Prologue and Chapter 1

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Michael Horton

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May 7, 2015
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Hi folks. I just started reading Salem's Lot last night, stayed up till 4am. I finished the first 3 chapters, I love this story, couldn't stop. I took the book out from the library and it is a 1st printing from 1975. I have a question to those who read the book. In the copy I'm reading, the pages from the Prologue and Chapter 1 (Ben) are out of sequence. Its all there but it was a WTH? moment as I read. Was this done on purpose? I've read where SK draws from the times at the time of his writing the book. So I figured it was a sort of anti establishment nod. "Who says the pages have to be in order" type thing. A literary merry prank of sorts. However after searching the internet, I can not find any info that it was indeed his intent.

I had a great laugh thinking about websites selling the book and offering a free preview. If a preview was sequenced they way this copy is, many folks would be scratching their heads! "Here's your freebee but good luck with that". An unique marketing approach IMO. However, I checked Amazon's "LOOK INSIDE" and the preview read in sequence.

Thanks for any info you people can give me.
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
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It was most definitely done on purpose. The prologue is foreshadowing the first 4/5 of the book. It's meant to draw you in to the story. Near the end, the story picks up where the prologue left off and you get to see what happens once Mark and Ben go back to the 'Lot. Trust Mr. King--it makes sense as you go along :)
 

Michael Horton

Active Member
May 7, 2015
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When tax money pays for an item, it doesn't always matter if the item is flawed. Nice to know things are really SNAFU. Or maybe nobody noticed until now.

I just noticed on the DATE DUE jacket there is stamped APL REVIEWED. And a handwritten note "prologue out of sequence(publishing defect)" 3/23/12

Thanks for all your replies! This book is great, I cant put it down. :)
 
Last edited:

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
15,683
92,168
USA
I just noticed on the DATE DUE jacket there is stamped APL REVIEWED. And a handwritten note "prologue out of sequence(publishing defect)" 3/23/12

Thanks for all your replies! This book is great, I cant put it down. :)
LOL! I thought you meant how it starts with Ben and Mark traveling, and then goes back in time to Ben arriving in the 'Lot (quite a while before he meets Mark). Sorry I misunderstood that you actually had pages out of order.
 

mjs9153

Peripherally known member..
Nov 21, 2014
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First King book,Michael?You are really going to like it..kind of envy you,reading it for the first time..may go back and reread it myself again,it has been a few years..but I hope you continue on with your reading of his works,great stuff ahead!
th
 

Michael Horton

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May 7, 2015
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The first SK novel I read was Carrie, I think I was in the 4th grade. That book alone was more than enough "sex education" for me at that age. I also read some stories from Night Shift around that time. And honestly it was my rewatching of The Shinning back in May that I started reading SK again. Sine spring Ive read The Shinning, Doctor Sleep, and The Tommyknockers. I also picked up Everything's Eventual and have read three stories from that. I knew Salems Lot was a must, but I wanted to read Dracula first. Ive never been a constant reader of anything. However, since 2012, I have read Halloween 1,2,and 3, The Omen, and The Exorcist. But this spring/summer has been time to catchup with the King. Next I will read Christine, I think. I also have Halloween 4 by Nicholas Grabowsky, that I want to read in October. Benchley's Jaws is on the list. Anything with a bite!
 

mjs9153

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Nov 21, 2014
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Jaws was pretty good,as I remember,I have a copy but haven't read it in a long time..it was better than several other Benchley novels I read.Sounds good you are reading Mr K's works,hope you enjoy them as much as all the other members here do!
 

Michael Horton

Active Member
May 7, 2015
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Jaws is one of my favorite movies, and so I thought it would be great to read over the summer. So maybe next year on the beach! lol I also forgot to include in my last post that 2 years ago I read Psycho 1 and 2 by Robert Blotch. The library has a book that had all three Psycho novels, the 3rd called Psycho House. I thought Psycho was great and was excited for 2, as I had seen the movies and knew that Blotch's sequel was a different story. I enjoyed that too, but I wasn't up for the third book. You can probably see a pattern here, I read books that are made into movies and vise versa. I ordered both mini series of 'salems Lot over the weekend. LOL

I started SL a week ago today. I took a few days off and resumed reading last night, late last night. Stephen gets so inside the characters heads(on many levels of thought), that I get aggravated because I catch myself forgetting its a thought. Aggravated because I cant stay with it, ADD or something. And Im so, serious when Im reading it, I catch myself missing something that was intentional humor. Its unbelievable writing, Stephen King could be an outstanding psychologist. For example when Matt Burke is walking down the hall to check the guest room because he thinks somebody is in there. He sees the door ajar, which he knew was closed, and the fear begins to take over. Matt can only remember being this afraid as a kid walking home alone and having to pass an old church, and then another layer of thought is introduced, the fear he felt as a boy as to what (could) live in the old church. So your in Matts head thinking about when he was young and then you go into his head WHEN he was that age. It drives home the point of the essence of fear, the fear of the unknown, the fear only experienced by a child as they process their world thru first time experience. The fear of the dark, shadows, monsters under the bed. The same fear of the unknown that, now as an adult, he must try to process. The teacher is now about to be educated by the "student". Could give a guy a heart attack... :nightmare:
 

mjs9153

Peripherally known member..
Nov 21, 2014
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Sounds like you are getting it! I enjoy Robert Bloch as well,you will find many of his short stories in horror anthologies..
 
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