Salem's Lot is vintage King, meaning that it showcases a lot of King's trademark weaknesses--but, unlike many of his more recent books, also demonstrates his uncanny ability to spellbind the reader. It begins with an utterly masterful prologue that is perhaps the creepiest, most understated prologue I have ever read, dripping with unspoken horror. The book drops off significantly after that, never quite delivering on the promise of the prologue, but it is nevertheless a compulsively readable (if undeniably trashy) novel.

The novelist Ben Mears is returning to Jerusalem's Lot, the town he left many years ago. 'Salem's Lot is a small, New England town, provincial and in many ways (though perhaps not sexually) incestuous. King is a master at portraying New England small towns, a strange gift but one that he employs surprisingly well. The many characters are all sharply drawn, as is the claustrophobic feeling of living your entire life in a tiny, isolated group of people who all know each other, flaws and all. But some strangers have come into town--and with their arrival the town will be plunged into darkness and, ultimately, oblivion.

For the sake of those who don't already know what the novel is about, I'll refrain from talking about its central plot point. If you don't already know then I urge you not to find it out--the revelation of what is plaguing the town is doled out very slowly by King, and would have been quite fun if I hadn't already known.

Salem's Lot is not really that scary--certainly not up to the creepiness level of It (I will never forget the moment when one of the protagonists in that brick of a novel discovers Pennywise the evil clown in an old town photograph). It is, of course, extremely gory, about average for a King novel, and one of the book's most famous moments (the damning of Father Callahan) is also one of its goriest. But, for reasons I can never explain to my more high-falutin' friends, Salem's Lot has that special King magic. The story is kind of stupid but extremely addictive; the characters are not all that special but somehow become sympathetic. There is just so much wrong with this book that it is amazing it turns out to be so readable.

The one truly regretful thing about this novel is the way that King so cavalierly treats some of his characters--Father Callahan, a major character, does not get a lot of air time, and other characters--in particular, the creepy landfill hunchback--barely do anything other than act spooky. I guess it's a testament to King's abilities that, even with this flaw--normally a fatal one--Salem's Lot continues to enthrall.

Copyright © 2004 Steven Wu