Salem's Lot by Stephen King

"King's take on Vampires was unique but also traditional which created a fun and interesting read. Though some of the characters were a bit melodramatic and some of the dialogue was cringe-worthy, overall this was a good, classic King work."

Pros: The transition into a Vampire is a bit different with some unique qualities. It was interesting that some people weren't necessarily bitten but still turned.

Cons: There were far too many people to keep track of. The main four were easy enough to follow but all the people of Salem's Lot got mixed up and melded together in my head/Also Susan's fate just had me sighing and shaking my head.

Full Review:

There's a small town called Jerusalem's (Salem's) Lot in southern Maine, population just a bit over 300. It's like any small town you'll find in New England, with its quaint stores, small restaurants and filled for the most part with average people going about their average lives.

That all changes when someone buys the Marsten house, a dilapidated old ruin on a hill that overlooks the town and a new antique store, Straker and Barlow's opens. Hackles aren't raised until one boy disappears and then, things, slowly begin to change.

Though the narrative focused mainly around Benjamin Mears, an author, James Cody, a physician, Matt Burke, a teacher, Mark Petrie, a student and Susan Norton, a local girl who's smitten with Mears' and how they react and deal with the changes in the Lot, there were other parts that explained the transition of the town overall. And though they were interesting glimpses into the lives of these small town folk, in the end there were too many characters to keep track of, it kind of took away from the story overall. Also, some of King's dialogue was just laughable.

But, in the end I picked this book up in the name of research and it was interesting to see how King, a master in the Horror genre, dealt with a tricky subject like Vampires.

Comments

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