Salem's Lot!

I've been trying to read a Stephen King novel for decades. The doorstops he publishes always seem to lose when I balance reading entertainment against time spent. The exception to that general rule is Salem's Lot, his second novel published under his real name in 1975. For one thing it's one of the relatively few King novel screen adaptations I enjoy and for another I really like vampire stories, especially ones like this one which promise to hearken back to classic vampire horror hijinks. I've started it a few times but always have gotten stopped. Until now. My analysis is simple, I enjoyed it mightily. 

For the few who might not already know, this novel deals with the horror of a vampire from the "Old World" coming to America to set up shop and find new victims. It's pretty much the same motivation which fired Dracula in Bram Stoker's vampire classic. He picks as his landing spot, an isolated Maine town named "Jerusalem's Lot" or "Salem's Lot" for short. There is a fascinating back story as to why this town is selected as ground zero for a vampire invasion but that's part of the secret of the novel. Our heroes are a writer named "Ben Mears" and a stout-hearted boy named "Mark Petrie". Ben is something of an outsider giving him a unique perspective and Mark is something of a "Monster Kid" giving him obscure knowledge which comes in handy. There are others who discover the plot and work to push back against it, but the death toll in this one is mighty. 

The vampire is named "Kurt Barlow" and he is a most mysterious figure as you'd suspect. Before the story is over you will discover what happens to his familiar "Straker" as well as the grim secrets of a long-dead man named "Hubie Marston". The action centers around the "Marston House" which was once owned by the secretive Hubie and now is owned by Barlow. We meet many people of the town and some never know about the evil before they succumb to it and others rally to fight but with woeful consequences. We even have a love story to hold our attention while the threat looms.  

I'm sorry I waited so long to finally give this one a proper read, but then if I hadn't waited, I'd have not had the pleasure of discovering it fresh this time. All things come to him who procrastinates I think someone said. I'll take a look at the film adaptations of this story next time. 

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