Salem's Lot review

Time for yet another review. So many horror related things too review and so little time in which too do it all.

I've been thinking about what too review. My mind kept going back to "Salem's Lot". Didn't wanna do it mainly because I know I'm going to be bias. It is my favorite book and reviewing an all time favorite book or movie is not as easy as it sounds. You are forced too think of cons along with the pros. Not something one wants too nit pick in a favorite. No matter how hard I tried to review anything else my mind would not let me move away from the Lot. So brain, I give in. Let's review Salem's Lot.

Welcome to Jerusalem's Lot. Where everyone knows everyone and secrets are never hidden for very long. Almost every person in the Lot has a secret in some fashion or another. A mother beats the shit out of her baby for crying. Drinking problems run ramped. Snooping neighbors who have nothing better too do than listen in on other people's phone conversations.

Ben Mears spent a couple of years as a child in this town. Now an adult, he's come back in order too find inspiration for his new novel. He already knows what the book is going to be about. The closest thing this town has to a skeleton in the closet. The Marsten house. It's a house which looms over the town. The back story behind this house is enough to give children nightmares for weeks too come. He is crazy enough to inquire after renting the Marsten house, only too find out it has already been sold. So a room with a view of the house will just have too do for now.

The buyers of this house are an odd sort. Secretive, charming and dangerous. When one child goes missing and another dead, people start too wonder if these outsiders and Ben have something too do with the strange happenings.

Mark Petrie is smart and has a working knowledge of monster lore. When one of the dead children appear outside his window begging too be let in, Mark knows what is happening and what needs too be done. Slowly but surely other people start seeing the problem as well.

More and more towns people either go missing or turn up dead. But no one stays dead in this town for long. A small band of survivors will take on the source of this town's problem or die trying.


There is a lot more too this book, but describing one's favorite book is harder than I thought it would be.


If you haven't already guessed it by the "let me in" bit, this is a vampire novel. Although, it doesn't come across that way until a little more than half way through the book. It actually comes as a surprise when vampires start showing up left and right.

There are a slew of characters here, but you never feel lost. You always know who is who and never really feel lost in the character sea. I mention Ben and Mark because we typically follow these two throughout the story. But there is Ben's love interest, Susan. The school teacher Matt. Father Callahan (Who is also in the Gunslinger series). Like I said, lots of characters and you get a back story on most of them.

The progression in this book is slow, but I don't really consider this too be a drawback too the story. In fact it sets the mood. It's  really interesting learning about the towns people. Who does what too whom? What dark thing is happening behind that door?  I felt as if I had been too this town and knew almost everyone there. It actually makes it rather sad when the town finally does become a vampire wasteland. You've followed these people and now they've become monsters.

The real start of this story is The Marsten house. I found the back story of this house interesting. The way King describes it makes you think it has a mind of it's own. Like it could take on the town at any moment due to legend alone. Most people want a Salem's Lot 2. Personally I liked how this book ended. I would like too at least see a short story on the house.

That also sadly leads me to a con. I wish I freaking knew more about the house. King makes it out too be almost an entity of it's own. It's just reads like a house that invites weirdness. Sadly we don't get much. We get a vampire base and crazy old people. Not that either of those aren't interesting, they are. The house felt like an unexplored character too me.

All of the characters here are strong and add too the story in their own way. There really isn't any unnecessary characters here. Mark, Ben, Matt and Susan are always interesting too read about. Of course, the vamps are as well.

It's odd that King didn't go in to a whole lot of detail about the house, since detail is ALWAYS his forte. Usually it annoys me, but his attention too detail bodes well for this book. It's a gradual decent into hell for this town and it's people. His attention too detail is key in setting the mood.

There is so much to say about this book, but all of it is gushing praise. So before this becomes far too long, just do yourself a favor and read it now. It's well worth it.