“What you buy is what you own, and sooner or later what you own will come back to you.”

This profound statement perfectly encapsulates the essence of why Stephen King is rightfully regarded as the king of horror. In the introduction of his work, he boldly proclaims that “Pet Cemetery” is the scariest book he has ever penned, and it's hard to dispute his claim. The story delves into the terrifying, grim, and bleak realm of death and grief. It explores the extreme lengths to which we might go in a desperate attempt to bring our beloved ones back from the grave. However, what returns is far from what was initially buried. It's a nightmarish journey that leaves readers with a sense of unease and dread. This book truly earns its 5 nightmarish stars, captivating audiences with its ability to tap into our deepest fears and the unknown.

“What you buy is what you own, and sooner or later what you own will come back to you.”

Pet Semetary is an incredibly horror-scary book with its captivating story. However, the prime focus that truly stands out to me is the overwhelming grief that reaches the breaking point or barrier that the brain has before it succumbs to insanity.

Stephen King himself has stated that this was one of the books that frightened him the most to write. It likely held such significance for him as he is a father himself. In fact, it's a creepy book (as so much horror isn't actually truly scary). While reading it, I discovered that it wasn't always the actual moments that were the most creepy, but rather the theme itself. Grief is one of the worst things in the world, perhaps even the very worst. Change is difficult, but change in the form of loss is simply unimaginable. To lose those you love more than anything in the world and to experience that intense grief is a great fear. Life will never be the same again, and the heartache can be so severe that it can completely end you.

So much of horror is centered around the loss of personal life and the fear of the main character dying. The creepiness stems from a monster lurking out there, waiting to end one's life. Pet Semetary takes it even further by bringing the fear home in a more profound way - it's not just the loss of personal life, but the loss of other lives and how that will impact you. It's not just a sad book that isolates grief, but it twists it further by turning your own grief - that worst fear - against you. It presents the idea that okay, you've had this horrible death occur, life is now horrible, but here's a way to stop the pain, here's a possibility to retrieve that life, to erase that loss, to press the magic erase button. The cruelty lies in the fact that the small hope is perfectly squashed when the deceased returns as something 'other' - you got your wish, they are back, but they're still dead, they're not the same, and the only chance you have of surviving is to end them again, this time with your own hand. Truly horrible stuff.

And of course, the book does have actual creepy moments. The moment in the cemetery where everything goes wrong, where Jud makes a mistake and brings Louis despite his better judgment but in answer to an ancient call, hearing the sounds of "loons" that he's been warned to ignore. Louis is told that yes, scary stuff is going to happen, but just ignore it as best as you can, block it out to do this other creepy thing and get through it. And that cat Church. He comes back in the creepiest way. The empty look, the shuffling awkwardness of his body, that bizarre stare. Creepy indeed.

I've always thought that King excels with villains and is among the best when it comes to plot conception and layout, but his weakness has often been endings. Here, he wins because he brings irony into the twist, an almost morbid despair that fits perfectly into the story, making it all the more horrible yet fitting. I do wish he had kept the mysterious road open. It was fine for early dialogue from Jud to muse about what could cause the sour land, but to bring in the mildly cheesy culprit in the end took away a little of the magic. I also found Gage's dialogue cheesy at the end, unlike in the movie where it actually worked better (even though I didn't like the movie overall).

As always, the characters fit the story like a glove. Louis, as a doctor, is a great fit as the protagonist - his role in life is to heal people, and he's thrust into this mess with the cemetery and the height of grief. Rachel's past phobias with her sister tie into the morbid fear of death and moving into this new house, which looks so perfect but borders on the imperfect. Jud, as a man with a history of the town, fits in as a trusted father figure, only to accidentally unleash horror on his new 'family.' The touch with Pascow is perfect, and Gage is an adorable little boy. Ellie is fortunately less annoying than the movie version *shudder*. I wonder what became of her? King put in a few nods to other books like Cujo in this one. Does he put a story of Ellie somewhere in another book?

For obvious reasons, this is a top horror novel. King's writing is top-notch here, not too long and detailed, his characterization fits the story in so many ways, there's genuine creepiness, the theme is one of the worst things imaginable, and the ending wraps it up in an ironic way that allows the evil that has always existed to keep existing. Bravo.

The painful and hard aspect of Stephen King's writing lies in the fact that frequently, he takes something genuine, something that people can encounter in the real world, and then constructs the supernatural elements upon it. In The Shining, there is Jack's alcoholism; in The Talisman, there is Jack/Jason's mother's cancer. The Stand capitalizes on our fears of something, somewhere, in one of those labs, spiraling out of control. In Pet Sematary, it is the death of a child. So much of the book is entirely real and believable: the arguments between Louis and his wife's parents, Gage running out onto the road and getting himself killed, Louis being willing to do absolutely anything to resurrect his son, anything at all. It is gruesome because anyone with even a modicum of imagination can place themselves in that situation, envision the horrifying choice: do I attempt this and potentially get my son back or perhaps create a monster, or do I let this chance pass by and never discover whether it could have worked?

Stephen King is most definitely not "just" a horror writer. His horror becomes far more "real" because he is also writing about real matters.

This book hurt the most among the ones of his that I've read, and thus it took me longer to get through it. I don't regret it, even if it grossed me out a bit. I think it's rather brilliant, at least in terms of the ideas and the plot. Stephen King may not be the most elaborate writer in the world, but his prose functions well and is easy to digest, and that makes it good, as far as I'm concerned.

Oh wow! What a remarkable book! This is truly Stephen King at the pinnacle of his talent. A genuine horror masterpiece that leaves you breathless.

\\n  Oh wow! What a book! This is Stephen King at his very best. A true horror masterpiece.\\n



Pet Sematary by Stephen King was completely different from what I had anticipated. Perhaps it's because I had never seen the film adaptations, and having read only a little of King's fiction so far, I approached this one with no preconceived notions. I actually thought it was going to be about a group of resurrected dead animals that weren't happy about it.

As is the case with all of King's novels, Pet Sematary delves far deeper than a typical horror story. It explores profound themes of death, distinguishing between what is natural and what is unnatural. The relationships at the heart of the story are crucial, especially those between father and son, as well as between friends who form equally close bonds. It's as much about the people as it is about the terrifying events that unfold.

The book is a quick read, with short chapters propelling the story forward in King's characteristic style. And then you reach a point of no return. A point where you know exactly where the story is headed. You don't want to, but you do. In most cases, writers strive to avoid this, but this is the genius of Pet Sematary. King wants the reader to be aware of the direction this horrific tale is taking. He wants you to dread it with every ounce of your being. And I certainly did.

The level of detail, the gradually building suspense, the portrayal of humanity and its absence, all of these elements made me cringe and are precisely what make this entire book so effective. King's writing is brilliant, despite being utterly disturbing.

King never allows the reader to feel safe and comfortable. Throughout the story, he drops subtle yet unmistakably ominous hints that the Creeds' happiness won't last. The first three-quarters of the book are filled with sudden but brief dips into darkness, all leading up to one long, final descent.

For me, there's an indescribable quality to King's writing, or at least something that I feel I can never accurately convey. In all three of the books I've read by him, he has an uncanny ability to make you care about his characters without being overly obvious about the reasons why or how he's going to do it. King's characters feel real.

Overall, it's a great read that is actually quite spooky at times. Be prepared to face genuine terror in the most unexpected ways with this one.

\\n  Hey-ho! Let's go!\\n

Buddy-read with Brad.

My very first book by Stephen King and I'm still in awe. This was some experience! Bwahahahahaha!

First, in my edition, we are treated to an introduction by Stephen King from September 20th, 2000. His young daughter's cat was killed by a car or truck, died and was buried. Then, some time later, all seemed to be well until that night, when he heard a thumping from the garage, accompanied by weeping and popping sounds like small firecrackers. He went out to investigate and found his daughter, furious and beautiful in her grief. She was jumping up and down on blistered packing material, popping the blisters, and yelling "He was my cat! Let God have his own cat! Smucky was my cat!" Such anger, he thinks, is the sanest first response to grief that a thinking, feeling human being can have, and he's always loved her for that defiant cry: Let God have his own cat! Right on, beautiful; right on.

That. Right there.

Also, a few lines later, he's particularly uneasy about the book's most resonant line, spoken by Lois Creed's elderly neighbour, Jud: "Sometimes, Louis," Jud says, "dead is better." He hopes with all his heart that that is not true, and yet within the nightmarish context of Pet Sematary, it seems to be. And it may be okay. Perhaps "sometimes dead is better" is grief's last lesson, the one we get to when we finally tire of jumping up and down on the plastic blisters and crying out for God to get his own cat (or his own child) and leave ours alone. That lesson suggests that in the end, we can only find peace in our human lives by accepting the will of the universe. That may sound like corny, new-age crap, but the alternative looks to him like a darkness too awful for such mortal creatures as us to bear.

As I said in my status update: Jesus H. fu**ing Christ (yes, I can swear as well as any sailor), Mr. King, would you PLEASE not break my heart in the introduction already??? And by the way, sometimes dead IS better, I think. I'm one of "those people" who also support assisted suicide because I firmly believe that everyone should have the right to go with dignity and in their own time.

This book deals with a lot. On the surface we have a doctor, his wife and two kids (Ellie, the daughter, is about 7 and Gage, the son, is about 3 years old). They move to Ludlow because Louis (the father) starts a job at the university. There, they befriend one of their neighbours, Jud, and his wife Norma. Then all kinds of things happen (I don't want to get into too much detail). Amongst other things, this book is about loss. Pets and people alike. It's also about people and their characters. Don't get me wrong: I know nobody is perfect but there were a few things these people did that didn't sit well with me at all. So yeah, I wanted the protagonist to get hurt. Him and at least two others. Some things should not go unpunished. And since SK seems to have written a cautionary tale, they do get punished. Sort of. And yes, it was brutal. xD

We also have a supernatural element but it was far more subliminal than I expected (at least until the end). At first that was a bit off-putting because not much seemed to be happening other than the author going into detail about all kinds of things. However, as I suspected, that seems to be Stephen King's MO: he lures the reader in, lulling one to believe it's not actually that bad and then he hits you smack over the head with a baseball bat... then you get back to a sense of security, the bad thing being over but having so many pages left which makes you feel confused... BAM there's that baseball bat again... OK, now you deserve to rest easy... oh wait => baseball bat! It was really amazing how the author snuck certain very important details into just half a sentence or even only three words, making you dread reading like you would dread looking around a corner in a dark house after hearing strange noises. Terror spreads in your innermost but you have to double back and have a look what just made you feel this white-hot moment of terror. That is brilliant!

However, I did not have nightmares and don't think I will have one tonight. Maybe because I wanted the cat to kill everyone for being so mean to it *lol* or because nowadays we are so used to all kinds of horror stories (one can't help but take into consideration how old this book is) or maybe I'm not that easily creeped out by this sort of thing (too practical?). Who knows.

Terror? Yes, definitely, and the mind-fuck at about halfway through the book was heavy. But horror? Not all that much.

Another theme here were good intentions. Boy do I hate people who "just mean well". Most usually do it to feel better themselves anyway instead of making someone else feel better which drives me up the walls. That is something SK actually mentions here, through Jud. But even if we do believe in a selfless act, it can still go very much wrong. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" is one of the truest sayings ever.

Then, we also have a huge amount of denial. Did I hate that! Rachel for example. I mean, yeah she had an awful past and it's actually her parents that should get beaten to death for it (both, but her father most of all). Nevertheless, I never liked how she got her way by being a bitch. Her character was so weak (not as in underdeveloped by the author but as in not being able to do a single thing herself) but when she felt entitled to something, she knew how to get it. And the things she didn't like? She just shut them out, closed her eyes. I hate such people (I'm related to a few specimen).

Oh and the medication. Jeez, people. Even if we project this onto our time, here and now, instead of the 80s... it is almost inconceivable for a non-American how so many people take such drugs as if they were candy!

You see where I'm going with this? Stephen King takes all these every-day character traits and scenes and layers one on top of the other. Again and again and again. It's an ordinary portrayal which is why every reader will immediately recognize a situation or two, maybe even feel as if looking into a mirror. It makes this story so utterly real - until he adds a pinch of that supernatural terror into it. If he was a chef, he'd run a 9-star-restaurant!

To answer my buddy-reader's question: YES, I do think that I am better than Louis, Rachel and Jud. In many ways. Would I not try to bring a loved one back? I don't know (I definitely would) but I would 100% NOT do many of the other things they did. I actually was in some of the situations they were in, right down to having to bury a child. It wasn't mine but my unborn cousin who died a week before she was supposed to be born and I know enough tasteless people who have ruined one or more funerals (without having had the excuse of being drunk). All in all, there have been a lot of funerals in my family. Up to a point I certainly understand some motives - but only up to a certain point. And I was thinking that they lacked compassion (Church) or had too much of it (which were both equally bad). Or maybe I was just annoyed by how STUPID they often were (not getting it wrong once, not even twice but three times). xD

But you see, I had all the feels so this is definitely a wonderful author and a very good book!

And the most terrifying question of all may be just how much horror the human mind can stand and still maintain a wakeful, staring, unrelenting sanity.

When Stephen King singles out Pet Sematary as the book he wrote that scares him the most, that should pretty much tell you all you need to know. I first read it when I was 16, and I was terrified. Rereading it now, more than 30 years later, I still remembered many of the story’s beats, a true testament to how memorable and powerful the story is.

Pet Sematary is a profound meditation on death and mourning and remembrance. It delves deep into how grief can potentially threaten to overwhelm our very sanity. There are overt references to The Monkey’s Paw. Additionally, there are also some hints of Frankenstein here. However, it's not about the misuse of the power of science, but rather about how the human mind can rationalize even the things we know are abominations.

Pet Sematary is rarely ever held up as King’s best work, and I wouldn’t rate it over The Shining or The Stand. But it is a quintessential King story. It takes a normal person and uses something supernatural to place him in an extreme situation to explore how he reacts. And for those people who like to complain that King can’t write a good ending, the gut punch at the end of this one may be his very best.

So if you’ve never read Pet Sematary before, grab a blanket, settle into a comfy chair, and enjoy a tale about Oz the Gweat and Tewwible. And if you’ve read it before a long time ago, do the same, knowing that it’s just as enjoyable, and only a little less scary, when you know what’s about to happen.

This novel was truly and absolutely terrifying. It had an uncanny quality that made it seem almost real.

As I was reading, I was constantly engaged in guessing how the whole thing was going to end. The mystery was so deep that I really couldn't come up with a possible and fitting solution on my own. But, of course, Stephen King is a master at what he does! He left an abundance of room for individual interpretation, which is precisely why this is one of my all-time favorite endings to a book ever.

I always talk about how much I love King's writing style in every single one of my reviews of his books. So, I won't go into great detail about it again here. Suffice it to say that this book contains the exact type of writing that I adore so very much and that has made me such a huge and dedicated fan of his works.

The story doesn't involve as many characters as some of his other books, but each and every one of them was well-developed and independent. They all left a lasting imprint on me.

I didn't know all that much about the plot beforehand, but I think this was the perfect way for the story to have the powerful effect on me that it did in the end. I found it to be incredibly hard-hitting and quite depressing. I already know that I will most definitely reread this book at some point in the future, but I will have to thoroughly and mentally prepare myself before I undertake that task.

I recently bought a vintage paperback edition of one of my all-time favorite Stephen King books.

I have a strong desire to re-read it at some point this year.

It has truly been a very long time since I last delved into its pages.

The anticipation is building as I look forward to experiencing the story once again.

The vintage paperback adds a certain charm and nostalgia to the whole experience.

Stephen King's works are known for their ability to grip readers and keep them on the edge of their seats.

I can't wait to immerse myself in the world he has created and be captivated by his masterful storytelling.

It will be a wonderful journey of rediscovery and I'm sure it will be just as thrilling as it was the first time.

The belief that there is any limit to the horror that the human mind can endure is wrong. And perhaps the more terrifying question is about the amount of fear that a person can bear before losing the sanity of their mind.

With these lines, I felt a cold and sharp wind, because what happened was scary and sudden, coming without any prelude or introduction. Maybe this is what made it scary, because sudden events happen like this in our real lives without any prelude or invitation.

Stephen King mentioned in one of his interviews that many people think he is a horror writer and this limits his field, but in fact he is a mystery writer

I have a rather complex like-dislike relationship with SK books. After the excitement I felt from Gerald's Game, I was really looking forward to this one. I thought it was praised more highly than GG, so I was sure I would like it. However, to my disappointment, it had a very slow build-up. In fact, it was way too slow for my taste.

I found myself constantly waiting for things to pick up speed, and it seemed to take almost the entire book. But then, something changed. What saved the book for me was the last 15% or 20%. It was during this part that I finally felt the shock, terror, and the sense of urgency that one expects from this genre. It was like a light suddenly turning on in a dark room.

Overall, I think I've had my fill of Stephen King for this year. Maybe I'll come back to his works in the future with a fresh perspective, but for now, I need a break.

Stephen King is widely regarded as the king of horror stories

4.5
I haven't read many books by Stephen King, and although none of them have disappointed me so far, "Pet Sematary"无疑 crowns itself as my favorite to date.
The story begins when the Creed family moves with their cat "Church" to a house that borders a path in the forest. All paths must lead somewhere, and the Creed family soon discovers the curious "PET SEMATARY" where the children bury their beloved pets. Stepping on that place will make nothing ever be the same again...
Stephen King shines very brightly in this story. He masterfully crafts the characters and their psyche and fears around the central theme of the novel: the fear of death, grief, and how each person copes with the loss of a loved one.
While reading the book, I felt moments of anguish and fear. I could almost feel the attraction that PET SEMATARY (and what lies beyond it in the forest) transmits to the characters myself.
Not to mention the final climax scenes of Stephen King, which always build up, keeping the reader glued to the pages of the book, knowing that they won't be able to let go until they finish it.

Overall, "Pet Sematary" is a captivating and chilling novel that delves deep into the human condition and our relationship with death and loss. It's a must-read for fans of horror and anyone interested in exploring the darker side of human nature.