Scan barcode
A review by arnrockwell
Salem's Lot by Stephen King
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don't know why, but I didn't think Stephen King had written a vampire novel. This is strange considering he's known for writing horror. Of course, it doesn't help that this book doesn't allude to vampires at all on the back cover copy or promotional material. It was only after seeing the book appear on multiple lists of "The Best Vampire Novels" that I decided to give this book a chance.
'Salem's Lot follows a man by the name of Ben Mears. He's returning to his hometown of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine to write his next novel about the mysterious abandoned house known as the Marsten House. Jerusalem's Lot is a fictional town, also known as "The Lot" by its residents, which is good considering how high the body gets by the end of the book. It's your typical small town with a small town attitude.
Ben learns the Marsten House is under new ownership for the first time in years, occupied by the mysterious Kurt Barlow and his business partner Richard Straker. It soon becomes apparent that Barlow is a vampire and the town slowly succumbs to his influence. To combat Barlow, Ben teams up with high school teacher Matt Burke, college student Susan Norton, doctor Jimmy Cody, elementary school student Mark Petrie, and Catholic priest Father Callahan.
If you've read Bram Stoker's Dracula before, you will find similarities here. Stephen King has gone at record to say he was inspired by Dracula and wanted to write what would happen if he returned in 20th century America. However, King takes the story is a much darker direction and the book does not end on a happy note. As stated above, the body count is very high.
King goes through painstaking effort to describe the town and many of its residents. He gives us short glimpses into their lives, both public and private. He wants us to care about this town and its people. The flaws of each character (main characters included) take centre stage, many who are actually pretty terrible people. As a writer myself, I do appreciate the effort. It helps to ground the book in reality. However, I feel like it was more or less pointless. Almost all the characters the book focuses on dies by the end, save for a few.
This was King's second-ever published novel, and it does show. This early in his career, he was also bad at writing women. Between the boob euphemisms ("jahoobies?" seriously?) and very one-note female characters, it's clear he was lacking experience. Unfortunately, this problem also affected the book's only main female character, Susan. I wanted to care about her but couldn't bring myself to. She basically existed only to be a love interest for Ben and a damsel in distress, and that's it. It's a shame.
One of the things I absolutely love about this book is the atmosphere. There's something about King's writing that pulled me in and kept me hooked. This was especially crucial in the early to mid portions of the book where the plot moved very slowly. It's not quite enough to convince me to read more of his books, though I may eventually.
By far the best part of the book was the vampires themselves. King's interpretation of them was perfect for the story. Twisted and evil, caring only about the consumption of blood and their own survival. This was especially true of the main vampire, Barlow. There are a few scenes that showcase how brutal and cruel he truly is. Some of the best scenes in the book. There were a few old-school vampire tropes that I'm not fond of, but they didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.
Overall, reading 'Salem's Lot was a pleasant surprise. I went in with low expectations and came away feeling satisfied. Stephen King is a well-known author who doesn't need anymore endorsements. However, as an aficionado of vampire fiction, it truly deserves a place on my shelf as an example of such a book done well.
'Salem's Lot follows a man by the name of Ben Mears. He's returning to his hometown of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine to write his next novel about the mysterious abandoned house known as the Marsten House. Jerusalem's Lot is a fictional town, also known as "The Lot" by its residents, which is good considering how high the body gets by the end of the book. It's your typical small town with a small town attitude.
Ben learns the Marsten House is under new ownership for the first time in years, occupied by the mysterious Kurt Barlow and his business partner Richard Straker. It soon becomes apparent that Barlow is a vampire and the town slowly succumbs to his influence. To combat Barlow, Ben teams up with high school teacher Matt Burke, college student Susan Norton, doctor Jimmy Cody, elementary school student Mark Petrie, and Catholic priest Father Callahan.
If you've read Bram Stoker's Dracula before, you will find similarities here. Stephen King has gone at record to say he was inspired by Dracula and wanted to write what would happen if he returned in 20th century America. However, King takes the story is a much darker direction and the book does not end on a happy note. As stated above, the body count is very high.
King goes through painstaking effort to describe the town and many of its residents. He gives us short glimpses into their lives, both public and private. He wants us to care about this town and its people. The flaws of each character (main characters included) take centre stage, many who are actually pretty terrible people. As a writer myself, I do appreciate the effort. It helps to ground the book in reality. However, I feel like it was more or less pointless. Almost all the characters the book focuses on dies by the end, save for a few.
This was King's second-ever published novel, and it does show. This early in his career, he was also bad at writing women. Between the boob euphemisms ("jahoobies?" seriously?) and very one-note female characters, it's clear he was lacking experience. Unfortunately, this problem also affected the book's only main female character, Susan. I wanted to care about her but couldn't bring myself to. She basically existed only to be a love interest for Ben and a damsel in distress, and that's it. It's a shame.
One of the things I absolutely love about this book is the atmosphere. There's something about King's writing that pulled me in and kept me hooked. This was especially crucial in the early to mid portions of the book where the plot moved very slowly. It's not quite enough to convince me to read more of his books, though I may eventually.
By far the best part of the book was the vampires themselves. King's interpretation of them was perfect for the story. Twisted and evil, caring only about the consumption of blood and their own survival. This was especially true of the main vampire, Barlow. There are a few scenes that showcase how brutal and cruel he truly is. Some of the best scenes in the book. There were a few old-school vampire tropes that I'm not fond of, but they didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.
Overall, reading 'Salem's Lot was a pleasant surprise. I went in with low expectations and came away feeling satisfied. Stephen King is a well-known author who doesn't need anymore endorsements. However, as an aficionado of vampire fiction, it truly deserves a place on my shelf as an example of such a book done well.