This book leans more towards being a thriller than a horror story.

In the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, Donna and Vic have made a home for themselves with their young son. Meanwhile, in the same town, Joe Camber lives with his wife, son, and their large St. Bernard dog, Cujo. Cujo is a kind and gentle dog that adores children. However, one fateful day, while chasing a rabbit, Cujo is bitten by a bat carrying rabies, and he becomes infected.

Slowly but surely, as events spiral out of control for various reasons among the humans in the town, Cujo's condition worsens until there is an epic showdown between the dog and Donna.

As is typical of any Stephen King novel, the characters are rather flawed. From cheating wives to self-pitying aspiring writers to humorous misadventures in the advertising industry to wife-beating drunks, we encounter a wide range of less-than-desirable characters.

It is interesting to see how the different storylines converge in that beaten-up car in the middle of nowhere during the hottest summer.

Most enjoyable of all, though, is the fact that even when suffering from rabies and succumbing to the illness, Cujo remains a good dog at heart. I mean, he killed the pervert drunk by ripping out his throat and then killed the drunk wife-beater by ripping off his balls. *gives the dog a treat*

While this may not be the best work by King as it was a bit too tame for my liking, it is still quite atmospheric and very enjoyable. I think my issue was that I was expecting a horror story and instead got a thriller. However, as far as thrillers go, this one is nearly perfect.

P.S.: I also watched the movie adaptation tonight, and while there are worse ones, it wasn't as good as it could have been either.

It was one of those kinds of books that when you read it, a lot of adrenaline is secreted. Overall, it was a good book.... It had a lot of margins, but not so much that it would make you lose heart. Instead, it made you more eager to see what would happen next. I recommend that if you are a bit scared like me and have some thoughts, don't read this book before going to bed, otherwise you will wake up 20 times until dawn and curse yourself and the author of the book :D

This book really had a captivating effect. The story was filled with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The detailed descriptions made it easy for me to imagine the scenes and characters vividly.

However, as I mentioned earlier, reading it before sleep might not be a good idea. The intense and thrilling nature of the plot could easily disrupt your sleep and leave you with a sense of unease. But if you're looking for a book that will keep you entertained and engaged, this one is definitely worth checking out.

Wow! That ending was a real gut punch. Stephen King usually doesn't do that but in this case, he really delivered a powerful and unexpected conclusion.

Holy Shit! Cujo was written while Stephen King was in the depths of his alcoholism. Uncle Stevie doesn't even remember writing it and if you think about it, it seems as if his alcoholism was the driving force behind the creation of this story. Like Cujo, alcoholism is a rabid dog that will stop at nothing in its mission to kill you. It is unrelenting and scary, just like the fictional rabid dog in the book. Cujo is written almost in a stream of consciousness, with no chapters, which adds to the intensity and immediacy of the story.

I didn't expect to feel bad for Cujo but I did. He wasn't evil; he was just sick. Through no fault of his own, he got bit and contracted rabies. He was suffering and in pain, and that really tugged at my heartstrings. That proves Stephen King is an amazing writer because I don't even like dogs.

Cujo is a classic! A must read! It's a thrilling and disturbing story that will stay with you long after you've finished reading. It's no wonder it's a January read for the Stephen King Fans Book club. If you haven't read it yet, you're missing out on a truly unforgettable literary experience.

Cujo is a book that has always been on my radar, thanks to Stephen King's huge presence in American culture. Even as a child, before I could read his works, I was aware of Carrie, Pennywise, and Cujo. However, being an animal lover, I always avoided Cujo. But after reading about the fates of animals in other King books like It, The Stand, and Needful Things, I can say that what happens in Cujo is less brutal.

One of the things I love about The Stand is the dog Kojak's POV. Similarly, sharing Cujo's POV in this book adds a lot of pathos. No matter how sick he gets, he's still just a dog, and his actions are those of a dying animal trying to do his best.

The writing of Donna and Tad's entrapment in the Pinto is tense, but the switching of POV to other storylines like Vic's PR nightmare and Charity Camber's attempts to reorient her son cuts the build of these scenes. While these plots are not uninteresting, they don't completely justify the attention they take from the main danger.

But what really made this book fascinating for me was the constant mention of Star Wars. It's a time capsule of another cultural phenomenon. The characters can't escape the grip of the Star Wars franchise, and I loved every mention of it. It was unexpected and my favorite element of the book.

As with Stephen King, Star Wars has always been a part of my life. I loved reading about one cultural titan tipping his hat to another. And here's a picture of me and my pupper dressed up to see Barbie. EDIT: lol we did a DNA test on our dog since I wrote this review; he's not even 1% Lhasa Apso like we were told

4.5* New movie version currently in production!

This book is an absolute masterpiece. The way it's written, with the characters so fully developed, it's truly astonishing that King was allegedly drunk while penning it and doesn't even recall writing it. It's a remarkable feat. And to have won the British Fantasy Award and inspired not one but two movies is just incredible. When I was drunk, all I managed to do was cause chaos and hurt those closest to me, which is why, like King, I gave up alcohol over a year ago.

This book is a complete page-turner. Once the action starts, it's nearly impossible to put down. The last part of the book is so intense that it ties your stomach in knots and is almost physically painful to read. Earlier on, it's very sad for dog lovers, especially before Cujo loses all his lovable qualities. King is a master at many things, and writing from a dog's perspective is one of them. In Cujo, he does it extremely well once again. What happened to Cujo was so unjust, and a simple yearly shot could have saved him from this agonizing, slow, and miserable death, as well as the people.

Of all of King's early novels, this one stands out as it relies on horror that could actually happen to ordinary people. It tells the stories of two very different families, both facing real problems. Vic and Donna Trenton are dealing with a crisis in their marriage due to her infidelity, which is ended before Vic finds out. However, he discovers it at the worst possible time when he needs to focus on saving his ad agency from losing its biggest client and their family's successful lifestyle. Their son Tad has his own terrors in his bedroom closet. Steve, the tennis pro, doesn't handle the break-up well and adds more drama that could endanger Tad and Donna's lives. The second family, the Chambers, face a household full of demons, including alcoholism, spousal and child abuse, and neglect of their dog, especially when it comes to the vet.

The first half of the book does an excellent job of developing the characters, including a superb portrayal of Cujo. When Vic has to leave for a meeting in New York, he leaves Donna with car problems, which leads to her and Tad barely making it to the Cambers' garage when the car dies in the sweltering heat. Everyone in the house is away for a long time, and they are met by Cujo, who has gone mad due to his illness. What follows is a gut-wrenching stakeout as they are trapped in the car, which becomes like an oven. It's utterly terrifying, and I found myself forgetting to breathe multiple times while reading. This book took every ounce of my strength to get through without succumbing to desperation myself.

***I must add that Edward Lorn's review includes some really cool connections that make the seemingly unimportant closet door much more interesting!

4.5 Stars. I absolutely love both the book and the movie!

Recently, I came across two old school books of Cujo and to my delight, one of them has pictures!

The images add an extra layer of vividness to the story.

Here are some of the pictures I found:

Mel

At the end of the academic year, I finally managed to finish reading Cujo. To be honest, I was a bit unfair to this novel as I really mishandled my time. The approaching mid-term exams made me prioritize other readings and read it intermittently. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a captivating book and I had no difficulties in picking up the story again and again. It's a good book that might be from what could be King's best period (late 1970s and 1980s), although he himself admitted to writing it at a bad personal moment, going through a severe alcoholism crisis.

I think Stephen King reaches very high levels in handling the narrative, and in this book he proves it again. Still, I found some "buts" that I'd like to detail first and then conclude the review with the good things. I admit that at times I was inclined to give it a lower score: especially the early terror scenes and the general portrayal of the characters seemed quite clichéd to me, full of commonplaces: the monster in the closet or the typical unfaithful North American wife due to the boredom of being relegated to the domestic sphere, just to name two examples.

In some passages, I also felt that the book has too many pages. It's overly loaded with unnecessary information, with minute details like the way to prepare breakfast, the insistence on promoting and promoting North American pop culture. Naming beers or cigarettes by their brand. I'm attracted to the United States up to a certain point, and I think that sometimes King unnecessarily crosses the limits. Of course, there is an intention behind it, but it seems to me that "Yankee" culture in the end is not as impressive as we are made to believe. For my taste, in this case it loses points.

What compensates for that deduction and makes the novel grow a lot is the handling of the narrative. And here, for me, King, I insist, is one of the best. He proposes several parallel but at the same time connected plot lines. He constantly keeps the reader in suspense and gives the story unexpected twists. He manages the tension very well, and the ending, as always, is truly sublime. Even the underdeveloped characters are presented in a way that one can connect with them and learn their story in just a few pages.

And the book also tries to leave learnings, proposes reflections. We have to know how to look at it as something more than just a simple psychological horror story. What is the meaning behind Cujo's brutal attacks? True, the dog, accidentally sick, claims a couple of innocent victims. But Cujo is not the monster, he is not to blame. The ones he first attacks and who he constantly stalks, his three main targets, are the ones who did things wrong (from the author's moral perspective). The violent husband, the unfaithful wife, the alcoholic drifter.

Sometimes in life we are also victims of a cumulative set of circumstances, and that is ultimately the whole framework of the novel. Based on what happens to us, which depends on so many factors that it is unmanageable and unimaginable, we must rebuild. And that is a great message that the work leaves.

05/15/2021 Update - Got a hardcover edition! I can't wait to reread this book and give it justice.

September 2020 Rating - 3.5/5 stars

Watching the film adaptation first wasn't a good idea. LOL

This is a well-written book. The author's writing style is engaging and captivating. However, knowing the story beforehand really hindered my ability to fully absorb the story. One of the fundamental characteristics of King's books is his in-depth exploration of characters. In this book, almost 3/4 of it is dedicated to this aspect. But since I already knew the story, I found myself getting quite bored at times. It wasn't until the latter part of the book that I was truly entertained. The story was gruesome, it was heart-stopping, and it was heartbreaking. The movie's ending is different from the book, and that's what made me enjoy that part of the movie so much. I'm looking forward to rereading the book to see if I can appreciate it more without the prior knowledge of the story.

05/15/2021 Update

The story that touched the hearts of mothers, wives, and those who are afraid of dogs.

It is a thrilling and painful tragedy that some may not be able to bear.

It is not just a story about a lost dog that has been found.

But it is about betrayal, where loyalty exists, and about a mother who forgets herself in the name of her children's future and a father who is only focused on his work, neglecting the present.

It is about the American dream of a prosperous and modern life, which leads to disasters of this kind when it becomes too ambitious and leaves little for the present to inherit.

When King writes about something, he delves into it to understand everything, and he captivates your soul from the beginning to the end.

His stories are not just words on paper; they are a reflection of the human condition and the emotions that we all experience.

Through his writing, he makes us think, feel, and question our own lives and values.

And that is what makes his work so powerful and unforgettable.

Whether it is a story about a dog or a larger theme, King has the ability to bring it to life and make us care.

He is a master storyteller, and his works will continue to be loved and read for generations to come.

The monster never dies.

The monster was gone, the monster was dead. Frank Dodd moldered inside his coffin.

Except that the monster never dies. Werewolf, vampire, ghoul, unnameable creature from the wastes. The monster never dies.

Nope, not a single thing is wrong here.

⚠️

Cujo... Cujo... my so underestimated Cujo!

When I started reading this novel, I read more negative reviews than positive ones. I had wanted to start reading it for a while, but I was deterred by the comments of the readers (a grave error). What can be said about this novel? In my point of view, only one word defines it: "EXCELLENT". A book that goes beyond a linear plot, once again we find ourselves in the wonderful Castle Rock, Maine, created by Stephen King. Here we will not only know the story of a rabid dog, but we will also know the family drama suffered by two conflicted marriages, the breakdown of the strongest family ties, perfectly delineated and incredibly created characters, the physical and emotional desperation. Really, in my opinion, it is a perfect book. The book creates a unique atmosphere, as S.K. knows how to do best. He presents us with the town of Castle Rock, its most iconic inhabitants and the main protagonists, the Camber family, Trenton and our unforgettable and endearing Cujo, a one-hundred-kilo Saint Bernard.

At no time did the book seem boring, slow or with filler pages to me. From the very first pages, I was drawn into the story, slowly, rhythmically and in an engaging way, as the author knows how to do best. Many people have told me that it is a boring book, that it has no much excitement or that it becomes tedious. The truth is that none of these things happened to me. Quite the contrary, I literally could not stop reading it, and the book progresses without stopping, telling us about all the characters and not basing itself on only one or on Cujo. This is what I think is the most outstanding thing about the book. In fact, although Cujo is the axis of the book, it is not the only conflict of the book and this makes it much more interesting. Because if the novel were only based on the rabid dog, in my consideration it would be rather weak.

I do not consider that the book can be pigeonholed into a single genre. Without a doubt, Cujo is drama, suspense, horror and even has paranormal undertones, it is completely complete no matter how we look at it. The main plot develops extremely well, growing little by little but without falling, always advancing, generating that atmosphere that distinguishes King, where the plot inflates more and more, until it reaches a final ending that is really IMPECCABLE.

Rather than a review, it is a personal opinion about the book, which I think is terribly underestimated and overly criticized, but tastes vary. Without a doubt, Cujo has positioned itself so far as the best book I have read by Stephen King (obviously after The Dark Tower), but it has earned its well-deserved second place, surpassing books like Pet Sematary, Dolores Claiborne, The Stand or Christine.

Damn, this is not at all what everyone had made it out to be!

I do appreciate a good dose of suspense, but believe me, after spending 50 pages cooped up in that darn car, one can get really bored.

It began quite awesomely, with Cujo getting bitten and gradually turning rabid. He managed to kill a few, and at that point, I thought, "Yes! Here comes the exciting part!" But alas, that was the end of the good part.

The book then devolved into such a tedious affair that it was a struggle to get through.

The sideplots were severely lacking, especially that cereal-related nonsense. I was thoroughly sick of all that business talk. Where on earth was the suspense? I might as well have picked up the Wall Street Journal to read about business! Aargh! I really hope the movie manages to thrill me.