It’s a “Lot” to Read But It is Worthwhile

By Andres H.

Salem's Lot deals with author, Ben Mears, returning to the town where he lived as a teenager and had the most horrific experience of his life…that is up until his return to Jerusalem's Lot, or Salem's Lot.  He's come back to write a new novel about the haunted Marsten House that overlooks the small community from a hill. The timing for Ben couldn't have been more perfect because two other visitors have also just moved there, buying the Marsten House and opening an antique furniture store in town.

It isn't long before children and adults start disappearing from the Lot only to return again, but this time as blood-sucking creatures of the night.  The owner of the Marsten House is named Barlow, and his henchman is called Straker. Barlow has lived for hundreds of years, surviving by moving around the world and changing his name. Barlow is a vampire, and he isn't your normal vampire that you usually see  in movies. He's a lot more scary. Barlow is the kind of vampire who goes straight for your neck and doesn't mess around.

Eventually, Mears with the help of a teenager, Mark Petrie, an English teacher named Matt Burke, and a doctor named Jimmy Cody, go after the vampires with different methods of killing them which were: stakes, crosses, and holy water.  What they wanted to do was not fun to read, but it shouldn't be. Barlow, will not go down without a fight. He has survived too long to take the L to these rascals.

Stephen King gave me an accurate look at what it would be like if a vampire started terrorizing a small town.   Few outside towns would even be aware of what was happening right next to them. Something that is really cool was that this novel was written in 1975 before the invention of the Internet, cell phones, and social media.  In many ways, I consider Salem's Lot to be the scariest and most interesting of modern horror novels. If vampires existed, something like this could easily take place because no one would believe it.

Another thing about Salem's Lot is how fluid the writing of Stephen King is.  King knows how to write a scene dripping with dark and a menacing atmosphere. He knows how to use dozens of characters around in a story, bringing them to the story with not a lot of short descriptive words.  He knows how to write a long novel, giving the reader a good point of view from the horror aspects of the story, and then socking it to him or her over and over again. King is a God of writing and could tell a story that would keep you up all night. Both with fear and interest.  

What a fantastic story to be honest. I'm a huge fan of horror, and could read it all day if it is scary enough. If you are a big fan of horror and enjoy getting frightened by literature, this is the perfect story for you. I would give this book a 4.5/5 just because there were some dry spots every now and then, but very few. I hope anybody that reads this book reads it with the right intent and enjoys it.