Sporting a fabulous name and a mysterious backstory, Barlow exists only in the mouth of his business partner, Straker, for the beginning of the novel. When he eventually emerges, Barlow is every bit the cold elegant creature we expect. He is not Dracula, but might be his cousin from some other old country in the Caucasus. Though Barlow has many memorable scenes feeding on the townspeople of the Lot, his character arc is essentially the same as every other vampire in literature: sleep during the day, rise at night, and slay, slay, slay. That’s enough for me to recommend this book any day.
Salem’s Lot isn’t perfect. I’ve been clicking keyboards long enough myself to see that King was still growing as a writer and, specifically, as a novelist. He was working things out. Learning by doing. It’s the only way. As William Goldman famously said, “No one knows anything.” You’ve got to find your own way, and that’s what King was doing.
I still really like it, though. In a book filled with so many characters, the question that resonated with me throughout Salem’s Lot is this: “Who will confront evil?”
I love that question.
Some spoilery stuff below, so proceed with caution.
Favorite Characters
Father Callahan: There’s something gentle and endearing about this priest, who easily has more depth than any other character in this novel. He struggles with alcoholism and yet holds a reverence for the power of God. He wields that power when he leads the daylight assault on the Marsten House, only to discover Barlow isn’t there. Callahan carefully considers how he will confront the evil that is Barlow. But in a head-to-head confrontation with the vampire, he falters. Because there are evils in his own life that Callahan didn’t confront first. He’s a wonderfully complex character.
Straker: Richard Throckett Straker, Barlow’s business partner, has some of the most distinct dialogue in the book: short, smart and memorable. He functions as Barlow’s “familiar,” a human who has pledged his life to a vampire in exchange for some benefit. Since he is not himself a vampire, Straker can come and go as he pleases during daylight hours, preparing the way into ‘Salem’s Lot for his master. I found Straker one of the scariest characters in the book. He isn’t someone unwillingly enslaved by Barlow. He willingly serves. There’s something terrifying in that.
Mark Petrie: Mark is such an awesome kid. He has his immediate and pure ability to recognize evil. And he confronts it. When others doubt, Mark acts! When no one else believes, he goes to the Marsten House alone to kill Barlow. He’s a clear-thinking kid who stands up to the bully, stands up to the vampire, and will stand up to you if you’re up to no good.
Favorite Scenes:
Barlow v. Callahan: I love this scene. It’s the book’s most complex character vs. its most simple. It’s good vs. evil. It’s crucifix vs. vamp-hand. It’s everything. And evil wins! Even though Callahan lives, and Barlow is ultimately destroyed, he leaves Jerusalem’s Lot infested with new vampires. Without a leader. In the sequel that we never got, was Callahan meant to take his place as their leader?
Jimmy Cody v. Knives: Didn’t see that death coming and I loved it.
Man w/ Boy: I really liked the prologue and the epilogue. They were just a joy to read and added greatly to the book’s scope. They seem to be a spiritual father and son, a self and younger self. When they return to Salem’s Lot at the end of the book, it repeats the motif of a man revisiting something from his childhood.
Next week, I’m going to remedy another personal ill: I’ve never seen Tobe Hooper’s film adaptation of Salem’s Lot. You know the one. Everyone knows it.
Everyone’s seen it.
Except for me.
- Micah
