Salem’s Lot by Stephen King: Review

(Part of a series where I will be analyzing Salem’s Lot

Part of a series where I will be analyzing Salem’s Lot. This is the first part, focusing on my overall review of the novel. The next part(s) will cover the analysis.

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Introduction:

This is actually a reread for me, as I first read Salem’s Lot back in 2015, almost a decade ago. All I remember from that read is being thoroughly immersed in the world, and recalling bits and pieces of the town of Salem’s Lot. So, I decided it was time for another visit.

This time around, I realized the book is a lot slower than I remembered. It takes about 60-70% of the story before introducing any real plot. The majority of the book focuses not on the monsters, but on the town’s people themselves, which is a staple of any Stephen King story. The man loves his setups.

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Plot:

The story revolves around the town of Salem’s Lot, a house with a dark history behind it, and Ben Mears, a writer returning to his childhood town with a mission—to exorcize his demons in the only way writers know how: by writing

about it.

During his stay, Ben meets a woman named Susan and feels strangely drawn to the Marsten House. His plans get disrupted when a mysterious man comes to town to open a furniture and antique store, forcing Ben to team up with an alcoholic priest, a high school teacher, a horror-film-loving kid, and his girlfriend, Susan.

The less you know about the plot, the better. It’s important to manage your expectations before diving into this book. The plot isn’t that expansive. If you’re expecting a fast-paced, plot-driven novel, you’ll be disappointed. However, if you know your Gothic and horror fiction, the plot will feel very familiar—it borrows heavily from literary tradition, engaging in a constant conversation with it. I’ll explore this further in my analysis of the novel.

Rating: 1.5/5

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Characters:

The cast of characters is intriguing. First, there’s Ben Mears, a man battling his demons and grieving the loss of his wife. King excels at writing tortured characters, giving voice to their innermost desires, shame, guilt, and much more. By the end, you can’t help but care for Ben. He’s well-rounded with plenty of depth, and you feel every emotion alongside him. King also isn’t afraid to show the darker, more embarrassing thoughts of his characters, which is refreshing.

Then there’s Susan Norton, the frustrated daughter of a controlling mother. I found myself invested in her relationship with her mother and her efforts to break free. Susan is a strong female character with surprising depth and vulnerability. She makes decisions she later regrets, and in those moments, her character truly shines. I also appreciated how supportive she is of Ben, and how well she’s handled in the story. Her mother, too, is given enough depth that when they clash, both sides are portrayed well.

Matt Burke, the school teacher, is another standout character. He’s forced to grapple with the possibility that either he’s going insane, or the world is. I empathized with his character and his frustrations. Through Matt, we get the meta-commentary King is known for, as well as all the lore and exposition of Salem’s Lot. But here, the exposition doesn’t feel forced. Instead, Matt reads like a guy who’s read too much arcane fiction and wants you to grasp the dangers of it all. He’s pragmatic, calm, and knowledgeable—qualities I admire in a character.

Father Callahan, in my opinion, is the most important character in the novel. Through him (and some from Ben as well), we get to the crux of the story—the subtext. Callahan is fascinating because he’s a contradiction: a priest who drinks, swears, and holds forgotten beliefs. He’s a believer who suffers from a crisis of faith. He’s the ultimate non-conformist.

Finally, there’s Mark Petrie, the bravest of them all. King is known for writing children in a way that’s both honest and intelligent, and he deserves that praise. If you want to understand how King explores the loss of innocence, Mark is the character to watch.

“The essential and defining characteristic of childhood is not the effortless merging of dream and reality, but only alienation. There are no words for childhood’s dark turns and exhalations. A wise child recognizes it and submits to the necessary consequences. A child who counts the cost is a child no longer.”

After all of these characters, the most important one is the town itself. It’s brimming with character. It never feels like a town with nameless inhabitants. Almost every person in the town has a backstory, and you get so invested in their lives that when doom comes to Salem’s Lot, you feel it. The town is, in a way, its own monster. It introduces you to the good, the bad, and the in-betweens, painting a clear and vivid picture.

Rating: 5/5

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Atmosphere:

Ah, my favorite part of the novel—the atmosphere. Believe me when I say, the vibes are immaculate! King is so vivid with each description, yet always concise. It never feels like he’s being unnecessarily poetic. He writes only what’s necessary for you to understand the scene, and his prose is some of his best. Whether he’s describing the arrival of autumn or a cold-blooded murder, everything is a joy to read.

“When fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous ass as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed. It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since last he saw you.”

“In the midst of life, we are in death.”

“Alone. Yes, that’s the key word, the most awful word in the English tongue. Murder doesn’t hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym…”

“(He) sank into a great forgetful river, and that river was time, and its waters were red.”

This novel takes heavy inspiration from Gothic literature, with several passages that feel like they could’ve been lifted straight from a 19th-century Gothic romance. It’s simply brilliant!

Rating: 5/5

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Conclusion:

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, plot-driven, edge-of-your-seat horror story with lots of frights and fun, this may not be the book for you. But if you’re in the mood for a moody, slow-burn atmospheric novel about the terror of true evil, its effect on people, and reflections on the nature of evil, then this is the novel for you.

It took me a whole month to finish this novel, but I couldn’t stop. I deliberately read it slowly, knowing that rushing through it wouldn’t do it justice. And I’m glad I did.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5