Review: 'Salem's Lot
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3 stars - but absolutely worth the effort. 3 star King is still better than 5 star anyone else, so I'm really glad I powered through this. Yes, it took some time and yes, I considered not finishing at several points. But it's a classic vampire tale and I REALLY enjoyed it. I wish I had read this in college, when the vampire craze was sort of at its peak, because this would've made an EXCELLENT comparison topic for a paper, lol.
'Salem's Lot is about a small town in Maine suffering from an invasion of sorts; an infection of the vampiric variety. There are several main characters, but the primary image here is that of the town itself and it's slow, steady descent into darkness. In that sense it's an interesting portrait of America in the 70's - it is patriotic but also aware of the political and social identity crisis seen by towns small and large alike. Appearance versus reality threads its way through the narrative in a way I really liked.
We have a typically large cast of characters here, and each of them are distinct and charming and quirky in the Kingish way I love. I didn't grow to love any of them, like I did in The Shining, but that's okay. There are also some truly terrifying sequences, though the meandering nature of the writing sometimes cuts the tension (I love King's use of detail and depth, but here he seemed a little ... untethered).
My favorite part about this, though, is the strong and spicy connection to Bram Stoker's Dracula. Dracula is one of my favorite classics, and King really found a similar flavor here. There are subtle references and obvious ones, and it just makes me really damn happy that someone successfully wrote a love letter to Dracula wrapped in an entertaining (calling you out, The Historian) and well-written work of fiction. It's derivative in the BEST WAY.
Really glad I stuck with this. Also, the afterword was such a treat. I almost enjoyed reading King's writing on the book more than the book itself.