Ben Mears has returned to Jerusalem’s Lot in hopes that exploring the history of the Marsten House, an old mansion long the subject of rumor and speculation, will help him cast out his personal devils and provide inspiration for his new book. But when two young boys venture into the woods, and only one returns alive, Mears begins to realize that something sinister is at work—in fact, his hometown … hometown is under siege from forces of darkness far beyond his imagination. And only he, with a small group of allies, can hope to contain the evil that is growing within the borders of this small New England town.
With this, his second novel, Stephen King established himself as an indisputable master of American horror, able to transform the old conceits of the genre into something fresh and all the more frightening for taking place in a familiar, idyllic locale.
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My favourite Steven King book. Still scary after all these years.
Stephen King is a great story teller!
Admitidly I have not read many horror books so I’m biased in this review. ‘Salems Lot is my most favorite vampire movie so I knew I would love the book.
Great writing, great story! A classic!
Loved the Vampires. Didn’t expect this from King.
One of the first Stephen King books I ever read. Classic horror tale. I really enjoyed this.
As a King fan, this is my favorite novel. I recommend it to anyone who likes to be scared.
Scared me. I was young when I read it. I love anything by Stephen King
I know this book doesn’t really need recommending. But I just read it for a second time after many years, and if you’re a fan of Stephen King, it’s worth checking out again. Given it was only his second book, it was amazingly well done.
One of Stephen King’s best books. It takes his favorite setting, a small town, and then does the classic “stranger comes to town”. Except in this case the stranger is a vampire.
He does a great job of showing how a town can be isolated and then gradually having it taken down.
The master of horror at his peak.
After the explosion of vampire movies that came out of Hollywood post ‘Twilight’ in the late 2000s, one could be forgiven for never wanting to encounter another story involving fangs, drinking blood and teenage angst ever again. However, lower that crucifix, spit out that garlic and have no fear!
In Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot’, a young writer returns to the town the book is named after, and after some other new arrivals set up shop in the Lot, things start to go south around him real fast. A lot of the horror of what unfolds lies in the normalcy of the town King paints, where good people face a threat that can so easily become cartoonish. Alas, the villains of the book don’t sparkle in sunlight, have quiffed hair or make out with teenage girls a hundred years younger than them. They scratch at locked bedroom windows at night, hypnotise innocent blue collar workers, stalk children and lay awful traps involving knives for the lead character, Ben Mears, and the help he enlists.
Not a long book, but an excellent one. King mentions or revisits the town several times in his other works, and each time is just as creepily memorable as this story. 5 stars.
I read very few books twice. This is one I have, and I’ll be reading it again soon. I love the way King pulls you into the story and makes you want to know what’s going to happen next. It’s spooky, interesting, and suspenseful. Sure, it may not be the fast-paced, blood and guts type of book readers today seem to like, but it’s a darn good tale.
I hadn’t read King’s vampire masterpiece since it came out in the 1970s and I was but a teen. Despite having pickier literary judgment these days, the book still held me in its thrall. It managed to pay homage to traditional vampire lore and legend while breathing new life into the genre. I’m glad I re-read it and may have to do the same with some of King’s other work from those earlier days, to see if they still manage to captivate and horrify me all these years later.
I read ‘Salem’s Lot during a hot July while in my teens. And we all know how teens are–know-it-alls and whatnot. Only little kids get scared by stories, right?
Well, this book scared the bejeebus out of me. The night I finished it, I closed all the windows in my bedroom, changed all the light bulbs to 100-watt (A19s no less), including the one in the closet. Before I climbed into bed (fully dressed), I shut the door to the hallway and opened wide the door to the closet. Between the hot weather, the 100-watt bulbs (those things give off a LOT of heat), the closed windows, and being dressed, I just about roasted. But I was determined–if the vampires were going to get me, they weren’t gonna do it in the dark!
I think what I liked best–and what scared me the most–about ‘Salem’s Lot was the setting. No dark castles, wild countryside, or menacing villagers. This story took place in your backyard. There were people in the town going about their lives, oblivious to the vampiric infestation. Of course, I did wonder about what they thought about their neighbors suddenly disappearing, but really, it wasn’t important. The writing, of course, is what I’ve come to expect of Stephen King–flowing prose and wonderful turns of phrase. Truly delicious!
Quite simply, probably the best modern-day vampire story. Writer Ben Mears returns to his childhood town, Jerusalems Lot, to write a book about the Marsten House and in particular, the owner, Hubie Marsten.
Other newcomers have taken root in the town, namely Mr Straker and the mysterious Mr Barlow. People start going missing, the town in the grip of terror as its folk start having dreams. Strange dreams of friends and loved ones.
Can Mears unlock the dreadful secret that is spreading its cancer through the small town?
A fabulous book that has stood the test of time, inspiring me to write my own vampire series. Scary, with memorable characters and a killer setting, Salem’s Lot is quite simply, perfect!
This is an author that has a wild imagination. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat and chewing your nails to the nubs. Scary and haunting…you don’t need a lot of imagination to picture these scenarios vividly. Loved it!
I read this book when it first came out in 1975. I was fourteen years old and I’ll never forget how one sentence in particular gave me goosebumps. That’s when I learned the power of words!!! A classic!!
I hadn’t read Salem’s Lot for quite a while and was happy to go back to it and find some updates. Not only is it one of the best vampire books I’ve ever read, King now includes his short story about the origins of Salem’s Lot. Another additional story revolves around a family who stumbles across the cursed place in a blizzard. Highly recommend!
Terrifying and wonderful.
This was my first Stephen King novel and it got me hooked for life. The town and characters are so familiar that you are lulled into a false comfort zone that will quickly be shattered forever. Don’t believe in vampires? This novel will change your mind and have you dreading sunset…especially if you live in a small town. Pick it up and scream into the night with the rest of us Constant Readers of Stephen King.