2021 Update

Cujo remains an absolute masterpiece. Stephen King was truly at his prime when he wrote this novel, and it is far more than just a horror story about a rabid dog. The way he crafts the narrative and develops the characters is simply outstanding.


2015 Review

Among Stephen King's extensive body of work, Cujo is perhaps the most challenging novel for me to read. Make no mistake, it is exceptionally well-written. The prose is not only gorgeous but also among King's most direct and poetic. However, the overall tone of the novel is incredibly bleak. There seems to be no glimmer of hope in the tunnel. Instead, it feels like King is simply shrugging his shoulders and saying, "stuff happens." Similar to Roadwork before it, Cujo's gritty realism can produce fascinating results, but the journey is undeniably gut-wrenching.


What makes Cujo so captivating within the context of King's entire oeuvre is that it is his first novel to rely almost entirely (or at least mostly) on humanistic elements to create horror. While there are hints of the supernatural, this novel is firmly grounded in real life. The events that unfold in the story could actually happen, which is what makes it so effective. The horror feels completely believable. Before Cujo (excluding the Bachman books), there was always a supernatural element at the forefront of every King novel, such as ghosts, vampires, or psychic abilities. These elements were not the only ones in the respective novels, but they were crucial in driving the narratives forward. Without them, those novels would not be what they are. With Cujo, King took a risk by deviating from what his fans had come to expect, and it paid off. With this novel and the collection of novellas Different Seasons that followed in 1982, Stephen King proved that he was unafraid to experiment and publish books that didn't conform to the expected norms. With subsequent works like Joyland, 11/22/63, and the Bill Hodges trilogy, King continues to show that he is not afraid to break the rules and keep throwing curve-balls at his readers. And for that, I applaud him.


One common criticism I often hear about Cujo is the prevalence of coincidences and their seemingly unrealistic nature. This novel indeed progresses almost entirely based on coincidences. I'll do my best to avoid spoilers for those who haven't read the novel yet, but suffice it to say that this book serves as a commentary on the rather cruel indifference of fate. Horror emerges from the ordinary; because all of the main characters happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, the events of the novel are able to unfold. Some readers find this frustrating, arguing that it's almost as if the author is moving the characters around like chess pieces, and that's a valid point. I can understand where they're coming from. However, it all works for me. I believe King is fully aware of the mechanical nature of how he moves the characters. In fact, I think that's the whole point. He wants the reader to experience the same frustration and exasperation as the characters in the novel. Charity Camber is frustrated with her life choices and her son's idolization of his lousy father; Vic Trenton is frustrated by the problems plaguing his ad company and his wife's recent affair; Steve Kemp is frustrated that Donna has ended their affair; and Donna Trenton is frustrated with growing older and feeling that her life is going nowhere. The characters are all frustrated by simple fate, and I think King wanted the reader to share, at least to some extent, in their pain. Heck, the seemingly "conspiratorial" coincidences are even mentioned more than once by a couple of the characters at different points in the narrative. So, yes, I believe King was fully intentional in the seemingly mechanical (or forced, if you prefer) way the plot is advanced.


Another criticism I often encounter regarding this novel is the level of detail given to the subplots, especially the one involving Charity and Brett's trip to Connecticut. I, however, have never minded the subplots. In fact, I think the deviation from the main storyline (a mother and son trapped in a Pinto by a rabid Cujo) actually makes the pages spent in the Cambers' dooryard even more horrific. The characters in this novel are so fascinating that I could easily have read another 100 pages about each of them. I don't view the subplots as King's attempt to pad the page count but rather as a means of fully exploring these characters he has brought to life. If they weren't interesting, I might have complained and perhaps even deducted a star, but as it is, I always enjoy the excursions away from the sweltering Pinto, if only because they offer a brief respite.


In case you haven't already gathered, Cujo is a dark and grim novel. I truly believe King was aiming for the jugular with this one, and he achieved his goal. It's one of the few novels by the Maine author that tie my stomach in knots and leave me unsure if I'll be able to finish it. It's a terrifying novel, but the scares are entirely realistic; they could happen to any of us. Cujo marks the official start of what I consider to be King's darkest period, which includes works such as "Apt Pupil", Christine, Pet Sematary, IT, The Tommyknockers, The Dark Half, and Needful Things. During this period, King will explore themes he has never touched on before and revisit those he has previously explored, offering his final thoughts on them. He will reach the peak of his cocaine and alcohol addictions and then quit cold turkey, resulting in some of his most fascinating and yet most depressing works. However, I don't think any of them quite reach the level of bleakness found in Cujo... but only time will tell.


King connections: This novel is set in Castle Rock, Maine, the same location as his previous novel The Dead Zone. Several characters from that book make appearances here, either physically or through mention, such as Sheriff Bannerman, Johnny Smith, and Frank Dodd.


Favorite quote: “It would perhaps not be amiss to point out that he had always tried to be a good dog. He had tried to do all the things his MAN and his WOMAN, and most of all his BOY, had asked or expected of him. He would have died for them, if that had been required. He had never wanted to kill anybody. He had been struck by something, possibly destiny, or fate, or only a degenerative nerve disease called rabies. Free will was not a factor.”


Up next: We're running for our lives (I'm just going by the book's tag-line here; I have no clue what this one's about.) -- it's The Running Man!

An iconic book is a literary work that holds a special place in the hearts and minds of readers. It has the power to transcend time and cultural boundaries, captivating generations with its unique story, characters, and themes.

These books often become classics, studied in schools and universities around the world. They can inspire new works of art, music, and film, and have a profound impact on society as a whole.

Some iconic books are known for their beautiful prose, while others are praised for their thought-provoking ideas. They may be fictional or non-fictional, but they all share one thing in common: they have the ability to touch the human spirit and leave a lasting impression.

Whether it's a novel like "Pride and Prejudice" or a non-fiction work like "The Diary of a Young Girl," an iconic book is a treasure that will be cherished for years to come.

This book is truly terrifying. What makes it even more so is that the significant events in the story have a real possibility of happening in reality. They are not just fictional concepts but genuine probabilities.

The story might seem less plausible in today's era of constant cell phone communication, but for those who remember how things were in the past, it reads as all too possible. Personally, ever since I learned to drive, I have always kept a small box of water bottles and snacks in my car because of this very book.

Any true Stephen King fan is aware of how he enjoys connecting his novels through the tenuous threads of shared locales and characters. Cujo makes extensive use of the Frank Dodd "bad guy" from The Dead Zone, completely omitting references to Firestarter. Dodd has become something of a bogeyman, used to scare children into behaving and a fear that the adults in town would rather forget.

I love all of King's work, although not equally. However, I have always believed that his novels without a supernatural element make the best movies. Cujo was an excellent movie! Interestingly, there is a very real undercurrent of the supernatural in the book that is not present in the movie at all. Dodd is that element. The novel hints that the evil in Dodd still lingers around Castle Rock. I'm not spoiling anything by revealing that Cujo has rabies, but there are very definite indications that this case of rabies is also a manifestation of the evil of Dodd. King's hints in this direction are not essential to the story, but they do add a scary element as you read.

King has stated on several occasions that he wrote this novel during the height of his alcoholism and addiction, and it shows. There are no chapters or formal narrative breaks, almost forcing you to read at a breakneck speed. Perhaps this is the way he wrote it! The narrative takes place over three days, with a few flashbacks thrown in to expand the plot, but the pace never slows.

There are quite a few coincidences required for a series of unfortunate events to occur, but I never found these coincidences unbelievable or even far-fetched. In life, often the worst tragedies happen due to a string of coincidences. In my own life, there have been times when I've thought "if this was a movie, I'd stop watching" because really, how many coincidences can occur? Apparently, a lot!

Although the idea of this situation is rather horrific and implies gore, King doesn't use a great deal of gore in these pages. There is some, but not a lot. I think almost anyone could get a thrill of some sort from this novel. The movie is also excellent. I believe Dee Wallace gives a performance of a lifetime, and it was King who provided her with the material to do so.

Read it. Watch it. You won't be disappointed.

This was one of the earliest novels in my discovery of King. At that time, I'm not sure if I could appreciate it as much as I might now.

I still vividly remember the palpable tension and the horror that a dog could turn into the enemy. Poor puppy! There were indeed some truly great moments in the story, and the pacing was quite fast, which kept me on the edge of my seat.

However, I also think it was rather blunt in the menacing aspect. It was just this crazy dog, with no mystery and no real twists. It was simply Cujo.

Nonetheless, it's a pretty iconic work. So, I'd really like to re-read it at some point in the future. Maybe with a more mature perspective, I'll be able to uncover more of its hidden charms and appreciate it even more deeply.

I'm curious to see if my perception of the story and the characters will change upon a second reading. Will I still feel the same level of tension and horror? Or will I notice something new that I missed the first time around? Only time will tell.

It has been many years since a book has truly frightened me. However, I was scared while reading this one.

This is the story of Cujo, a large and cuddly dog that transforms into a complete monster. Everything in this story felt extremely real to me, and the atmosphere and tension just leaped off the pages. I found myself in this very realistic and horrific situation, where I could actually feel the heat and the sweat trickling down my own back.

I really enjoyed the way King gave Cujo his own dialogue. In fact, I felt so sorry for this dog. The internal battle in his mind truly added depth to his character.

There are numerous characters in this book, and they were all developed so well. I understand that King often gets criticized for his verbose writing and that his books could potentially be much shorter. But for me, his waffling makes his characters highly relatable and very human.

This is yet another fantastic horror story from the King himself.

Five stars.

Disturbing...

Cujo is a loyal and affectionate dog. He adores his owners, a man, a woman, and their young boy. He would go to great lengths for them, even sacrificing his own life if necessary. However, fate takes a cruel turn when Cujo contracts rabies after getting into some trouble. Suddenly, he transforms into a completely different and terrifying creature. Donna and her son are about to come face-to-face with this new and dangerous Cujo.

This is a deeply tragic and cautionary story. Above all else, I want to emphasize one crucial point: PLEASE VACCINATE YOUR ANIMALS!! Now that that's been said, let's move on to the review of the book.

Like many of Stephen King's novels, this one contains a fair amount of filler. There is a significant amount of character development, and the beginning of the book is primarily focused on this. The action doesn't really pick up until more than halfway through.

I found Donna to be a rather unlikable character. It's not just her general behavior, but also the fact that she cheats on her husband. This shows a lack of integrity and moral values. I did like her husband, Vic, but I mostly felt sorry for him. And poor little Tadd. I have mixed feelings about the ending of this book. I don't quite remember it being the same in the film that I watched many years ago and can't recall clearly.

Nevertheless, like most of Stephen King's works, this book is masterfully written. The story, although slow to start, is highly engaging for the reader. It will definitely send shivers down your spine! I think the realism in this book is what makes it so terrifying. It could actually happen! Excellent storytelling.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a truly scary novel.

A horror story was published in 1981.

Cujo is a St. Bernard, a huge 90kg mass of good nature. That was until he was bitten by a rabid bat.

Over the years, I've read quite a number of horror books, but this is the first one that gave me dreams I'd rather forget.

What makes this so terrifying is the fact that it's completely believable, perhaps with a slight stretch. But if you found yourself in the situation our leading lady finds herself in, your insides would churn.

As I was reading this in 2020, 39 years after its initial publication, I kept thinking to myself, "Thank God I'm in isolation." Confronting COVID-19 is nothing compared to confronting Cujo.

This is a story of infidelity, regret, and anxiety - just your typical day-to-day marital problems, but the kind that can tear a marriage apart.

Now, add a 90 kg rabid dog with only one thought in its head - to rip the throat out of anything that moves. Well, let me tell you, you're in for some seriously thrilling page-turning.

SK is at his 5-star best.

Cujo is a calm, good-natured, and peaceful Saint Bernard until, during one of its romps in the fields of the town, it contracts rabies. Little by little, we see how the disease takes its toll on him, but both his owners and the neighbors are too busy with their own lives (and miseries) to notice in time to avoid the catastrophe.

The owners of Cujo have a garage on the outskirts of Castle Rock (yes, in Maine. I think I've been through all the towns in the county with this purpose of reading King in its entirety xD). An unhappy and not well-matched couple with a son who is the one who really takes care of the dog.

A young couple (Donna and Vic) with their small son Tad has just moved to the town, a seemingly successful and happy couple.

Although we know more locals, everything develops between these two families, the town as a backdrop, and the dog wandering from place to place.

It's not a terrifying book, but it is a tense one (especially towards the end), and there is a part that seemed eternal to me with Vic's business trip. In general, Vic is a character that I couldn't stand throughout the reading, so imagine when Tito King takes him out of the plot to travel and tells us about the trip (which has nothing to do with the plot, it's not even a secondary mission of the role, it's an off-topic. King likes them a lot, but in this case, it seemed very tedious to me.)

One of those books where King dwells on human miseries and how there is no one truly good through and through (and in the middle of it all, the sick Cujo walks around without anyone noticing him).

In the end, you wish that everyone is bitten by Cujo.

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# Delayed review 2021
VERY GOOD
LC @ckubatreyu
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GDL Edicola&Libreria le nostre passioni

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

"The new name for terror..." was the slogan used to publicize the film in the United States. If I have to be honest, there is little or no terror here.

Cujo is a huge dog (Saint Bernard) who unfortunately happens to become bad because of the rabies transmitted by a bat.

Initially, it is so good and tender that I ended up liking it. Like every villain in King's works who respects himself, Cujo is just an innocent, a weak one, to whom bad things happen. And every time I read about it suffering, I felt sorry for it. Poor dog, how sorry I am for it.

In the end, I found myself hating almost all the characters. The picture that King manages to paint of the South through his pages is impressive.

A reality of alcoholic husbands who beat their wives. Or of wives who, feeling wasted, useless and bored, cheat on their husbands. Or of women who still feel so poor that, as soon as they find a husband with a little more money, they feel obliged to show their family the numerous credit cards they have in their wallet.

But this is another story... And Cujo, who should be the main protagonist, only carves out a marginal part.

¡Pedazo de comienzo de año!

3.5 stars

This was my second encounter with this book, the initial reading dating back decades ago when I was a teenager.

There were numerous details that had slipped my memory. I don't believe I fully grasped the extent of the sexual violence described. It wasn't that it wasn't significant; rather, perhaps I lacked the understanding of how to process it, so it didn't have nearly the same impact on me then as it did this time around. The act of vandalism on the house and all that it symbolizes struck me as far more horrifying when read as an adult compared to when I was a teenager. Maybe it's because the possibility of such a thing actually happening seems much more plausible now than it ever did for me in my younger days.

I had also forgotten how the book concludes, perhaps unconsciously rewriting it in my mind. In any case, the underlying emotional turmoil of the characters was far more evident to me than the more obvious physical aspects that my much younger self remembered.

It's not my absolute favorite among King's works, but that doesn't imply it's not worthy of a reread. As always, there is a great deal to admire both within the story itself and in the manner in which it is told.

Oh Cujo.

I despised every single moment of reading this book. It was a constant struggle, with me picking it up and putting it down countless times. Despite its relatively slim size, it took me a whole month to finish. At just over 300 pages, in terms of the storyline, this is one of King's most streamlined and edited works.

I was a freshman in high school when I first picked it up. My mom said to me, "Oh, Cujo? I don't think you'll like that one."

Meh. I probably just shrugged and carried it off to my messy room anyway. That cover!

Honestly, I think it's the ugliest book cover I've ever seen. We had the hardback edition, with Cujo's drooling, teeth-baring muzzle in a sea of water-color, khaki brown. It was enough to make me want to barf.

And that's how I'd sum up the rest of this book too. As a teenage girl, the drama between all the married adults in this book failed to engage me, and the parts from the dog's perspective just made me sad. Who wants to read about an innocent dog's descent into madness and confusion as he suffers from rabies? Certainly not this animal lover. Nope, nope, and lots of nope.

Not to mention, I skimmed through the scene where the woman is trapped in her car for days on end and has to eventually face down the starving, diseased pooch with a baseball bat. Barf. I've never even attempted a re-read. It's just not for me.