it does not choose to share all of this information with us, the reader.

'Salem's Lot is a great ode to Dracula in how it is inspired by the novel at hand, but does not copy or mimic it to the point that one is going to find it predictable and tedious. The story is so unique in its attention paid to strong character development, an ever-so-exciting plot, and a fascinating setting that one can easily forget about its homage to Dracula (most notably in how one of the characters is named "Straker," a mix between Bram STOKER and Jonathan HARKER). I am so glad that I gave this a second chance and would encourage people to look into this book, whether it be their first go-around or second attempt.

Here is a video of me reviewing this book on Literary Gladiators in a spoiler-free review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsFMm... ...more

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Jun 27, 2024 Fernanda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"If fear cannot be articulated, it can't be conquered."

What a ride!
This book was huge & it seemed to never end, and still I enjoyed every single page!
I love SK dearly. He's lengthy, but when he's good, he is REALLY good.

There's vampires and hillbillies and a haunted house and autopsies gone wrong and so much more, including a lenghty comment about how Freud changed the perception of evil that the catcholic church had encrusted in us for centuries...

The build up is a bit slow but it's so impor ...more

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Aug 02, 2016 Sarah rated it really liked it

This weeks car book. Completely enjoyable car book. Written in the 70's, it would have been a different tale with smart phones. I don't know how I missed this classic Stephen King so long. Its a vampire story, and it totally works as such. I could not wait to get back into the car and find out what happened next. There were a few things that threw me; when they finally discover where the head vampire is hiding, there is a strong padlock on the OUTSIDE of the wooden door. If the bad guys are insi ...more

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