Stephen King and the book ‘’Salem’s Lot’

Approximately nine-months after my birth, the second book ever published by Stephen King debuted on October 17, 1975. The story of ‘Salem’s Lot involves writer Ben Mears returning to the fictional town of Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine, where the fictional author had lived from five-to-nine years-of-age. Firmly entrenched as a horror novel, the town’s named as shortened to ‘Salem’s Lot reflects the first and only vampire novel by Stephen King that I have ever read.

(Three alternate book covers for the Stephen King horror novel ‘Salem’s Lot).

Ben Mears provides the context we need as audience members to first earn our introduction into the small town that will form the central glue for time and place for our vampire story. Of course, that initial introduction with memories of the past come with the baggage of the perspective of a boy’s understanding that was less than half that of even a young teenager first experiencing his first awakening into questioning the world as an adult might question it. Thus, we are left without a critical initial suspicion that vampires might even be on the menu.

(Stephen King wrote ‘Salem’s Lot, which was released in 1975. This image of Stephen King is approximately from the time of the book’s release).

The notion of Mears returning to a town that fueled nightmarish memories of his own past provided much of the early storytelling latitude needed to underscore the introduction that we as readers needed to get to know the people inhabiting the small town. At first, the notion we get reflects an introduction to characters of the town, the ways that some of them are connected interpersonally, and finally some depth to help us invest in some of the people of ‘Salem’s Lot a bit more or less than the rest.

(The Stephen King book ‘Salem’s Lot was originally released in 1975. This image of Stephen King is more recent than the image above).

Besides the locals of the town of ‘Salem’s Lot, we are introduced to the home of Great Depression-era mobster Hubert “Hubie” Marsten. We also are introduced to business partners Richard Straker and Kurt Barlow, the latter of which had purchased the Marsten house to the curiosity of a few in the local community. The arrival of Straker, Barlow and, separately, of writer Ben Mears coincide with the disappearance of a young boy, Ralphie Glick, and the death of his 12-year-old brother, Danny. What further becomes of Danny Glick isn’t immediately revealed.

(Three additional book covers for the Stephen King book ‘Salem’s Lot, which originally was released more than 46-years ago).

Danny Glick and many across the town systematically are becoming vampires. The pacing of the transformation, along with the small-town notion for responding in a way that befits the skills and believability of the response ones get, resonates through the development of the story crafted in ‘Salem’s Lot. Where suspicion rests combined with the growing senses of menace, conversion and belief that what defies rational explanation might legitimately be true all enhance the emotion that works through the course of the story.

(Stephen King‘s horror novel ‘Salem’s Lot was originally released in 1975. This image of Stephen King is from approximately 2020).

My experience with ‘Salem’s Lot was enjoyable and worth the reading investment. My offering to you is to indulge in a first or an additional reading, as the execution of the telling most definitely works in the hands of this writer. I give ‘Salem’s Lot as written by Stephen King 4.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5 for its quality.

Matt – Saturday, February 19, 2022