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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Though now dated due to technological advancements, Cujo is still a riveting story. I could only imagine reading this before the days of cell phones. King is able to take an event that could happen to anyone (though much more plausible in the time period that it was written) and make it into a nightmare. Take a good dog with rabies, mix in some car troubles, a dash of broken home(s), and you have a deeply dark story that is as hard to put down.
From the heights of Pet Sematary to… Cujo. You could argue that it’s about the wild, random variables that come together to cause a tragedy, but I’ve never experienced filler like this before. I’ll give it three stars because King can write and he’s one of the greats with character backstory, but maaaan I could have done some skimming. Cynically it seems like King had a great short story or novella, but the publishers wanted a full book so he obliged. Just speculating, though.
Great read with excellent build up at the end. Very sad story, though. I must admit - what happens at the end, I never saw it coming, and it got me good.
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The beginning was a slog to get through. I can’t believe we spent that much time on cereal; there was no point to it because it didn’t matter in the end. The writing about the monster in the closet was excellent. Stephen King’s writing paints a perfect picture in your head and your heart can’t help but skip a beat as you read each line.
medium-paced
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I like Cujo but I don't think it stands among the best of Stephen King's books. Cujo is probably smack in the middle for King's bibliography, it doesn't come close to reaching the heights of IT or Misery but is much better than duds like Roadwork or Rage. Cujo struggles from being a bit too drawn out and about family drama for a book that should centrally be about a killer dog. The first half of the book is all set up and it works, but it just isn't exciting or all that memorable. Reading Cujo is enhanced for those who have read King's Deadzone as it mentions prominently Frank Dodd, Sheriff Bannerman, and takes place in Castle Rock. The ending is one of King's better ones.
P.S. What was going on in the kid's closet? was there actually anything supernatural going on?
P.S. What was going on in the kid's closet? was there actually anything supernatural going on?
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dammit King, just dammit. This is a tense gut wrenching tale of a good dog with the worst luck as he gets injured by a rabid bat, passing the disease onto him and turning him into a monster, a monster he tries to fight but it is a fight he cannot win, which King kindly presents through dog-ologue at times through the book (dammit King!). Add to that the complex lives of those humans around him and how they are wrestling with demons of other sorts and you have the makings for building tension, stress, anxiety, and ultimate heartbreak. Personally I found Cujo's story the worst of them all (yes I have more sympathy and empathy for non humans than humans, I accept this is unpalatable for many) as none of what happened was his fault, he was just a doggo doing doggo things. Having said that King's ability to create and develop characters that you care about is second to few, even at the height of his addictions. The lack of chapters makes this an even faster read (don't worry there are break points) as the stories flow and come together into an epic final showdown. This may not be King's greatest work but I loved it for all its tension and devastation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Domestic abuse
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated