Salem's Lot

The Dark Tower and other works of Stephen King.

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Salem's Lot

Post by High Lord Tolkien »

My commute to work doubled this year so I started listening to audio books.
I was a little apprehensive about listening to Salem's Lot because I read it twice when I was a teenager over 30 years ago and in my head it's always been one of my favorite books but I was worried that I might have forgotten the parts that I didn't like.

As a rule I usually love the beginnings of most King books but the 2nd half and especially the ending usually make me want to throw the book into a fire.

But not Salems's Lot!
I still freaking loved it!!

But I didn't realize how much.
As the story progressed I kept getting hit with all these realizations. on how much it's been a part of my life without me knowing it.
But once I heard it read back to me I was like...Oh yeah, that's where I got that from.

Ben and Susan's meeting in the park. I swear that every time I walked in or even drove by a small town park my mind secretly went back to that moment in the book.

Whenever I drive by old fashioned towns that have very little activity going on....Salems Lot.
Whenever I go into a basement...Salem's Lot.
Whenever the sun starts to go down...Salem's lot.
Something spooky outside a window....Salem's Lot.
Old abandoned house?.....Salem's Lot.
Looking at a bible and thinking that if a threw it at a vampire it would hit him like a bomb.....Salem's Lot (actually "One for the Road" the short story sequel)
Probably lots more that I can't think of now.

The story itself is rock solid.
Although I do wonder what ever happened to the priest.
Reading it today I laugh at all the smoking and all the written fine detail about the smoking. :D
But it was the late 70's, fiction stories at that time had people in spaceships smoking too.

I'm almost done with Bram Stoker's Dracula, which King credits with wanting to write an American version of.
I'll start a thread about that when I finish.
https://thoolah.blogspot.com/

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Re: Salem's Lot

Post by Rawedge Rim »

High Lord Tolkien wrote:My commute to work doubled this year so I started listening to audio books.
I was a little apprehensive about listening to Salem's Lot because I read it twice when I was a teenager over 30 years ago and in my head it's always been one of my favorite books but I was worried that I might have forgotten the parts that I didn't like.

As a rule I usually love the beginnings of most King books but the 2nd half and especially the ending usually make me want to throw the book into a fire.

But not Salems's Lot!
I still freaking loved it!!

But I didn't realize how much.
As the story progressed I kept getting hit with all these realizations. on how much it's been a part of my life without me knowing it.
But once I heard it read back to me I was like...Oh yeah, that's where I got that from.

Ben and Susan's meeting in the park. I swear that every time I walked in or even drove by a small town park my mind secretly went back to that moment in the book.

Whenever I drive by old fashioned towns that have very little activity going on....Salems Lot.
Whenever I go into a basement...Salem's Lot.
Whenever the sun starts to go down...Salem's lot.
Something spooky outside a window....Salem's Lot.
Old abandoned house?.....Salem's Lot.
Looking at a bible and thinking that if a threw it at a vampire it would hit him like a bomb.....Salem's Lot (actually "One for the Road" the short story sequel)
Probably lots more that I can't think of now.

The story itself is rock solid.
Although I do wonder what ever happened to the priest.
Reading it today I laugh at all the smoking and all the written fine detail about the smoking. :D
But it was the late 70's, fiction stories at that time had people in spaceships smoking too.

I'm almost done with Bram Stoker's Dracula, which King credits with wanting to write an American version of.
I'll start a thread about that when I finish.
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Post by Avatar »

Sorry, edited that. :D If HLT doesn't know what happened to the priest, he might not want to have it spoiled.

He turns up in DT 5.

And yes, Salem's Lot has always been one of my favourites. I think it was short enough to be strong.

(And there was a short story about it even before that wasn't there? Just called "The Lot.")

--A
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Post by High Lord Tolkien »

Avatar wrote:Sorry, edited that. :D If HLT doesn't know what happened to the priest, he might not want to have it spoiled.

He turns up in DT 5.

And yes, Salem's Lot has always been one of my favourites. I think it was short enough to be strong.

(And there was a short story about it even before that wasn't there? Just called "The Lot.")

--A
Too late but thanks. :thumbsup:

That's interesting though. I haven't read any DT as of yet.
Except I did pick up the first one in the series when it first came out but didn't finish it. I thought it was "meh".

Do you recommend it?

Yes, I just read the "prequel". It's called Jerusalem's Lot.
It was ok. Kind of a different take but both stories didn't really match up to well imo.
It did reinforce his "an evil place calls out to other evil" idea he mentioned in 'Salem's Lot.
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Post by Avatar »

Sorry. :D

Of course I recommend it. Best thing King ever wrote, up until he had the accident after book 5. Last 2 books, especially book 6, suffered, and lots didn't like the ending, or one or two things in the last few books, but I came to terms with most of them.

--A
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Salem's Lot

Post by sgt.null »

Recently reread Salem's Lot. It was the first book of his that I read. Still loved it. The cellar scene with Jimmy and Mark is still as powerful as I remembered it.

Much credit to my parents, esp my mom. It was her King novel. They never discouraged me from reading anything.

I had a subscription to classics illustrated as a gradeschooler. Great stuff. Dickens, Hawthorne. London, Poe among others.

I remember the book mobile at school. On my first visit to the main library I grabbed a bunch 9f books from the adult section. They would not check them out to me. I was arguing with the staff as they told me I had to check out books from the kids section.

I told them I wanted the books I had chosen. Mom simply checked those out on her card. :D
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