Before I get started with this week’s post there is a hangover from last week. When I was writing about my Auntie Matt I was sure that I had a photograph of her and I intended to include it with the post. By try as I might I couldn’t find it before the post went out. Then randomly I opened an envelope and it was in there with a whole host of other photos that I’d forgotten about. So I’ve added a scan of that photo at the end of this week’s post. Speaking of which…
I’ve mentioned before about Collecting Books and the Stephen King novels that I own. In the last week or so I picked an old Stephen King novel off of my shelves to reread. I say reread but really it’s been 30+ years since I’ve read this book and although I knew the general premise I soon discovered that I had forgotten most of the story. The book is ‘Salem’s Lot.
I mention this for a couple of reasons. Firstly this book is the same age as me, and secondly it is one of the only stories to have directly given me nightmares.
I first read it in my middle teenage years, having read some of King’s later novels before it, most notably It and Christine. I guess at the time I’d gotten a taste for his books and was hoovering up every one that I could find.
I don’t remember the nightmare now, but I do remember the feeling of it and waking in a sweat having just escaped or perhaps succumbed to the blood sucking residents of the small town of Jerusalem’s Lot.
Perhaps you’re wondering then if the book had such an effect on me all those years ago, would it now? I did; and then I figured that I had my grown man pants now, so surely not. Right? Right??!!??
Well, although I do have my grown man pants, I also have my falling asleep while reading jacket too. Books these days take me a lot longer to read than they used to as the old man nap gene kicks in after a couple of pages and pretty soon I’m doing the nodding dog and then I’m gone. Asleep.
It took me a while to get through the book and so on this reread, no nightmares. I did find the book just as creepy and scary as I did all those years ago and I still rate it as one of the best horror novels I’ve ever read but no nightmares.
Thanks for reading.