I initially rated this book 4 stars, but now I've downgraded it to 3 stars. However, it's still an interesting read.

Stephen King's works are often a mixed bag for me. Sometimes I really love them, while at other times I couldn't care less. But this particular one was great. It was creepy and intense, going far beyond just the story of a dog with rabies.

The book delved into deeper themes and emotions, exploring the psychological and emotional turmoil of the characters. The atmosphere was palpable, making me feel as if I was right there in the midst of the chaos. Despite the downgrade, it still managed to hold my attention and keep me engaged from start to finish. I would recommend it to fans of King's work or those who enjoy a good horror/thriller.

To think that this entire horror show could almost surely have been prevented with a straightforward rabies vaccination.

Poor, neglected Cujo. He was just a dog who simply desired to be a "good dog."

It's truly a tragedy that such a preventable situation led to such a terrifying outcome.

If only someone had taken the time to ensure Cujo received the proper medical attention he needed.

Now, instead of being a beloved pet, he became a source of fear and danger.

One can't help but feel sorry for Cujo and all that he went through.

Perhaps this serves as a reminder of the importance of responsible pet ownership and the need to take care of our furry friends.

We should always make sure they are vaccinated and well-cared for to avoid similar heartbreaking scenarios.

Cujo, the big friendly and lovable Saint Bernard, unfortunately gets bitten by a rabid bat.

As a result, he undergoes a terrifying transformation and turns into a murderous beast.

I truly relished this story a great deal.

What I adored was that Cujo's point of view was incorporated.

With all that transpired to him because of circumstances that were out of his control, I couldn't help but have empathy for Cujo.

I was fond of the small town setting of Castle Rock, Maine.

The story had a very atmospheric quality, with an underlying tone of dread and apprehension pervading throughout.

It was exciting, engrossing, bleak, sad, and extremely enjoyable.

It kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, and I found myself completely immersed in the world that was created.

The characters were well-developed, and the plot was engaging and full of twists and turns.

Overall, it was a great read that I would highly recommend to others.

One of the best aspects of Cujo is the palpable sense of dread that pervades throughout this book. It's like a dark cloud that hovers over every page, making the reader constantly on edge.

The ending is truly a knockout punch, and not just any ordinary one. It's as if it's delivered by none other than Mike Tyson himself! It comes with such force and impact that it leaves the reader stunned and breathless.

Cujo is set in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine, and it involves the Trenton family and a massive Saint Bernard named Cujo. The story begins with the Cambers family, and at first, the characters of Vic, Roger, and the Cambers family seem like mere filler. The book feels a bit overstuffed, especially with the details of a seemingly unimportant business trip. However, things start to change when Donna enters the picture. Her character brings with her a sense of drama and chaos that immediately grabs the reader's attention and makes them more invested in the plot.

The most fascinating thing for me in this book was witnessing the transformation of a fun-loving dog into a raging monster. I can't help but think about my own large dog, who is a gentle giant. While petting him, I couldn't help but feel a sense of psychological horror, imagining what it would be like if he were to turn on me like Cujo did. It's a truly terrifying thought.

And, of course, there's plenty of punching and slapping going on in this review, not in the literal sense, but in the sense of the powerful emotions and impacts that the story has on the reader.

4.0 Stars

As an individual who has had a rather inconsistent relationship with Stephen King's works, I am truly delighted to express that I absolutely adored Cujo. The story managed to beautifully blend those spine-chilling creepy details with the warm and nostalgic references that added a unique charm.

I must give credit to the narrator as well. The performance was truly outstanding and brought to mind the excellent work in NOS4A2. Although I am aware that this book was published before NOS4A2, I couldn't help but notice the interesting comparisons that could be drawn between the father and son in both stories.

One aspect that I did notice was that this book felt a bit longer than it perhaps needed to be. However, despite this minor drawback, I overall had a great time reading it. This experience has definitely encouraged me to continue delving into the world of Stephen King's literature and see what other captivating stories he has in store for his readers.

I look forward to exploring more of King's works and seeing if they can match the enjoyment and excitement that Cujo provided.

Oh man!! This is King at his prime.

I went into this book expecting a gut-wrenching horror tale featuring a monster dog terrorizing the people in the small town of Castle Rock. However, what I got was totally different.

I was quite surprised to find out that the majority of this book isn't about Cujo. There is a lot of really great storytelling and exposition beyond the rabid dog. The buildup was excellent. The characters felt real, and the storylines were engaging.

This is some of King's best storytelling and character building. I loved learning about everyone in this world and how their lives all came together. All of these events tie up incredibly well, and we end up with one huge event. But hell, it's definitely worth the wait.

It made me feel empathetic towards Cujo despite him being “the monster.”

And that ending was shocking, chilling, and brilliant. WHO SAID KING CANNOT WRITE ENDINGS?

This would be on my recommendation list for the first-time King readers. I enjoyed Pet Sematary more than this, but Pet Sematary was like a 6 out of 5 book. It was flawless, so I can safely rate this a 5 stars.

**Cujo, Stephen King**

Once upon a time, not so long ago, a monster came to the small town of Castle Rock, Maine. Cujo used to be a big friendly dog, lovable and loyal to his trinity (The Man, The Woman, and The Boy) and everyone around him. He always did his best to not be a BAD DOG. But that all changed on the day this nearly two-hundred-pound Saint Bernard made the mistake of chasing a rabbit into a hidden underground cave, setting off a tragic chain of events. Now Cujo is no longer himself as he is slowly overcome by a growing sickness. His once affable thoughts turn uncontrollably and inexorably to hatred and murder. Cujo is about to become the center of a horrifying vortex that will inescapably draw in everyone around him. It's a relentless reign of terror, fury, and madness from which no one in Castle Rock will truly be safe.

The story of Cujo is a thrilling and terrifying one. It shows how a once-lovable creature can turn into a monster due to unforeseen circumstances. The description of Cujo's transformation is vivid and detailed, making the reader feel as if they are right there in the story. The characters in the story are also well-developed, with their own unique personalities and flaws. The events that unfold are full of suspense and keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Overall, "Cujo" is a must-read for fans of horror and thriller genres.

It is a classic work by Stephen King that has stood the test of time and continues to be a favorite among readers today.

Took me forever to read but was ultimately worth it because of the fantastic last third.

I saw another reviewer call this “Jaws with a dog”, and I think that it is a very apt description. But my mind couldn’t stop drawing comparisons to Spielberg’s Duel. In the sense that a supremely talented guy took a simple idea and turned it into a very effective thriller.

That’s only true of the parts with the dog, however. There’s also this other part of the novel. It is about two women that are unhappy with their respective marriages and lives, and the very different ways they're dealing with that. And about one of their husbands that is experiencing some difficulties in his job as an advertising expert while his marriage is in danger of breaking apart. It adds more depth than one might expect to this story of a rabid dog that is trying to eat a small town.

It also makes this novel a slow burn that, frankly, felt often bloated and made me sleepy. If the whole thing were as streamlined as Duel it would have ultimately made for a better book, in my opinion.

As it is, the comparison to Jaws is more fitting after all. Benchley’s novel as well was great whenever the monster showed up, or when you felt it was going to show up at any moment, but was somewhat meh when the focus was on the people.

The writing here is better, and Cujo might be the better book. But I enjoyed Jaws more. It probably doesn’t hurt that the shark was truly evil while here I felt for poor Cujo, even after he had turned into a killing machine.

Up next in my quest to read all the stories set in Castle Rock: The Body. Oh, how I've been looking forward to that.

2024 Re-read:

I had completely forgotten just how masterfully this novel is plotted and paced. The characters are not only complicated but also feel incredibly real. The heart-pounding showdown between Cujo and Donna & Tad doesn't occur until the halfway point. Everything that precedes it is about setting up the characters and laying the groundwork, yet it never once feels dull or lacking. King has an extraordinary talent for transporting readers to small-town Maine, and he does so brilliantly here. He creates an atmosphere and a sense of place that are so palpable you can almost touch them.

He expertly switches between perspectives at just the right moments to keep you fully engaged, and the story flows naturally and compulsively. After re-reading this novel following Rattlesnakes, the short story that serves as a spiritual sequel and follows Vic a few decades after the events of this novel, this story has become even more poignant. There is an abundance of humanity on every page, and King clearly delights in it. As a result, the story and characters feel intimate and personal.

The scares and terror, when they do come, are all the more powerful because of this. King masterfully builds tension in multiple aspects of the characters' lives - domestic, financial, career, and so on. These tensions parallel the life-or-death tension in the main showdown. That tension then erupts in brief moments of horror and gore that, while tame by many standards, are deeply disturbing at the same time.

(Rounded up from 4.5)

This book truly troubled me.

I had, in fact, to some extent, drifted away from reading King for a period of time.

He is an amazing and stupendous writer, no doubt about it.

However, as I love dogs, this particular book was painful to read.

The story might have touched on something that hit too close to home for me.

But now, I find myself back to reading his books once again.

Sometimes, I can't help but think that he is almost prophetic in his writing.

His ability to create vivid and engaging worlds that seem to mirror our own, or perhaps hint at what could come, is both fascinating and a little bit scary.

It makes me wonder what other surprises he has in store for his readers.

Despite the initial discomfort this book caused, I'm still drawn to King's work, eager to see what he'll come up with next.

One of the most fascinating aspects of King's works is the way his stories are interconnected. This not only gives the characters and locations a sense of authenticity but also makes the readers feel as if they are part of a larger, living world.

In this particular work, the return to Castle Rock is a welcome one. The references to The Dead Zone add a touch of nostalgia and continuity. Additionally, the side plots involving the various people in the town enrich the story and add an extra layer of depth.

Of course, it's no secret that this is the book with the killer dog. The slow descent into madness of the St. Bernard is masterfully depicted, making it both terrifying and captivating.

The situation in which Donna and her son Tad must struggle to survive as the heat and the dog close in on them is extremely chilling and tense. It keeps the readers on the edge of their seats, rooting for the protagonists.

Although this book may not be flawless, it is still a highly underrated gem from the ultimate storyteller. It showcases King's ability to create vivid characters, immersive settings, and thrilling narratives that will leave readers spellbound.

That's what occurs when a year-long indulgence in a mixed substance abuse of drugs and alcohol doesn't yield ingenious works like "It", "Different Seasons", "Pet Sematary", "Misery", etc., but instead turns into a literary horror trip for the readers.

At least King admits not remembering writing this one, yet liking it for whatever reasons, perhaps typical parental ostrichism. Although, with a blood alcohol level under 2 permille and years after rehab, he should have noticed that something was going terribly wrong. He forgot to provide his characters with credible motivations and introspections to construct a satisfying plotline and premise.

He stated in an interview that he got the inspiration when he met a strange guy in his cottage, perhaps in the woods. The guy had a huge and pretty terrifying dog. Well, that was it already. In other moments of creative enlightenment, he wrote timeless masterpieces with a real dark force manipulating humans, culminating in a main antagonist, side characters, sometimes even some meta, and the characterization he is renowned for. But this one is just a facepalm.

I knew this was average or bad because I'm fully into swarm intelligence ratings. So, I was at least well-prepared. Truly, letting characters tell the story hardly ever went so wrong in his career. Maybe his novel "Cell" is the only example I recall at the moment, but there might be others, especially subjective ones. A logical and often-seen consequence of the creative writing approach without plotting and just letting creativity flow completely unleashed is weak and illogical endings and generally not really clean and believable plotlines. But there's nothing in here that makes King's work great.

What shows that King is one of the greatest authors of all time is that even this one can't be given less than 3 stars. Because even completely wasted, not caring about complex storyboarding and creating an interwoven premise, etc., he still produces an average novel. It's not a good paragon for kids or aspiring writers, but one has to acknowledge and honor his ability to write better than most humans would be able to do when high as hell. The idea of drinking and doing drugs to find your muse, or even more than one if you overdose and see two of them, sexy monozygotic twins if you want to be successful, doesn't seem to be the best writing advice. Except for beer, which is just for recreation and harmless.

I guess dog lovers and people not caring about the unusual, superficial, soap opera-style characters and their uninteresting lives that are just added to let the dog take a better bite and have more to chew away at might even see it as a solid 4 star. But I've read too much King, including some bad ones, to not protect readers by keeping the rating low.

Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...