Stephen King - Salem's Lot

Stephen King - Salem's Lot


I have been a Stephen King fan for many years and have MOST of his books at home on the bookshelves. My library includes

Carrie - 1974
Salem's Lot - 1975
The Shining - 1977
The Stand - 1978
The Long Walk - 1979
The Dead Zone - 1979
Firestarter - 1980
The Running Man - 1982
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - 1982
Christine - 1983
Pet Semetary - 1983
The Talisman - 1984
It - 1986
The Eyes of the Dragon - 1987
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three - 1987
The Tommyknockers - 1987
The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands - 1991
Dolores Claiborne - 1992
Rose Madder - 1995
The Green Mile - 1996
The Regulators - 1996
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass - 1997
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon - 1999
Dreamcatcher - 2001
Black House - 2001
The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla - 2003
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah - 2004
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower - 2004
Cell - 2006
Lisey's Story - 2006
Blaze - 2007
Duma Key - 2008

My favourites include the Gunslinger series, It, Carrie, Firestarter, Cell and Dark House. The latter books of the Gunslinger series reference Salem's Lot a fair bit and has Father Callaghan as one of the central characters in the final books, so I thought that, since it is one of the ones that I have not read, it was about time I rectified that. I found a copy at my favourite second hand bookstore in Moonee Ponds and devoured it in a few days in late October 2014.

It has been called the Great American Vampire Novel and that is a title well earned. Interesting, this book was written one year before Anne Rice wrote the first of her Vampire novels "Interview with a Vampire"and spawned the huge writing/TV/genre frenzy we have since endured! *Yes, I have nearly all Rice's books).

The number of characters in the book is indeed amazing - and it takes a bit of concentration to keep on top of who is who as he builds up such a good picture of small town America with all its foibles and failings.

Unlike Anne Rice's world, these vampires have no redeeming features. I am reminded of the vampires in in Guillermo del Toro more recent books The Strain, The Fall and The Night Eternal. They are truly awful creatures who exist only to kill and drink. (And yes, I have these 3 books as well).

A great book!

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