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

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

A Swiftly Tilting Planet (Time Quintet #3) by Madeleine L’Engle

“The apocalypse is looming when a random South American Dictator threatens Nuclear War. Of course, Charles Wallace is the only one who can stop it! It's all tied into the descendants of Meg's mother in law, Mrs. O'Keefe, Calvin's mother. With the help of a Unicorn named Gudior, Charles Wallace is off to save the day. This was another head scratcher and I'm not holding out much hope that the series will start making sense." 2 Stars Pros Time travel, to me, is far less surreal than whatever was going on in #2. So this was an easier read. Cons: Megs constant questioning starts right on page 1, at least she’s consistent/I do love how Mr. Murry is on speed dial with the President/The various timelines got very confusing and all the Brans/Maddocs/Maddox/Gwens/Gwyns and the multiple Zillah and Zillies were extremely frustrating. I had no idea who I was reading about at the end. Full Review: Years have passed and all the Murry children have grown. Dennys and San...

All the Books.

Search This Blog