Throwback Thursday: 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King

Author: Stephen King

Publisher: Doubleday

Publication Date:  October 1975

Thousands of miles away from the small township of 'Salem's Lot, two terrified people, a man and a boy, still share the secrets of those clapboard houses and tree-lined streets. They must return to 'Salem's Lot for a final confrontation with the unspeakable evil that lives on in the town.

On Halloween, I recently watched the movie version of Salem's Lot.  It's always been a favorite of mine.  It's cheesy and creepy at the same time.  It got me thinking about the novel.  I read this book over 40 years ago when I was in middle school.  I remember it being one of the scariest books I had read at the time.  For nostalgia sake, I thought I would read it as an adult.  

It's no secret, I have not been a fan of Stephen King's books in the last 10 or so years.  Salem's Lot is a  the King that I used to know and love reading.  The atmosphere in the town is ominous and creepy.  The characters are interesting and are typical of life in small town Maine.  It was written in 1975 so some of the 1975 societal norms found here would be frowned on today. But overall, it didn't feel outdated.  Re-reading this as an adult, I wasn't really scared, but I can see why I would have been reading it when I was 10.  There are 2 scenes that I remember being so creepy and they are still creepy.  Particularly the bus scene and the scene where the little Glick boy scratches at the window. If you have seen the movie, you know which one I am talking about. It's just as creepy in the book. If you are in the mood for some horror and nostalgia, I would recommend picking this one up.