‘Jerusalem’s Lot’ and ‘One for the Road’ – Stephen King.

 

You can find these stories in Kings ‘Night Shift’ collection and they also have a habit of turning up in various editions of ‘Salem’s Lot’. I love ‘Night Shift’ (I always make sure that I have a copy on my shelves) and that’s where I read them this time.

I was watching ‘Salem’s Lot’, last night; the more recent one and… Well, by ‘watching’, I should say that I dozed for chunks of it; only during the bits that weren’t worth keeping my eyes open for though ;o) No great loss, I’d always rank the book over both film adaptations.

Sorry, where was I? Oh yeah :o) While I was watching ‘Salem’s Lot’, it got me thinking of a couple of King’s short stories that book-end the main event, these two. I thought that reading these stories would be a decent way to round off October and so, one quick search through the shelves later, here we are. Let me tell you about ‘Jerusalem’s Lot’ and ‘One for the Road’.

‘Jerusalem’s Lot’

Page Count: 35 Pages

In which Charles Boone takes up residence in the Boone ancestral manor of Chapelwaite, with his faithful manservant, only to meet with opposition from the residents of the nearby town of Preacher’s Corner. These simple folk know what happened when a Boone last lived in Chapelwaite and fear that the troubles will begin again with Charles’ arrival. And they are right… Something lurks in the walls of Chapelwaite and has a connection to the deserted village of Jerusalem’s Lot.

If you’ve only read ‘Salem’s Lot’, you’d think that the town was just very unlucky to be chosen as the next base of operations for a wandering vampire. Reading ‘Jerusalem’s Lot’ though will show you that while the arrival of Barlow and Straker may have been pure chance, evil has actually associated with the town all the way back to the late 1700s. Maybe it goes back even further? Maybe…

Anyway… If evil attracts more evil, maybe that’s why Barlow and Straker were drawn to the locale. In the meantime, what we get with ‘Jerusalem’s Lot’ is very much a Lovecraftian homage, at least from where I was sat, which is fair enough; given the Maine location and the concept of ‘splinter-sects’ setting up home in the wilderness and doing their own thing. Plenty of scope then for at least a hint of cosmic horror, which is what we get as Charles and Calvin uncover what lies beneath the church in Jerusalem’s Lot. And if that wasn’t enough, you’ve got a well-to-do man of means slowly being driven mad by his own family’s sordid past, you can’t get a lot more ‘Lovecraft’ than that.

As a re-read, ‘Jerusalem’s Lot’ suffered a little bit as it felt like King leaned a little too heavily into the homage. There’s nothing wrong with the story as such, it just lacked tension in the build-up as you could literally see it being built up. The payoff is worth the wait though a King sends everything crashing down with wild abandon and then delivers a familiar but worthwhile twist at the end.

‘One for the Road’

Page Count: 16 Pages

Booth is having a last drink, before heading home, until a stranger stumbles into Tookey’s Bar and everything changes. Gerard Lumley’s car is stranded in the blizzard, blowing outside, and he left his wife and daughter to go and seek help. So far, so bad but it can get even worse. Lumley’s family are stranded in Jerusalem’s Lot and two years on from the fire that burnt it out, local residents still won’t go near the town, and for very good reason.

Booth and Tookey must break the habit of a lifetime though and it may still be too late to rescue Lumley’s family…

‘One for the Road’ has more of a direct link to ‘Salem’s Lor’ and certainly offers a sobering view of the outcome of Ben Mears and Mark Petrie’s struggle against the vampires. Jerusalem’s Lot has a reputation and one that is well deserved. There were too many places for a vampire to hide and all it takes is for one to survive…

In terms of the story then, what this means is an urgent ‘race against time’ where even if you’ve guessed the outcome, it’s still impossible not to get caught up in Lumley’s fears for his family as well as Booth and Tookey’s fear of what may be lurking in the blizzard. And while I knew what was coming (another re-read), the way King dresses it up is as chilling as the blizzard. Vampires are predatory, and they are cunning…

I’m all tempted to dig out my copy of ‘Salem’s Lot’ now but I really should read ‘Pet Semetary’ first. We’ll see…