Stephen King's second novel, 'Salem's Lot is a thrilling exercise in terror. Far from the mindless gorefests of recent days, this tale is inestimably scarier than any mere macabre assault on the senses could ever be.
The true source of horror isn't in lurid descriptions of graphic violence, but in the shadows of the mind. It all comes down to atmosphere, and on that score,...
more Stephen King's second novel, 'Salem's Lot is a thrilling exercise in terror. Far from the mindless gorefests of recent days, this tale is inestimably scarier than any mere macabre assault on the senses could ever be.
The true source of horror isn't in lurid descriptions of graphic violence, but in the shadows of the mind. It all comes down to atmosphere, and on that score, 'Salem's Lot delivers in grand fashion. Because there is just enough detail to fuel your imagination, this is the kind of horror that creeps into your mind, tapping the primal fears of children which never quite fade in adulthood.
The atmosphere is helped along tremendously by engaging characters that with whom the reader immediately identifies, and who form the archetypes for many of King's subsequent creations. In many ways, 'Salem's Lot is the prototype for what we think of as "a Stephen King novel." It is the first time he crates a massive, fully-drawn ensemble cast, with core characters that we would all come to recognize, most notably the soul-scarred, self-searching scribe and the prescient, preternaturally perceptive prepubescent protagonist. And while writer Ben Mears may share more in common with The Dark Tower's Eddie Dean than The Dark Half's Thad Beaumont, the instantly-relatable Mark Petrie forms the archetype for Jake Chambers, Jack Sawyer, and the other boys with wisdom beyond their years, whom King crafts so well.
Though he is not the most central of characters, it is primarily through Mark that many of the book's charms are revealed. There is a sharp dichotomy between the faith, belief and understanding of the boy and the various worldviews of the adults around him: the unreasoning rationality of his father, the world-worn cynicism of Father Callahan, and the self-assured pragmatism of Susan Norton. The honesty, intuition and imagination of Mark's childhood set him free, while the adults which have lost those qualities are ultimately damned. All this and more, seen through the eyes of a child, makes the reader wish for more time to be spent with Mark Petrie. The other characters are a joy to read, too, but Mark stands out the most. It's a good thing then that we meet this character - in archetype, if not in person - in some of King's later works.
In contrast, the villains of 'Salem's Lot may not have quite the depth of Flagg or the Crimson King, but in truth they need none. These entities are not the misunderstood, tortured souls of Anne Rice or more modern vampire literature. There is no moral ambiguity in them, no pity to be found for them. Neither are they the mindless horrors of Rob Zombie and Eli Roth films. Barlow, Straker and the others are prefect at what they are, forces of an evil so pure that it charms, corrupts and consumes all it touches.
While King's craft as a writer has developed and matured greatly since 1975, this will forever remain one of his classics. The shadows of 'Salem's Lot with loom in your mind long after you close the cover for the final time. It leaves you not only wanting more, but with a wary sense of odd disquiet on calm, silent nights when all is still, and the unknowing sleep.
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