(6) Tree Line
'Salem's Lot is really, really long. It's one of those books that you start and can't quite believe how many pages are sitting over there in your right hand. Then you read and read, and there are still about a gazungus of pages in your right hand. And a gazungus is a lot.
All those pages mean that there's a lot of everything else, too. Lots of plot to follow, lots of characters to keep straight, lots of vampires to look nervously at while they sneak around doing their evil vampire business. The writing style is straightforward; the plot thrums along; you turn the pages, whoosh. But even with pages whooshing by, it takes a while to get through the thing, which is why Shmoop has rated this at the tree line. You need to give yourself some time to climb up there (even pursued by vampires).