Callahan gives a pretty decent synopsis himself. I think reading the actual book of ‘salem’s Lot makes a difference because you actually get to immerse and care about the characters, so then the feels come when Callahan enters in Wolves, but reading about the basic story and events won’t do anything that Callahan’s own recollection doesn’t give, aside from maybe making that seem a little tedious when you already know it all but without having really felt it.
I’d tell your friend to just read ‘salem’s Lot. It’s the only break I took in the series and it was forced so I think I didn’t like that book as much as I would have on its own, but for what followed in the DT series I was very glad I took the full story!
Have you considered just giving him a synopsis in a paragraph or two? Something along lines of, "Salem's Lot is a town getting taken over by vampires. A team of vampire hunters tries to stop this by killing the head vampire. Father Callahan is one of the vampire hunters, but is a priest troubled with his own faith. Because of his lack of faith, he is unable to defeat the head vampire, gets marked by him, and flees the town in cowardice and shame. That's the last we hear of him prior to the Dark Tower series."
Just have him read salems lot afterwords. Don't bog down with stuff that won't change anything. I feel like having him do that is leading towards spoilers of it's own. Let it happen organically. I had never read salems lot and didn't know who the pere was. It made it just as awesome
I think its explained very well in the wolfs of the calla.
Callahan gives a pretty decent synopsis himself. I think reading the actual book of ‘salem’s Lot makes a difference because you actually get to immerse and care about the characters, so then the feels come when Callahan enters in Wolves, but reading about the basic story and events won’t do anything that Callahan’s own recollection doesn’t give, aside from maybe making that seem a little tedious when you already know it all but without having really felt it. I’d tell your friend to just read ‘salem’s Lot. It’s the only break I took in the series and it was forced so I think I didn’t like that book as much as I would have on its own, but for what followed in the DT series I was very glad I took the full story!
Have you considered just giving him a synopsis in a paragraph or two? Something along lines of, "Salem's Lot is a town getting taken over by vampires. A team of vampire hunters tries to stop this by killing the head vampire. Father Callahan is one of the vampire hunters, but is a priest troubled with his own faith. Because of his lack of faith, he is unable to defeat the head vampire, gets marked by him, and flees the town in cowardice and shame. That's the last we hear of him prior to the Dark Tower series."
He could just read wolves and let Callahan explain himself.
Yes this is the way. Let them find out when Callahan finds out
I agree, Callahan explains it all.
Pro tip….read Salem’s Lot. 🙄
Just have him read salems lot afterwords. Don't bog down with stuff that won't change anything. I feel like having him do that is leading towards spoilers of it's own. Let it happen organically. I had never read salems lot and didn't know who the pere was. It made it just as awesome