Well, I embarked on listening to this while strolling in the countryside, with a menacing storm gathering on the horizon. It truly felt like a case of pathetic fallacy. Before long, I found myself overcome with fear, and yet nothing truly terrifying had even occurred at that point! Stephen King is an absolute maestro when it comes to building tension, as well as crafting his characters.

Pet Semetary took me completely by surprise. When I first laid eyes on it, I thought, "Ah, this is the one with a strange cat." Indeed, there is a strange cat. However, there is so much more to this story than meets the eye. It might just be Stephen King's most profound exploration of the human condition among the works of his that I have perused. While we have the horror elements that gradually build tension over time, this is far more about themes such as death, loss, grief, and family.

Our central character is Lou, and we accompany him, his wife, and their two children as they relocate to a new house. It is a charming house in a rather secluded area, with a road adjacent to it and, not too distant, a cemetery....

I was instantly captivated by the premise and was pleasantly astonished by the depth of character development that I encountered here. There were truly incredibly moving elements, and there was a philosophical undertone that compels you, as the reader, to ponder the questions presented. I adore books that have this effect. I found myself ruminating on these throughout my day, and when that happens, you know you have connected with a book on a deep level.

Also, the final line is one of the most spine-chilling lines I have ever had the misfortune to read.

5/5 STARS

This was a re-read for me in preparation for the new movie adaptation. My original review can be found here. Moreover, it was a buddy-read with Dennis, who hadn't read it before and read it all wrong.

The first time, I read the paperback version. This time I couldn't resist "Dexter" (yes, Michael C. Hall) reading the book to me. And as I had hoped, he was brilliant in sending shivers up and down my spine.

For clarification: this is still my favourite King book.

No, I don't like any of the characters. Not Louis who simply doesn't learn from past mistakes. Certainly not his *beep* of a wife who always wants to get her way. And not Rachel's parents, especially not her father. And not Jud and Norma. The only people one cannot really hate are the two children.

However, some of the people here, while not exactly the type I'd be able to become friends with, appeared "normal" at first. Just like the town, Ludlow. In fact, King masterfully described the horror of such a small American town with all its banality. Trust me, no supernatural entity can scare me as much as neighbours wanting to know and actually knowing everything about you. *shudders*

And then there are some perfectly ordinary things - ordinary when you're American. Like the amount of drugs used. We're not talking cocaine, we're talking pain killers and mood changers. King knows all about drugs and this book shows it. He also knows how dependent most of America is on the pharmaceutical industry. A horror in and of its own.

But then we get the actual story of a young family - father, mother and two children - moving to a seemingly innocent town where they can live in tranquility. If that big old bastard fate wasn't lurking just around the corner.

It's a testament to King's ability as a writer that he gave away so much of what was to come without those happenings losing any of their impact. On the contrary.

How far would you go to save your family? How would you react to the ultimate loss? How would that behaviour change (or not) if you had a supernatural way of "changing" things?

Once again, I pitied the cat or whatever came back as the cat because at least at first there was no evil about it. In fact, I see it as the perfect example of humans creating their own problems. What if the zombie cat had been treated kindly? Yes, I know, many will disagree, but I just don't care. ;P

Interestingly enough, there is a on-going debate about King's creepiest book. Many say it's The Shining and that Pet Sematary didn't do it for them. Many others say it's exactly the other way around. While I did enjoy both, I belong more in the latter group. Maybe because I like cats more than wasps. ;P

Can't wait to see the new movie though I am quite apprehensive now that I've seen some of the changes they've made. To me, they are as yet unnecessary so we'll see if the movie still works.

What you buy is what you own, and sooner or later what you own will come back to you…

What is there not to like about Stephen King’s books? Writing a book is difficult, I know. But Stephen King has this amazing ability to create books that are a masterful blend of humor, horror, despair, tragedy, and above all, excellent writing. His books have the power to scare you to the core, giving you nightmares that make you go check under the beds because you hear a suspicious sound and you are alone. Or, they make you check if the doorknob is turning every few seconds while there is shampoo in your eyes during a shower. At the same time, his stories can squeeze your heart and make you cry. It takes a special kind of talent to be able to achieve this. It is truly an art form. Stephen King's books are not just ordinary reads; they are an experience that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

What you buy is what you own, and sooner or later what you own will come back to you…