Vamp continuity question- spoilerish

[Fenton Hardy]

'Salem's Lot is one of my favorite books. I re-read it about once a year.

Something has always hovered below conscious thought (rather like Jimmy Cody and the pool table) that finally has popped into my head.

How is it that Barlow gets into the Petrie's house without having been invited?

Any answers? Ideas?

Thanks!

[aeroplane]

I'm sure there is a final and definitive answer that SK or someone else here could provide........

But without having seen that answer, my opinion is that it is somehow tied to Mark attacking Straker. As a result, Barlow is offered an opportunity to avenge this attack. So under those circumstances, he can come in uninvited. That doesn't make perfect sense, but it is the best I can do here.

Of course one could also ask a similar question about Barlow in Eva's boarding house. Granted that one is easier to answer because he could have found a drunk Weasel Craig coming home after dark.

[Bluey Lunger]

we're never told, are we? i assume somebody opened the door for him, maybe one of the elder petries. wouldn't have put it past barlow to tell them some story when the door was opened. kinda doubt he brought over a cake or anything like that. and he probably was more imaginative than saying he wanted a drink of water or that he needed to use the telephone, probably some story to due with their kid. :dunno:

[fredo]

Maybe because he's the Big Daddy Blood Sucker and don't need no invite. Sounds good anyway.

[aeroplane]

Somewhat similar but there are a lot of people on IMDB who are on the forums for the miniseries and would love to know how Barlow is able to get into Floyd/Ned's jail cell without having been invited into the jailhouse.

[bopropadop]

Hmmm... Maybe because Mark invited Danny Glick in after he was turned (see Chapter 10, Part 12). And since Barlow "made" Danny, by extension the invitation applied to him as well.

It wouldn't apply to others though because Susan couldn't get in later. But maybe for the Master. Perhaps...

[michal]

VERY good question. But maybe it is about him being a Type One vampire (if you haven't read the Dark Tower series it covers this topic pretty well). Perhaps Type One don't need an invitation. That will also explain why he had to come on his own instead of sending one of his slaves.

[bio_chem06]

If you look into "vampire" stories, there are always places where vampires explain misconceptions. Maybe this is one of those liberties of story telling, a misconception that says, "vampires have to be invited". I don't remember in the book where it specifically says they must be invited. Am I wrong, it has been a while since I read the book...

[aeroplane]

I still think it has more to do with Mark than Barlow.

Because if I were Barlow and could come and go as I please inside of houses around the town, without an invitation, one place I would have certainly gone to was to Parkins Gillespie's house.

[sam peebles]

It might just be a slip up. It's been awhile since I read it, but I think even Dracula had to be invited in Stoker's book, so I don't think Barlow being the "master" or a type one would allow him to enter uninvited.

[scarywriter]

how does Barlow get in?
He was invited by Mark.
In the scene where Danny Glick comes back, Danny asks to be let in, saying "He demands it."
Marks says okay, invites Danny in, then thwarts him with the cross from the monster model.
My guess is that the invitation stands.

[evilduck]

In my opinion(granted I havent read salems lot in forever) Barlow is a type 1 vampire,as explained further in wolves of the calla, he does not have the same limitations as the other vampires he created. Barlow does not need to ask permission to enter someones home

[michal]

If you look into "vampire" stories, there are always places where vampires explain misconceptions. Maybe this is one of those liberties of story telling, a misconception that says, "vampires have to be invited". I don't remember in the book where it specifically says they must be invited. Am I wrong, it has been a while since I read the book...

Actually the book does deal with this topic. Suzanne can't get in to Mark's house because he doesn't let her in and the Petrie boy can only enter Mark's bedroom after he invites him. They also deal with this with Suzanne and her mother, something like: Suzanne didn't cause much damage that night, like a leach that is already well fed, but nevertheless she was now invited and could go in and out as she pleases. Or something like that, it's been like a month since my last rereading session... :laugh:

[mbrown7349]

I agree with Scary writer. but it is entirely possible that Barlow could have used his charms to talk Marks parents into granting an invite, they were worried about where Mark was.

[Brainslinger]

how does Barlow get in?
He was invited by Mark.
In the scene where Danny Glick comes back, Danny asks to be let in, saying "He demands it."
Marks says okay, invites Danny in, then thwarts him with the cross from the monster model.
My guess is that the invitation stands.

I think you might be on the right track there.

It was actually Danny Glick that Mark invited in not Barlow, but since Danny is linked to the master I think what stands for him also stands for the master. It's ironic that Mark actually invited Danny in so he could attack him with the cross. It's tragic his trick might have backfired on him with Barlow. Then again, would his invitation also cancel out the power of his cross? Maybe it's as simple as Barlow as master not requiring an invitation as others have said.

I also wondered how it was that Danny could travel through the window and take the baby out of the cot in another part of the book since a baby couldn't invite him in. Then it occurred to me, that maybe the baby actually did! Not with words so much, but vampires can mesmerise people into inviting them. I'm sure and English speaking vampire would understand if a French speaker speaking their own language invited them in for example. It's all about intent and action. The baby cooing at the face outside the window could have been all the invitation Vampire Danny needed.

What a dreadful thought. I'm not sure I entirely buy it though. I think innocents would have more protection from the supernatural than that. Maybe the baby's parents invited Danny in previously. The vampires often don't drain their victim in one go after all, and their victims seldom remember the incident afterwards. I think that's more likely in that case.

[Mr. Jingles]

VERY good question. But maybe it is about him being a Type One vampire (if you haven't read the Dark Tower series it covers this topic pretty well). Perhaps Type One don't need an invitation. That will also explain why he had to come on his own instead of sending one of his slaves.

There are vampires in the DT? (I can picture all you prolifics ROTFL....lol)
No, I still have not read DT....just The Gunslinger (which was awesome).

[Brainslinger]

There are vampires in the DT? (I can picture all you prolifics ROTFL....lol)


Indeed there are. Different kinds! Another character from the Lot has a role too...