What do you think?
Rate this book
Cujo is a huge Saint Bernard dog, the best friend Brett Camber has ever had. Then one day Cujo chases a rabbit into a bolt hole. Except it isn't a rabbit warren any more. It is a cave inhabited by rabid bats.
And Cujo falls sick. Very sick.
What happens to Cujo, how he becomes a horrifying vortex inexorably drawing in all the people around him, makes for one of the most heatt-stopping novels Stephen King has written.
And Cujo falls sick. Very sick.
What happens to Cujo, how he becomes a horrifying vortex inexorably drawing in all the people around him, makes for one of the most heatt-stopping novels Stephen King has written.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
About the author
Stephen King
2,137 books901k followersStephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 11,682 reviews
January 9, 2013
Original rating: 4 stars
Re-read rating: 5+ stars
It is great when a book is better than I remember! In fact, this may be my favorite Stephen King re-read so far.
I noticed that in general this book tends to get 3 to 3.5 star ratings. While I haven't dug too deep into why this is, if I had to guess I am thinking it is likely because most of this book is not about Cujo. There is a lot of really great extra storytelling and exposition beyond the rabid dog. And, again, this is just guessing, but I figure a lot of people go in wanting the horror of the monster dog, but that doesn't really get going in earnest until two or three hundred pages in. The buildup is fantastic.
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 in the end under the shadow of a drooling, snarling, and insane St. Bernard; a monster of fate, not through any fault of his own - a truly tragic villain.
And the ending? Absolutely gut-wrenching and chilling! I was riveted until the very last page!
I will be adding this to the list of recommendations for first time King readers. If you don't like this one, I am not sure you will end up liking King in general.
Side note:. I didn't remember until the re-read that this book is basically a sequel to The Dead Zone. So, if you are considering reading that one as well as Cujo, read The Dead Zone first.
Re-read rating: 5+ stars
It is great when a book is better than I remember! In fact, this may be my favorite Stephen King re-read so far.
I noticed that in general this book tends to get 3 to 3.5 star ratings. While I haven't dug too deep into why this is, if I had to guess I am thinking it is likely because most of this book is not about Cujo. There is a lot of really great extra storytelling and exposition beyond the rabid dog. And, again, this is just guessing, but I figure a lot of people go in wanting the horror of the monster dog, but that doesn't really get going in earnest until two or three hundred pages in. The buildup is fantastic.
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 in the end under the shadow of a drooling, snarling, and insane St. Bernard; a monster of fate, not through any fault of his own - a truly tragic villain.
And the ending? Absolutely gut-wrenching and chilling! I was riveted until the very last page!
I will be adding this to the list of recommendations for first time King readers. If you don't like this one, I am not sure you will end up liking King in general.
Side note:. I didn't remember until the re-read that this book is basically a sequel to The Dead Zone. So, if you are considering reading that one as well as Cujo, read The Dead Zone first.
October 22, 2020
That´s what is happening when a year long mixed substance abuse drug alcohol trip doesn´t go ingenious with the works It, Different Seasons, Pet Sematary, Misery, etc., but turns to a literary horror trip for the readers.
At least King admits not remembering writing this one, but liking it for whatever reasons, probably typical parent´s ostrichism, although he should have noticed with under 2 permille blood alcohol, and years later after rehab, that something is going terribly wrong, that he forgot to give his characters the credible motivations and introspections to construct a satisfying plotline and premise.
He said in an interview that he got the inspiration when he met a strange guy in his cottage, home, maybe in the woods, not sure anymore, who had a huge beast of a pretty terrifying dog. Well, that was it already, in other creative enlightenment moments he wrote timeless masterpieces with a real dark force manipulating humans that is culminated into a main antagonist, side characters, sometimes even some meta, and the characterization he is so famous for, but this is just facepalm.
I knew this was average or bad because I am totally into swarm intelligence ratings, so was at least well prepared and truly, letting characters tell the story hardly ever went so wrong in his career, maybe his novel Cell as the only example I remember at the moment, but there might be the, especially subjective, one or other too. A logical, and often seen consequence of the creative writing approach without plotting and just letting creativity flow completely unleashed, are weak and illogical endings and general not really clean and believable plotlines, but there is 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 produces an average novel. Not that it´s a good paragon for the kids, aspiring writers, or something, but one has to acknowledge and honor to write better than most humans would be able to do when high as hell. Drink and do drugs to find your muse, or even more than just one if you overachievingly 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 beer, that´s 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, some bad ones too, 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...
At least King admits not remembering writing this one, but liking it for whatever reasons, probably typical parent´s ostrichism, although he should have noticed with under 2 permille blood alcohol, and years later after rehab, that something is going terribly wrong, that he forgot to give his characters the credible motivations and introspections to construct a satisfying plotline and premise.
He said in an interview that he got the inspiration when he met a strange guy in his cottage, home, maybe in the woods, not sure anymore, who had a huge beast of a pretty terrifying dog. Well, that was it already, in other creative enlightenment moments he wrote timeless masterpieces with a real dark force manipulating humans that is culminated into a main antagonist, side characters, sometimes even some meta, and the characterization he is so famous for, but this is just facepalm.
I knew this was average or bad because I am totally into swarm intelligence ratings, so was at least well prepared and truly, letting characters tell the story hardly ever went so wrong in his career, maybe his novel Cell as the only example I remember at the moment, but there might be the, especially subjective, one or other too. A logical, and often seen consequence of the creative writing approach without plotting and just letting creativity flow completely unleashed, are weak and illogical endings and general not really clean and believable plotlines, but there is 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 produces an average novel. Not that it´s a good paragon for the kids, aspiring writers, or something, but one has to acknowledge and honor to write better than most humans would be able to do when high as hell. Drink and do drugs to find your muse, or even more than just one if you overachievingly 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 beer, that´s 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, some bad ones too, 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...
September 13, 2019
I think this is one of those books that's so well known and so frequently referenced that it's hard not to have some idea of the general story-- a rabid dog traps a woman and her kid in a car. It's a great idea. But there's so much more to it than that. For one thing, there's more going on with Cujo than having rabies. This book is set in Castle Rock, so it's never 'just' rabies.
I had a quick scroll through some reviews just now and it's seems quite a few people feel like there is a lot of filler in this book. Obviously thats their opinion and they are welcome to it, but I just wanted to mention that for me, the dynamics of the small town, of the various marriages and what not were some of the most compelling parts for me. I thought the parts detailing people just struggling to deal with this general suffocation of life and circumstances to be one of the most important elements of the book. I can see why it's not everyone's taste, but I found them to be just as tense and uncomfortable as the ongoing standoff with Cujo.
Oh, and poor Cujo -- it wasn't his fault he got rabies. Or that he happened to live in a Stephen King novel! Of all the dog breeds to go rabid, a St Bernard is pretty much the most terrifying option. As I said at the beginning, it really is a great (terrifying) idea.
June 18, 2026
Cujo by Stephen King
3.25 rounded down to 3🔮orbs
Out Now!
Audiobook version: Narrated by Lorna Raver
Simon & Schuster Audio, Provided by Libby
A most unpleasant gathering…
💡 Orbs Prologue: Within the parliament of owls, I stood high upon an oak branch, much like a pastor delivering a sermon. I was the wisest of owls. With distinguished features, such as my old, worn beak, thinning ear tufts, and golden eyes of opulence, I peered down at the others. “Fellow owls, I would like to present my opinion on one specific work by the esteemed author Stephen King known as Cujo.” A series of excited hooting interrupts the otherwise stilled silence in anticipation. “While it must be said, and albeit this may come as a shock to many, I was rather bored.” A smattering of flapping wings and ruffled feathers commiserates within the circle below….
🧐 A small glimpse: As a book that most horror aficionados have consumed, I won’t beat a dead horse here. A nice dog turns into a mean dog. Blood and mayhem commence. Hopes are given and subsequently dashed, as if taking an angry St. Bernard’s food dish unexplainably and watching a 200 lb dog run roughshod through everything in its path in retaliation. It is a bit more complex than this, of course, but for spoiler reasons, I will leave it at that.
👍 Orbs Pros: The story was more complex than my preconceived notions! Spousal issues and career jeopardy pile an extra layer of tension on an already dire situation. Narration! Lorna Raver was superb, for the most part. It was as if I were in front of the fire as a child listening to my grandmother tell me a scary bedtime story. Stephen King! There is a reason he is so revered! His prose successfully provides an uncomfortable amount of topsy-turvy emotions, as if you were in the middle of the Bering Sea in a rowboat being slapped to and fro by the battering of ocean waves.
👎 Orbs Cons: While the writing is strong, the book was a slow burn! For 14 hours, I tread in this world of Castle Rock, Maine. I had this feeling that the book could have been shorter to accommodate my dopamine need for more of the incredible terror-filled passages that King excels in. Narration! Well, wait just a second, Orb! You said this was a pro! And that is the crazy part. For 85% of this book, Lorna Raver gives a fabulous performance, but then, unfortunately, there is her rendition of Tad Trenton’s voice. My oh my! If I told you that the voice was like someone taking fingernails to a chalkboard, that might be putting it mildly. I physically cringed when I heard the whiny, shrill voice, so much so that I wanted to fast-forward through his sections. “Mommmmmmyyyyyyy!” I can still hear that 5-year-old boy and am surprised it hasn’t haunted my nightmares.
Recommended, sort of! While I acknowledge I am impatient to a fault, I am now wondering if that presented certain issues with the slow nature of this novel. I have asked myself, would reading this instead of listening to it have made a difference? Perhaps! I do believe this was a decent horror book, although I am quite sure that King’s collection has a bit better to offer.
💡 Orbs Epilogue: “The reasons for my weariness range from a certain nagging issue of the narration to the discovery that the story was a tedious, slow-dragging slog. How long was I to wait amongst the survival tactics of a mother and son in the car? Whatever it was was entirely too long.” The mob, for that is what they were becoming, began to mash their beaks in angry frustration. “I see that I have upset you with this opinion. That was not…" A most unpleasant interruption crept from behind those underneath, a low, perturbed growling… Two bloodshot eyes peer from among a copse of ferns. A set of sharpened, bone-colored teeth forms an angry smile. We are being ambushed. Most definitely spawned from the depths of hell, the angry dog began to attack the closest of the owls, chomping, feathers flying, bones crunching, and pink saliva oozing down its neck. It looked up at me, cocking its head, as if this dog were furious at my findings. “Perhaps on second thought,”… I began to say… and the ferocious beast made an incredibly impressive leap and latched onto my talons. As I conceded that my life is all but over, a curious thought crossed my mind… Perhaps in my next life, I will leave the reviewing to the youth….
3.25 rounded down to 3🔮orbs
Out Now!
Audiobook version: Narrated by Lorna Raver
Simon & Schuster Audio, Provided by Libby
A most unpleasant gathering…
💡 Orbs Prologue: Within the parliament of owls, I stood high upon an oak branch, much like a pastor delivering a sermon. I was the wisest of owls. With distinguished features, such as my old, worn beak, thinning ear tufts, and golden eyes of opulence, I peered down at the others. “Fellow owls, I would like to present my opinion on one specific work by the esteemed author Stephen King known as Cujo.” A series of excited hooting interrupts the otherwise stilled silence in anticipation. “While it must be said, and albeit this may come as a shock to many, I was rather bored.” A smattering of flapping wings and ruffled feathers commiserates within the circle below….
🧐 A small glimpse: As a book that most horror aficionados have consumed, I won’t beat a dead horse here. A nice dog turns into a mean dog. Blood and mayhem commence. Hopes are given and subsequently dashed, as if taking an angry St. Bernard’s food dish unexplainably and watching a 200 lb dog run roughshod through everything in its path in retaliation. It is a bit more complex than this, of course, but for spoiler reasons, I will leave it at that.
👍 Orbs Pros: The story was more complex than my preconceived notions! Spousal issues and career jeopardy pile an extra layer of tension on an already dire situation. Narration! Lorna Raver was superb, for the most part. It was as if I were in front of the fire as a child listening to my grandmother tell me a scary bedtime story. Stephen King! There is a reason he is so revered! His prose successfully provides an uncomfortable amount of topsy-turvy emotions, as if you were in the middle of the Bering Sea in a rowboat being slapped to and fro by the battering of ocean waves.
👎 Orbs Cons: While the writing is strong, the book was a slow burn! For 14 hours, I tread in this world of Castle Rock, Maine. I had this feeling that the book could have been shorter to accommodate my dopamine need for more of the incredible terror-filled passages that King excels in. Narration! Well, wait just a second, Orb! You said this was a pro! And that is the crazy part. For 85% of this book, Lorna Raver gives a fabulous performance, but then, unfortunately, there is her rendition of Tad Trenton’s voice. My oh my! If I told you that the voice was like someone taking fingernails to a chalkboard, that might be putting it mildly. I physically cringed when I heard the whiny, shrill voice, so much so that I wanted to fast-forward through his sections. “Mommmmmmyyyyyyy!” I can still hear that 5-year-old boy and am surprised it hasn’t haunted my nightmares.
Recommended, sort of! While I acknowledge I am impatient to a fault, I am now wondering if that presented certain issues with the slow nature of this novel. I have asked myself, would reading this instead of listening to it have made a difference? Perhaps! I do believe this was a decent horror book, although I am quite sure that King’s collection has a bit better to offer.
💡 Orbs Epilogue: “The reasons for my weariness range from a certain nagging issue of the narration to the discovery that the story was a tedious, slow-dragging slog. How long was I to wait amongst the survival tactics of a mother and son in the car? Whatever it was was entirely too long.” The mob, for that is what they were becoming, began to mash their beaks in angry frustration. “I see that I have upset you with this opinion. That was not…" A most unpleasant interruption crept from behind those underneath, a low, perturbed growling… Two bloodshot eyes peer from among a copse of ferns. A set of sharpened, bone-colored teeth forms an angry smile. We are being ambushed. Most definitely spawned from the depths of hell, the angry dog began to attack the closest of the owls, chomping, feathers flying, bones crunching, and pink saliva oozing down its neck. It looked up at me, cocking its head, as if this dog were furious at my findings. “Perhaps on second thought,”… I began to say… and the ferocious beast made an incredibly impressive leap and latched onto my talons. As I conceded that my life is all but over, a curious thought crossed my mind… Perhaps in my next life, I will leave the reviewing to the youth….
August 29, 2020
4.5 Stars. Love book & movie!
Found two old school books of Cujo and one has pics!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
BLOG:
https://melissa413readsalot.blogspot....
Found two old school books of Cujo and one has pics!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
BLOG:
https://melissa413readsalot.blogspot....
February 28, 2024
Cujo is a gripping and intense thriller that masterfully blends psychological horror with raw emotion. The story of a once friendly St. Bernard turned terrifying menace is both chilling and heartbreaking, showcasing King’s talent for creating suspense and deep, relatable characters. The novel’s relentless tension keeps you on edge, while its underlying themes of fear, survival, and fate add depth beyond the scares.
https://www.instagram.com/rocknreadga...
https://www.instagram.com/rocknreadga...
October 24, 2016
Written in 1981, so another book verging on being a modern classic? Jeez Louise, how does a writer create such a terrific suspense and horror tale from the central point of a Saint Bernard? Ask Stephen King! This is a great read that looks deeper into the darkness of claustrophobic scenarios such as in closets, cars and dead ends themselves, as well as change, love and a big dog... a big rabid dog, Cujo!
One of Stephen King's most horrific early works (alongside Pet Sematary), this book sits firmly in the horror camp. A Castle Rock jam. 8 out of 12.
One of Stephen King's most horrific early works (alongside Pet Sematary), this book sits firmly in the horror camp. A Castle Rock jam. 8 out of 12.
November 23, 2016
When a two hundred pound St. Bernard goes rabid, no one is safe! Who will fall to Cujo before the disease he carries finishes him off?
I'm just going to come out and say it. Most of this book feels like filler to me. I think King took what was potentially an award winning tale of terror and jammed as much padding into it as he could until it was one of his shorter novels. Basically, it's a fantastic short story wrapped in a soap opera I couldn't give two shits about.
That being said, Cujo is a really powerful book in places. While I didn't care about a lot of things on the periphery, the core of it is pretty terrifying and heart-wrenching. No one wants their beloved family pet to turn on them and a rabid dog trapping a woman and her child in a car for DAYS is damn horrifying. As opposed to most of his menaces, Cujo is all too plausible.
The writing is good and the ending packs a huge punch. I sure didn't see that coming. It was like being kicked in the balls after you're already lying on the ground after being shot in the heart.
While I found that there was a lot of fat on this bone, it was pretty good at the core. Or marrow, in this case. Three hard-earned stars.
I'm just going to come out and say it. Most of this book feels like filler to me. I think King took what was potentially an award winning tale of terror and jammed as much padding into it as he could until it was one of his shorter novels. Basically, it's a fantastic short story wrapped in a soap opera I couldn't give two shits about.
That being said, Cujo is a really powerful book in places. While I didn't care about a lot of things on the periphery, the core of it is pretty terrifying and heart-wrenching. No one wants their beloved family pet to turn on them and a rabid dog trapping a woman and her child in a car for DAYS is damn horrifying. As opposed to most of his menaces, Cujo is all too plausible.
The writing is good and the ending packs a huge punch. I sure didn't see that coming. It was like being kicked in the balls after you're already lying on the ground after being shot in the heart.
While I found that there was a lot of fat on this bone, it was pretty good at the core. Or marrow, in this case. Three hard-earned stars.
February 13, 2019
Well, I can probably now clarify, that I'm a member of the Stephen King fan club. I literally devoured this book in a couple of days. If it wasn't for real life, I could have read it in one sitting. This book is a terrifying mind-fuck. Terrifying in the sense that the events that pan out in this story, in reality, they could all actually happen. There was nothing supernatural about this, it was all very real. Apparently Stephen King wrote this novel at the very height of his alcoholism, and it certainly shows. There are no chapters, no breaks, there is not even much time to breathe as you get sucked into the next paragraph. The story itself is set over three days, but the pace is constant. I read the majority of this while I had quiet time, and I was that edgy, I could feel my heartbeat quickening in my chest, eager to turn the next page.
Cujo, in short, is about a saint bernard, that due to an unfortunate event, turns rabid. Around the centre of this event there are other side plots going on, too. All of these events tie up incredibly well, and we end up with one huge event, but hell, it's definitely worth the wait. I expected gore, but actually, there was nothing especially significant that caused me to wince. It is the physiological affect that King is ultimately the grand master at. He literally gets under your skin, and messes with your mind, and, just when you think you're getting a handle on reality again, he hits you with another twist. He's good like that, Mr King.
Although I loved this book, I didn't love it as much as Pet Sematary,as that one completely blew my mind, but, that said, this was still an amazingly suspenseful, and petrifying read. Thank you, once again, Mr King.
Cujo, in short, is about a saint bernard, that due to an unfortunate event, turns rabid. Around the centre of this event there are other side plots going on, too. All of these events tie up incredibly well, and we end up with one huge event, but hell, it's definitely worth the wait. I expected gore, but actually, there was nothing especially significant that caused me to wince. It is the physiological affect that King is ultimately the grand master at. He literally gets under your skin, and messes with your mind, and, just when you think you're getting a handle on reality again, he hits you with another twist. He's good like that, Mr King.
Although I loved this book, I didn't love it as much as Pet Sematary,as that one completely blew my mind, but, that said, this was still an amazingly suspenseful, and petrifying read. Thank you, once again, Mr King.
August 28, 2022
Cujo just wanted to be a good boy!!! 😭😭😭
March 4, 2020
الرواية التي أوجعت قلب الأمهات و الأزواج و من يخافون من الكلاب
تراجيديا مثيرة و مؤلمة لن يتحملها البعض
ليست مجرد قصة عن كلب مسعور فقد بوصلته
و لكنها عن الخيانة حيث يكون الوفاء و عن الأم التي تنسى نفسها في سبيل إسرتها و الأب المشغل فقط في مستقبل أولاده مستغرقا في عمله فقط
عن الحلم الإمريكي في حياة رغدة و عصرية و الذي يؤدي إلى كوارث من هذا النوع حينما يكون جامحا لا يتريث قليلا ليكون له من الحاضر نصيبا
عندما يكتب كينج عن شيء فإنه يغوص في هذا الشيء لتدرك الأشياء كلها و تحبس أنفاسك من البداية للنهاية
July 31, 2011
Writing a review about Cujo is a little like reminiscing about being a teenager and listening to Black Sabbath.
Trying to describe it, and to put the experience in words, reveals the cartoonish elements in stark relief. But while being read, the novel is rich with storytelling and more complex than would seem on it's surface.
And like the best of Sabbath: It rocks.
Yes, it's about a town that gets eaten by a big, rabid dog, but King is able, and with some credibility, to tell a tale of modern paranoia and suspense, with elements of horror that are all too believable to a modern audience.
Trying to describe it, and to put the experience in words, reveals the cartoonish elements in stark relief. But while being read, the novel is rich with storytelling and more complex than would seem on it's surface.
And like the best of Sabbath: It rocks.
Yes, it's about a town that gets eaten by a big, rabid dog, but King is able, and with some credibility, to tell a tale of modern paranoia and suspense, with elements of horror that are all too believable to a modern audience.
January 29, 2019
Wow! That ending was a real gut punch. Stephen King usually doesn't do that but......
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 he didn't write it his alcoholism did. Like Cujo, alcoholism is rabid dog that will stop at nothing in its mission to kill you. Like Cujo alcoholism is unrelenting and scary. Cujo is written almost stream of conscious there are no chapters.
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. That proves Stephen King is an amazing writer because I don't even like dogs.
Cujo is a classic! A must read!
Stephen King Fans Book club January read.
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 he didn't write it his alcoholism did. Like Cujo, alcoholism is rabid dog that will stop at nothing in its mission to kill you. Like Cujo alcoholism is unrelenting and scary. Cujo is written almost stream of conscious there are no chapters.
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. That proves Stephen King is an amazing writer because I don't even like dogs.
Cujo is a classic! A must read!
Stephen King Fans Book club January read.
August 5, 2023
Edited to include new revelations on my particular dog at the end lol - 4/25/2024
Cujo is one of those books I've never not known about. This speaks a lot to Stephen King's presence in American culture; that even as a baby/toddler/child, long before I would ever read his books, I knew about Carrie soaked in blood, Pennywise speaking from the gutter, and Cujo the rabid St. Bernard.
Even though I had absorbed so much via cultural osmosis, I always skirted around Cujo. Too much of an animal lover all my life.
But I read about Patrick Hockstetter's "secret fridge" in It. I read about the unfortunate fate of Lloyd Henreid's bunny in The Stand. I read about what Hugh Priest did to poor Raider, all for a foxtail, in Needful Things.
I can now report that anything that happens in (or to) Cujo is much less brutal than any of that.
Of the million things I love about King's The Stand, one of them is the latter part of Ch. 52: the dog Kojak's POV, crossing the US in search of Glen Bateman. It's easily one of the sweetest things I've ever read.
Sharing much of Cujo's POV, both pre- and post-rabies, imbues the book with so much pathos. No matter how sick, he's still just a dog. Even when he does his most aggressive acts, you know it's not out of genuine malice. Just the actions of a sick and dying dog, still trying to do his best.
I found the writing of Donna's and Tad's entrapment in the Pinto to be tight and tension-filled. The build of these scenes, however, was cut somewhat by switching POV to Vic's PR nightmare in NYC & Boston, Charity Camber's attempts to reorient her son, and just the character of Steve Kemp in general.
While these plots weren't uninteresting - I was genuinely piqued by Vic's marketing schemes - the way they came together in the end didn't completely justify the attention they took from the clear and present danger.
But, back to my first point on Stephen King's ubiquity in American culture; Cujo is a very fascinating time capsule of another cultural phenomenon:
Star Wars is mentioned throughout this 1981 publication constantly. The characters can't get away from the grip that franchise has on their world - the kids have Star Wars action figures and coloring books, Star Wars t-shirts are roaming the wild - I loved every single mention of it. These people had just learned Darth Vader was Luke's father, but still wouldn't know what Jabba the Hutt looked like until 1983. Iconic. It was so unexpected and easily my favorite element of the book
As with Stephen King, there was never a moment where Star Wars wasn't part of my life. I loved reading of one cultural titan tipping his hat to another💕
Anywho, here's me and my pupper dressed up to see Barbie ~ Cujo would've been much less formidable had he been a Lhasa Apso :p
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 😂 So,
Cujo would've been much less formidable had he been a Shih Tzu-Havanese-Pekingese-Yorkie-Maltese mix :p
Cujo is one of those books I've never not known about. This speaks a lot to Stephen King's presence in American culture; that even as a baby/toddler/child, long before I would ever read his books, I knew about Carrie soaked in blood, Pennywise speaking from the gutter, and Cujo the rabid St. Bernard.
Even though I had absorbed so much via cultural osmosis, I always skirted around Cujo. Too much of an animal lover all my life.
But I read about Patrick Hockstetter's "secret fridge" in It. I read about the unfortunate fate of Lloyd Henreid's bunny in The Stand. I read about what Hugh Priest did to poor Raider, all for a foxtail, in Needful Things.
I can now report that anything that happens in (or to) Cujo is much less brutal than any of that.
Of the million things I love about King's The Stand, one of them is the latter part of Ch. 52: the dog Kojak's POV, crossing the US in search of Glen Bateman. It's easily one of the sweetest things I've ever read.
Sharing much of Cujo's POV, both pre- and post-rabies, imbues the book with so much pathos. No matter how sick, he's still just a dog. Even when he does his most aggressive acts, you know it's not out of genuine malice. Just the actions of a sick and dying dog, still trying to do his best.
I found the writing of Donna's and Tad's entrapment in the Pinto to be tight and tension-filled. The build of these scenes, however, was cut somewhat by switching POV to Vic's PR nightmare in NYC & Boston, Charity Camber's attempts to reorient her son, and just the character of Steve Kemp in general.
While these plots weren't uninteresting - I was genuinely piqued by Vic's marketing schemes - the way they came together in the end didn't completely justify the attention they took from the clear and present danger.
But, back to my first point on Stephen King's ubiquity in American culture; Cujo is a very fascinating time capsule of another cultural phenomenon:
Star Wars is mentioned throughout this 1981 publication constantly. The characters can't get away from the grip that franchise has on their world - the kids have Star Wars action figures and coloring books, Star Wars t-shirts are roaming the wild - I loved every single mention of it. These people had just learned Darth Vader was Luke's father, but still wouldn't know what Jabba the Hutt looked like until 1983. Iconic. It was so unexpected and easily my favorite element of the book
As with Stephen King, there was never a moment where Star Wars wasn't part of my life. I loved reading of one cultural titan tipping his hat to another💕
Anywho, here's me and my pupper dressed up to see Barbie ~ Cujo would've been much less formidable had he been a Lhasa Apso :p
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 😂 So,
Cujo would've been much less formidable had he been a Shih Tzu-Havanese-Pekingese-Yorkie-Maltese mix :p
November 12, 2025
Well, that was a surprise, I wasn't expecting anything close to even half as good as this!
It's the way of the world: no expectations = occasional banzai!
You are bound by logic, whips and lashes, to eventually read everything written by Stephen King if you're a fan of horror, but it's still amazing how great Cujo is instead of just another paint by numbers thriller.
So, who or what is Cujo?
Cujo is not a Spanish clown, circus act or a weird witch doctor, but a humongous Saint Bernard dog that becomes a pivotal threat to the well-being of a small community of people that you grow to love and, in some cases, despise.
Although Cujo occasionally takes on a first person doggy perspective, the story isn't about canine heroics or pet-to-human bonding - it's no Thor by Wayne Smith - but more about the people who come into direct or indirect contact with him.
It's also a gritty and very real work of fiction.
The lack of heartwarming doggy antics was a bit of a disappointment at first, but Stephen King creates an atmosphere of family and friends in an out-of-state region of Maine where cops and emergency services are inadequate and sparse that expands way beyond that, with its major soap opera mechanics that totally work, then becoming a work of sinister horror as the carpet is well and truly pulled from under your expectant feet.
We read about loves and lives, bitterness, disappointment and betrayal, while rarely giving a hoot about the impending elements of horror due to how carefully the day-to-day details of daily life are expressed.
Cujo seems throwaway and nondescript at first, especially as it has no structured chapters and sometimes rambles along with gaps in formatting and trains of thought, but somehow turns into an essential horror thriller from an incredible cannon of Stephen King works in the late 1970s.
I was expecting maybe a weak link, somewhere, a bit too much plodding along, perhaps a ropey or unsatisfying ending, but Stephen King does it yet again, it's quite unbelievably good.
The only minor complaint is how easily the husband accepts the transgressions of his wife, but it's a forgivable blip.
This was my ninth Stephen King book and I'm going to at least need double or treble that amount to have a proper opinion on this amazing author.
I was not expecting anything half as good as this!
It's the way of the world: no expectations = occasional banzai!
You are bound by logic, whips and lashes, to eventually read everything written by Stephen King if you're a fan of horror, but it's still amazing how great Cujo is instead of just another paint by numbers thriller.
So, who or what is Cujo?
Cujo is not a Spanish clown, circus act or a weird witch doctor, but a humongous Saint Bernard dog that becomes a pivotal threat to the well-being of a small community of people that you grow to love and, in some cases, despise.
Although Cujo occasionally takes on a first person doggy perspective, the story isn't about canine heroics or pet-to-human bonding - it's no Thor by Wayne Smith - but more about the people who come into direct or indirect contact with him.
It's also a gritty and very real work of fiction.
The lack of heartwarming doggy antics was a bit of a disappointment at first, but Stephen King creates an atmosphere of family and friends in an out-of-state region of Maine where cops and emergency services are inadequate and sparse that expands way beyond that, with its major soap opera mechanics that totally work, then becoming a work of sinister horror as the carpet is well and truly pulled from under your expectant feet.
We read about loves and lives, bitterness, disappointment and betrayal, while rarely giving a hoot about the impending elements of horror due to how carefully the day-to-day details of daily life are expressed.
Cujo seems throwaway and nondescript at first, especially as it has no structured chapters and sometimes rambles along with gaps in formatting and trains of thought, but somehow turns into an essential horror thriller from an incredible cannon of Stephen King works in the late 1970s.
I was expecting maybe a weak link, somewhere, a bit too much plodding along, perhaps a ropey or unsatisfying ending, but Stephen King does it yet again, it's quite unbelievably good.
The only minor complaint is how easily the husband accepts the transgressions of his wife, but it's a forgivable blip.
This was my ninth Stephen King book and I'm going to at least need double or treble that amount to have a proper opinion on this amazing author.
I was not expecting anything half as good as this!
April 13, 2020
4.5 Stars.
"He always tried to be a good dog"..........
Put off reading this one for years bc it's a known fact something bad happens to a dog. But then, it came to me, one of my favorite KING reads is Pet Semetary and that involves a cat....my preferred furry friend.
So......as I hit about 100 pages in, was surprised to discover there's a lot more going on here than a story about five year old CUJO the dog, his unfortunate encounter....and his sickness. And aside from no chapter breaks, it is really a good read!
But......I knew the bad was coming....bad things always happen in Castle Rock....like crazy, hungry monsters in a closet and old granny who thus predicts something foul is on the way.
And......then there's the ending. Oh.My.Gosh.
I like that King left us with these lyrics from an old folk song too: "I'm tellin you so you know, I'm tellin you so you know, I'm tellin you so you know, Ole Blue's gone where the good dogs go."
***As for the movie, had to check that out too. It pretty much mirrors the novel, except for one unexpected major difference that I thought a bit lame....and won't reveal here.***
December 31, 2024
To think this whole horror show would almost certainly have been avoided with a simple rabies vaccination. Poor, neglected Cujo. And all he ever wanted was to be a "good dog."
January 12, 2023
¡Pedazo de comienzo de año! 💥
Por fin le toca el turno a Cujo de Stephen King. Es una novela que empieza muy potente, luego tiene partes relacionadas con el viaje de negocios de uno de los protagonistas que han cortado y ralentizado el ritmo de la novela, esas partes son las que me han costado más y han llegado a aburrirme, tratando temas de marketing y spots publicitarios.
Pero a pesar de ello, esta novela ha conseguido calarme y emocionarme como pocas. Y es que tiene uno de los mejores finales que he leído.
Pero empecemos por el principio 😊
La trama transcurre en Castle Rock, población ficticia de Maine, donde Donna y Vic acaban de mudarse al pueblo con su hijo Tad de 4 años, parecen ser la pareja perfecta americana hasta que al pequeño empieza a costarle dormir por las noches, algo acecha tras el armario. Y aunque sus progenitores lo cierren antes de que se acueste, misteriosamente vuelve a abrirse y mostrar al pequeño mientras se halla en su cama, lo que esconde en su interior, entre esas mantas... ni las palabras que su padre le dedica al monstruo para hacerlo desaparecer ni la silla que coloca contra el armario, consiguen hacer que el pequeño se tranquilice, y que la puerta no vuelva a abrirse...
Y por otro lado, tenemos al matrimonio compuesto por Charity, Joe y su hijo Brett. Un matrimonio que pronto muestra sus problemas. Nada es idílico aquí, ni siquiera en apariencia como en la anterior pareja.
Joe es el mecánico del pueblo y tienen un precioso perro de raza San Bernardo que derrocha nobleza equiparable a su inmenso tamaño, 100kg de perro, ahí es nada 😍
Pero pronto la curiosidad de Cujo hará que se meta en problemas, su instinto le jugará una mala pasada al meterse en el bosque y descubrir en una oscura cueva aquello que hará que todo desemboque en una pesadilla de proporciones descomunales.
La tensión va en aumento a medida que vayamos viendo la transformación del adorable Cujo, ese peluche gigante al que nadie hace caso.
Las escenas sangrientas harán presencia cuanto menos te lo esperas y la desesperación de los protagonistas te llegará y lo sufrirás irremediablemente.
Leeremos algunas partes narradas desde el punto de vista de Cujo, muy pocas pero muy buenas. Las suficientes para hacerte estremecer.
Yo que soy una gran amante de los perros, lo he pasado francamente mal.
King sabe relatar a la perfección las desgracias de un pueblo al que parece que la mala suerte le persigue, sabe denunciar temas como la violencia de género, algo que plasmó muy bien en Dolores Claiborne por ejemplo. Así como la crisis económica, las diferencias entre clases sociales y los problemas en las relaciones de pareja, ya sea infidelidades o los arriba mencionados malos tratos.
Problemas que veremos reflejados en ambas parejas protagonistas.
Y claro, ante todo este panorama, nadie tiene tiempo de ocuparse del pobre Cujo, al que nadie hace caso preocupados por sus fútiles problemas.
👌🔝A pesar de las partes más pesadas referentes al viaje de negocios del padre de familia, que sentía que ralentizaban la trama, ese final lo es TODO.
Me ha emocionado y sobrecogido como pocos.
La tensión y las partes tan buenas que tiene, no ya de terror, sino de saber crear una atmósfera que te asfixia por momentos, han sido las que han hecho que me decante por la máxima puntuación.
Es una historia muy trágica y emotiva que te mantendrá en vilo hasta el final.
Por todo ello, no puedo hacer otra cosa que recomendarla.
🐕 "Sólo que el monstruo nunca muere. Hombre lobo, vampiro, espíritu demoníaco, criatura innominable de los yermos. El monstruo nunca muere."
🐕 "El mundo estaba lleno de monstruos y todos ellos estaban autorizados a morder a los inocentes y los incautos."
🐕 "Habían descubierto que estaba bien abrir los armarios... siempre y cuando no se hurgara demasiado en su interior. Porque era posible que las cosas aún estuvieran acechando allí, dispuestas a morder."
📖 Próxima lectura:
"El perro de los Baskerville" - Arthur Conan Doyle.
📚 https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 📚
Por fin le toca el turno a Cujo de Stephen King. Es una novela que empieza muy potente, luego tiene partes relacionadas con el viaje de negocios de uno de los protagonistas que han cortado y ralentizado el ritmo de la novela, esas partes son las que me han costado más y han llegado a aburrirme, tratando temas de marketing y spots publicitarios.
Pero a pesar de ello, esta novela ha conseguido calarme y emocionarme como pocas. Y es que tiene uno de los mejores finales que he leído.
Pero empecemos por el principio 😊
La trama transcurre en Castle Rock, población ficticia de Maine, donde Donna y Vic acaban de mudarse al pueblo con su hijo Tad de 4 años, parecen ser la pareja perfecta americana hasta que al pequeño empieza a costarle dormir por las noches, algo acecha tras el armario. Y aunque sus progenitores lo cierren antes de que se acueste, misteriosamente vuelve a abrirse y mostrar al pequeño mientras se halla en su cama, lo que esconde en su interior, entre esas mantas... ni las palabras que su padre le dedica al monstruo para hacerlo desaparecer ni la silla que coloca contra el armario, consiguen hacer que el pequeño se tranquilice, y que la puerta no vuelva a abrirse...
Y por otro lado, tenemos al matrimonio compuesto por Charity, Joe y su hijo Brett. Un matrimonio que pronto muestra sus problemas. Nada es idílico aquí, ni siquiera en apariencia como en la anterior pareja.
Joe es el mecánico del pueblo y tienen un precioso perro de raza San Bernardo que derrocha nobleza equiparable a su inmenso tamaño, 100kg de perro, ahí es nada 😍
Pero pronto la curiosidad de Cujo hará que se meta en problemas, su instinto le jugará una mala pasada al meterse en el bosque y descubrir en una oscura cueva aquello que hará que todo desemboque en una pesadilla de proporciones descomunales.
La tensión va en aumento a medida que vayamos viendo la transformación del adorable Cujo, ese peluche gigante al que nadie hace caso.
Las escenas sangrientas harán presencia cuanto menos te lo esperas y la desesperación de los protagonistas te llegará y lo sufrirás irremediablemente.
Leeremos algunas partes narradas desde el punto de vista de Cujo, muy pocas pero muy buenas. Las suficientes para hacerte estremecer.
Yo que soy una gran amante de los perros, lo he pasado francamente mal.
King sabe relatar a la perfección las desgracias de un pueblo al que parece que la mala suerte le persigue, sabe denunciar temas como la violencia de género, algo que plasmó muy bien en Dolores Claiborne por ejemplo. Así como la crisis económica, las diferencias entre clases sociales y los problemas en las relaciones de pareja, ya sea infidelidades o los arriba mencionados malos tratos.
Problemas que veremos reflejados en ambas parejas protagonistas.
Y claro, ante todo este panorama, nadie tiene tiempo de ocuparse del pobre Cujo, al que nadie hace caso preocupados por sus fútiles problemas.
👌🔝A pesar de las partes más pesadas referentes al viaje de negocios del padre de familia, que sentía que ralentizaban la trama, ese final lo es TODO.
Me ha emocionado y sobrecogido como pocos.
La tensión y las partes tan buenas que tiene, no ya de terror, sino de saber crear una atmósfera que te asfixia por momentos, han sido las que han hecho que me decante por la máxima puntuación.
Es una historia muy trágica y emotiva que te mantendrá en vilo hasta el final.
Por todo ello, no puedo hacer otra cosa que recomendarla.
🐕 "Sólo que el monstruo nunca muere. Hombre lobo, vampiro, espíritu demoníaco, criatura innominable de los yermos. El monstruo nunca muere."
🐕 "El mundo estaba lleno de monstruos y todos ellos estaban autorizados a morder a los inocentes y los incautos."
🐕 "Habían descubierto que estaba bien abrir los armarios... siempre y cuando no se hurgara demasiado en su interior. Porque era posible que las cosas aún estuvieran acechando allí, dispuestas a morder."
📖 Próxima lectura:
"El perro de los Baskerville" - Arthur Conan Doyle.
📚 https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 📚
August 16, 2018
4.5 estrellas
Regreso a hacerle la reseña
Regreso a hacerle la reseña
April 29, 2024
One of the best things about Cujo is the sense of dread throughout this book.
The ending is a punch in the face and not just any punch. It’s coming from Mike Tyson!
Cujo is set in Castle Rock, Maine and involves the Trenton family and a Saint Bernard named Cujo.
The most fascinating thing for me in this book was seeing a fun loving dog turn into a raging monster.
I also have a large dog that’s a gentle giant. To me, this was psychological horror at its best while I was petting him. 🫠😂
You know deep down as a reader, this shouldn’t be happening to Cujo or any well loved pet.
In the beginning of the book, the characters of Vic, Roger and the Cambers family felt like filler. The book felt a bit bloated and I didn’t care about a stupid business trip.
I was struggling to connect with one character until Donna showed up. When her character comes into the story and you see the drama that’s about to slap the Trenton family, I was more invested into this plot.
I guess I needed some messiness with our characters!
And obviously, there's lots of punching and slapping going on in this review. 🤷🏼♀️😂🤣
I love how Stephen King shows the fears, demons and desires of all of the characters in this book. He ramps up the tension, suspense and horror, and makes it impossible to put this down at the end.
As a reader, you’ll question your own capacity for violence and madness just like our good boy Cujo does. This plot ended up triggering my claustrophobia issues and I felt the full scale of horror at the end with Donna, Tad and Cujo. Well done sir!
In my opinion, that’s why Cujo is a must read for horror and Stephen King fans!
The ending is a punch in the face and not just any punch. It’s coming from Mike Tyson!
Cujo is set in Castle Rock, Maine and involves the Trenton family and a Saint Bernard named Cujo.
The most fascinating thing for me in this book was seeing a fun loving dog turn into a raging monster.
I also have a large dog that’s a gentle giant. To me, this was psychological horror at its best while I was petting him. 🫠😂
You know deep down as a reader, this shouldn’t be happening to Cujo or any well loved pet.
In the beginning of the book, the characters of Vic, Roger and the Cambers family felt like filler. The book felt a bit bloated and I didn’t care about a stupid business trip.
I was struggling to connect with one character until Donna showed up. When her character comes into the story and you see the drama that’s about to slap the Trenton family, I was more invested into this plot.
I guess I needed some messiness with our characters!
And obviously, there's lots of punching and slapping going on in this review. 🤷🏼♀️😂🤣
I love how Stephen King shows the fears, demons and desires of all of the characters in this book. He ramps up the tension, suspense and horror, and makes it impossible to put this down at the end.
As a reader, you’ll question your own capacity for violence and madness just like our good boy Cujo does. This plot ended up triggering my claustrophobia issues and I felt the full scale of horror at the end with Donna, Tad and Cujo. Well done sir!
In my opinion, that’s why Cujo is a must read for horror and Stephen King fans!
August 20, 2007
I'm guessing that many of you own or have owned a dog at some point in your life. And, i'm also guessing that you'd consider said dog to be loyal to you and part of your family. So, I ask you, can you possibly imagine what you'd do if your dog went rabid?
Pooch would lose his appetite. Start to become easily confused. Tired. His brain would melt and with that he'd forget about you. Forget the loyalty and love he held for you.
He'd feel intense pain.
In his eyes YOU would become the reason that he feels this pain.
Mix this with a claustrophobic seige over a few days, some marital issues, a child that suffers from sleepless nights and you have Cujo.
King really doesn't hold back any punches with this. Be warned. It's bleak, but an amazing read.
Pooch would lose his appetite. Start to become easily confused. Tired. His brain would melt and with that he'd forget about you. Forget the loyalty and love he held for you.
He'd feel intense pain.
In his eyes YOU would become the reason that he feels this pain.
Mix this with a claustrophobic seige over a few days, some marital issues, a child that suffers from sleepless nights and you have Cujo.
King really doesn't hold back any punches with this. Be warned. It's bleak, but an amazing read.
September 23, 2012
Cujo is such a good dog, so why is he glaring and growling and grinning? A crazy kaleidoscope of coincidences leaves a mother and her four year old son stranded in their Pinto in the dooryard of a shade tree mechanic on a dead end road. Not just stranded, but trapped in the car. A Pandora's Box has been opened here and there is nothing but misery to be had as a result. The unrelenting heat, the desperation, the disbelief at not being able to protect your little kid is horrifying.
Monsters are real, they are out there in our world and you don't always have to look that closely to see them. Coincidences, do they really happen, or do they just pave the way that you were destined to travel all along?
Monsters are real, they are out there in our world and you don't always have to look that closely to see them. Coincidences, do they really happen, or do they just pave the way that you were destined to travel all along?
May 9, 2025
Cujo is so much more than just a tragic tale of a dog, it’s a trajic story of two families falling apart in very different ways. A marriage in shambles after an affair. A woman stuck with an abusive, controlling husband. And a good boy who just happened to get rabies.
I went into this book just expecting a big focus on Cujo, but all these dynamics in Castle Rock made the book just as terrifying to me. This is, in my opinion, what King does best, quietly building a whole town full of messy lives and layered relationships, and then showing just how fast everything can fall apart.
In the end, Cujo was always a good boy 💔 he was just hit with something far beyond his control.
I went into this book just expecting a big focus on Cujo, but all these dynamics in Castle Rock made the book just as terrifying to me. This is, in my opinion, what King does best, quietly building a whole town full of messy lives and layered relationships, and then showing just how fast everything can fall apart.
In the end, Cujo was always a good boy 💔 he was just hit with something far beyond his control.
July 27, 2017
If you're looking for a creepy read, this is it. "Cujo" was written during a time in which Stephen King was doing drugs, and it was exactly for that reason that I wanted to read it.
Cujo is a cute, however big, St. Bernhards dog, who one day gets bitten by a rabid bat. This incidence turns Cujo into monster who longs for food and no one can feel safe around this formerly beloved dog.
The scenes with Cujo were nerve-wracking, but what I loved the most about this novel were the characters which we get to know very well. "Cujo" features children and adults who all find themselves in everyday situations when Cujo appears and makes their lives a living hell. I think that if you have a fear of rabid animals, this book will certainly hit you. To me personally, it wasn't the scariest book I've ever read, but it definitely contains some chapters and (car) scenes which will stick to my mind.
Cujo is a cute, however big, St. Bernhards dog, who one day gets bitten by a rabid bat. This incidence turns Cujo into monster who longs for food and no one can feel safe around this formerly beloved dog.
The scenes with Cujo were nerve-wracking, but what I loved the most about this novel were the characters which we get to know very well. "Cujo" features children and adults who all find themselves in everyday situations when Cujo appears and makes their lives a living hell. I think that if you have a fear of rabid animals, this book will certainly hit you. To me personally, it wasn't the scariest book I've ever read, but it definitely contains some chapters and (car) scenes which will stick to my mind.
October 4, 2020
FORMULA ANTIMOSTRO
Per Tad
Mostri, state fuori da questa stanza!
Lo spazio per voi non è abbastanza.
Sotto il letto di Tad non c'è posto,
E quello che ci prova andrà arrosto!
Nell'armadio di Tad non c'è spazio
E per quello che ci prova sarà uno strazio!
Alla finestra di Tad non t'affacciare
Vedresti cose da far tremare!
Niente vampiri e lupi e morti vivi
Non c'è posto qui per i cattivi!
Niente farà del male a Tad per tutta la notte
A chi ci prova una manica di botte!
Quando ero bambino fui aggredito da due pastori maremmani una mattina mentre andavo a scuola. L'intervento provvidenziale di due operatori ecologici evitò il peggio, ma da allora mi è rimasta la fobia dei cani al punto tale che per anni non sono riuscito ad accarezzare un barboncino oppure cambiavo strada in caso incrociassi qualche suo simile più grande.
Cujo stava sdraiato nella penombra dell'officina. Faceva caldo li dentro, ma fuori era ancora peggio... E poi fuori c'era anche il riverbero del sole che era insopportabile. Non era mai stato così. A dire la verità non si era mai accorto prima delle diverse intensità della luce. Era un fatto nuovo nella sua vita. Gli faceva male la testa. Gli facevano male i muscoli. La luce gli faceva male agli occhi. Aveva caldo.
Con il passare degli anni il mio terrore dei cani è diventato paura ed infine semplice disagio, anche se qualche volta ho delle ricadute, così ho potuto finalmente leggere questo libro, comprato in una Mondadori circa venti anni fa insieme ad un'altra decina di romanzi di Stephen King in offerta a metà prezzo durante una promozione, e lasciato ad ammuffire sugli scaffali della mia libreria perché non riuscivo neanche a guardarne la copertina senza sentirmi male.
Quando dormiva faceva sogni di inconsueta e piacevole vividezza. In uno di quei sogni aveva straziato IL RAGAZZO, gli aveva squarciato la gola e poi gli aveva scavato fuori gomitoli fumanti di viscere. Si era svegliato guaendo, con guizzi nervosi per tutto il corpo.
Un gran bel racconto con personaggi ben delineati e sviluppati che si legge quasi tutto d'un fiato fino all'impietoso finale, purtroppo spoileratomi da un paio di recensioni, ed ho adorato come il defunto psicopatico poliziotto Frank Dodd de La Zona Morta sia praticamente diventato il boogeyman di Castle Rock.
Vedeva le sue grandi zanne. E di nuovo ebbe quella terribile sensazione che il cane stesse guardando lei, non una donna che il caso aveva intrappolato in macchina con il suo figlioletto, bensì Donna Trenton, come se fosse rimasto li tutto il tempo ad aspettare che arrivasse.
Non siamo ai livelli del precedente Le Notti di Salem o del successivo Pet Sematary che ho letto e riletto alla follia in gioventù, ma qui si respirano tutte le atmosfere del King anni d'oro, con una Castle Rock che più viva non si può e la tragedia della famiglia Trevor probabilmente mi resterà impressa per sempre nella memoria.
Effetto serra. Il volantino diceva che la temperatura dell'abitacolo di un'automobile parcheggiata in pieno sole poteva salire fino a 90 °C con i finestrini alzati e perciò era crudele e pericoloso chiudervi dentro un animale mentre si andava a fare la spesa o
al cinema. Le scappò un risolino, breve e crepato. Le parti si erano invertite, no? Era il cane che aveva chiuso dentro la gente.
E adesso proviamo a vedere anche il film, comprato in DVD anch'esso da anni ed ancora incellofanato.
April 9, 2017
The monster never dies.
4.5
Cujo was a book I thought I was going to like, but not be scared of it (I mean, how scary can a rabid dog be, really?), but boy was I wrong with the second statement! This book did scare me. It still does when I think about it. It even reminded me of Pet Sematary which is my favorite King's book, and that says quite a lot.
Cujo is a story about a Saint Bernard dog who one day chased a rabbit into a bolt-hole. The problem was that the hole was filled with rabid bats, and one of them scratched Cujo. But the horror of this book does not begin there. It begins on page one, with Frank Dodd, but because I don't want to spoil anyone I will not say anything more about that, except that I wished that King focused on that aspect of the story a bit more since those parts scared me the most. When it comes to characters, as usual, King did not disappoint. Most of the characters were well flushed out, and it's not hard to care for their problems. But my main problem with this book is that around 50 pages could've been left out, and the story would not change a bit (especially Sharp Cereal Professor discussions; I honestly don't know what was the point of them). Apart from that, I really liked it, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a scary story that will crawl under your skin, and stay there even after you close the book.
4.5
Cujo was a book I thought I was going to like, but not be scared of it (I mean, how scary can a rabid dog be, really?), but boy was I wrong with the second statement! This book did scare me. It still does when I think about it. It even reminded me of Pet Sematary which is my favorite King's book, and that says quite a lot.
Cujo is a story about a Saint Bernard dog who one day chased a rabbit into a bolt-hole. The problem was that the hole was filled with rabid bats, and one of them scratched Cujo. But the horror of this book does not begin there. It begins on page one, with Frank Dodd, but because I don't want to spoil anyone I will not say anything more about that, except that I wished that King focused on that aspect of the story a bit more since those parts scared me the most. When it comes to characters, as usual, King did not disappoint. Most of the characters were well flushed out, and it's not hard to care for their problems. But my main problem with this book is that around 50 pages could've been left out, and the story would not change a bit (especially Sharp Cereal Professor discussions; I honestly don't know what was the point of them). Apart from that, I really liked it, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a scary story that will crawl under your skin, and stay there even after you close the book.
November 28, 2021
Este libro es lentísimo pero el último trecho es impactante y doloroso hasta no decir más.
En realidad es un 3.5
La historia está dividida en dos actos que son toda la historia de la familia Trenton y la familia Camber. Más de la primera que de la segunda. Y aunque me gustó, no es una historia que recomendaría a alguien que quiera empezar a leer a Stephen King.
Ahora, el primer acto nos cuenta un poco de la vida de cada familia, lo que quieren y los conflictos que están por desatarse. Por un lado, nos enteramos de que Vic Trenton está sufriendo infidelidad por parte de su mujer con un tipo que es bastante violento y obsesivo. Su hijo Tadder es un niño con un miedo latente a su armario, donde hay un supuesto monstruo. En la otra familia vemos como Charity planea irse con su hijo a visitar a su hermana pero primero debe deshacerse de su esposo Joe Camber; que es un hombre con un temperamento bastante jodido y alguien muy abusivo. Y por último está el diaparador que hace que la trama coja ritmo; Cujo, el famoso perro mascota de esta última familia que por una mordida de murciélago contraerá rabia y dejará de ser amigable e inofensivo.
A partir de aquí spoiler de la trama bastante significativos.
Ahora, el problema de la primera parte es que es muy tediosa. Por lo menos, a mí personalmente, me aburrió meterme en la piel de cada personaje. Habían muchas descripciones detalladas sobre sus vidas que sentí que no avanzaba nada. Pero curiosamente, la historia sí iba uniendo los hilos para el segundo punto de giro, sin embargo, se puede hacer bastante lento y cansino. Aunque también es cierto que el segundo acto es sublime porque tenemos el infierno por el que tiene que pasar Donna y Tad dentro de un auto por culpa del instinto asesino de Cujo. Y estos sí que son una explosión de capítulos porque dejan bastante intrigado y tensionado en la medida que vas leyendo.
Voy a decir que el "Destino" hizo de todo y hasta lo imposible porque la pobre Donna sufriera. Literalmente, moría ella o moría el perro... O el hijo. En mi percepción es un libro que juega bastante con el destino y lo utiliza como excusa para que todas las cosas se den a favor de la trama y el trágico desenlace al que llega, lo que puede resultar hasta cómico e inverosímil.
Ahora, prueba de que el "Destino" metió mano son las siguientes: Que Vic se haya tenido que ir por problemas con unos comerciales que le hicieron a cereales dañinos; que Charity se ganara la lotería; que el hijo de los Camber sabía que Cujo estaba mal y aún así no se hizo nada; que este mismo niño (Brett), le insistió a su madre todo el tiempo para que averiguara cómo estaba el perro y nunca se pudo lograr por algún motivo; que Vic, el esposo de Donna, tuvo sus presentimientos y pesadillas sobre algo que atacaba a su familia y no fue sino hasta muy tarde que reaccionó; es más, también murió Joe Camber y su amigo para dejarle el camino libre de sufrimiento a Donna y su hijo y esta última sufrió heridas mortales pero, aún así, hasta el final luchó.
Fueron 3 días de infierno para Donna y Tad; con calor, encerrados y casi asfixiados, muertos del hambre y con un miedo hacia un perro que no dejaba de atacarlos hasta el cansancio por cualquier mínimo ruido y sí, el final es triste, por las dos muertes que lo encierran. Y sobre todo, Donna sin duda es la protagonista de toda la historia y con la única que pude empatizar. Los demás me dieron un poco igual.
Lo bueno: un segundo acto que no querrás parar de leer con un final desgarrador.
Lo malo: el primer acto es lento y aburrido para quien no está acostumbrado a las descripciones detalladas y muy masticadas de King.
En realidad es un 3.5
La historia está dividida en dos actos que son toda la historia de la familia Trenton y la familia Camber. Más de la primera que de la segunda. Y aunque me gustó, no es una historia que recomendaría a alguien que quiera empezar a leer a Stephen King.
Ahora, el primer acto nos cuenta un poco de la vida de cada familia, lo que quieren y los conflictos que están por desatarse. Por un lado, nos enteramos de que Vic Trenton está sufriendo infidelidad por parte de su mujer con un tipo que es bastante violento y obsesivo. Su hijo Tadder es un niño con un miedo latente a su armario, donde hay un supuesto monstruo. En la otra familia vemos como Charity planea irse con su hijo a visitar a su hermana pero primero debe deshacerse de su esposo Joe Camber; que es un hombre con un temperamento bastante jodido y alguien muy abusivo. Y por último está el diaparador que hace que la trama coja ritmo; Cujo, el famoso perro mascota de esta última familia que por una mordida de murciélago contraerá rabia y dejará de ser amigable e inofensivo.
A partir de aquí spoiler de la trama bastante significativos.
Ahora, el problema de la primera parte es que es muy tediosa. Por lo menos, a mí personalmente, me aburrió meterme en la piel de cada personaje. Habían muchas descripciones detalladas sobre sus vidas que sentí que no avanzaba nada. Pero curiosamente, la historia sí iba uniendo los hilos para el segundo punto de giro, sin embargo, se puede hacer bastante lento y cansino. Aunque también es cierto que el segundo acto es sublime porque tenemos el infierno por el que tiene que pasar Donna y Tad dentro de un auto por culpa del instinto asesino de Cujo. Y estos sí que son una explosión de capítulos porque dejan bastante intrigado y tensionado en la medida que vas leyendo.
Voy a decir que el "Destino" hizo de todo y hasta lo imposible porque la pobre Donna sufriera. Literalmente, moría ella o moría el perro... O el hijo. En mi percepción es un libro que juega bastante con el destino y lo utiliza como excusa para que todas las cosas se den a favor de la trama y el trágico desenlace al que llega, lo que puede resultar hasta cómico e inverosímil.
Ahora, prueba de que el "Destino" metió mano son las siguientes: Que Vic se haya tenido que ir por problemas con unos comerciales que le hicieron a cereales dañinos; que Charity se ganara la lotería; que el hijo de los Camber sabía que Cujo estaba mal y aún así no se hizo nada; que este mismo niño (Brett), le insistió a su madre todo el tiempo para que averiguara cómo estaba el perro y nunca se pudo lograr por algún motivo; que Vic, el esposo de Donna, tuvo sus presentimientos y pesadillas sobre algo que atacaba a su familia y no fue sino hasta muy tarde que reaccionó; es más, también murió Joe Camber y su amigo para dejarle el camino libre de sufrimiento a Donna y su hijo y esta última sufrió heridas mortales pero, aún así, hasta el final luchó.
Fueron 3 días de infierno para Donna y Tad; con calor, encerrados y casi asfixiados, muertos del hambre y con un miedo hacia un perro que no dejaba de atacarlos hasta el cansancio por cualquier mínimo ruido y sí, el final es triste, por las dos muertes que lo encierran. Y sobre todo, Donna sin duda es la protagonista de toda la historia y con la única que pude empatizar. Los demás me dieron un poco igual.
Lo bueno: un segundo acto que no querrás parar de leer con un final desgarrador.
Lo malo: el primer acto es lento y aburrido para quien no está acostumbrado a las descripciones detalladas y muy masticadas de King.
September 24, 2019
It might just be me but the novel Cujo is way more disturbing and intense than the film, Cujo. I was completely enthralled reading thus book. I kept letting the film characters (that I remember visually) play out in my mind to the novel. So glad I finally got around to reading this. I use to watch the film with my mom so it was nostalgic...in an odd maybe dark way. Lol.
April 18, 2017
Isuse Hriste na biciklu _________
Nedeljama nakon čitanja ove knjige osećaj izmoždenosti i devastiranosti me ne napušta, utisak je i dalje prejak. Iz neobjašnjivih razloga dugo sam želela da pročitam ovu knjigu i ispostavilo se da će mi ona biti među omiljenim Kingovim pričama.
Opisi likova i radnje, tačnije apsolutno svega što se dešava čine da sve teče toliko sporo da se u jednom trenutku zapitate zašto i čemu sve to. Sa druge stranje, upravo zbog te detaljnosti, sa likovima sam se povezala i više nego što bi trebalo. Nejasan je tačan trenutak u kojem počinje borba za život jer je zapravo opisan ceo proces u kojem nastupa užas. Cepanje dramskog vremena gde se stvara iluzija da događaj traje beskonačno iako je sve gotovo u manje od 48 sati vas potpuno sluđuje, dok pročitano ostaje sa vama i nakon što zaklopite korice.
U osnovi, priča i likovi su potpuno tipični - tročlana porodica, dete je uvek dečak između 5 i 10 godina, dok je radnja u neku ruku i banalna. Svakako nije nikakva genijalština u pitanju kada govorimo o činiocima i o postavci radnje. Genijalan je način stvaranja suspenzije kod čitaoca, kao i njegovo pecanje različitim emotivnim udica,a. Ono što me je možda oduševilo više od svega jeste to što ova priča zapravo ima kraj.
Nedeljama nakon čitanja ove knjige osećaj izmoždenosti i devastiranosti me ne napušta, utisak je i dalje prejak. Iz neobjašnjivih razloga dugo sam želela da pročitam ovu knjigu i ispostavilo se da će mi ona biti među omiljenim Kingovim pričama.
Opisi likova i radnje, tačnije apsolutno svega što se dešava čine da sve teče toliko sporo da se u jednom trenutku zapitate zašto i čemu sve to. Sa druge stranje, upravo zbog te detaljnosti, sa likovima sam se povezala i više nego što bi trebalo. Nejasan je tačan trenutak u kojem počinje borba za život jer je zapravo opisan ceo proces u kojem nastupa užas. Cepanje dramskog vremena gde se stvara iluzija da događaj traje beskonačno iako je sve gotovo u manje od 48 sati vas potpuno sluđuje, dok pročitano ostaje sa vama i nakon što zaklopite korice.
U osnovi, priča i likovi su potpuno tipični - tročlana porodica, dete je uvek dečak između 5 i 10 godina, dok je radnja u neku ruku i banalna. Svakako nije nikakva genijalština u pitanju kada govorimo o činiocima i o postavci radnje. Genijalan je način stvaranja suspenzije kod čitaoca, kao i njegovo pecanje različitim emotivnim udica,a. Ono što me je možda oduševilo više od svega jeste to što ova priča zapravo ima kraj.
August 5, 2008
This book is terrifying. More so because the important events in the story could all actually happen. They are real possibilities. This story would not work in today’s age of cell phones and constant communication, but for anyone with a memory of the way things used to be, it reads as all too possible. On a personal note, I have always kept a small box of water bottles and snacks in my car since learning to drive because of THIS book.
Any true King fan knows how he loves to tie his novels together with the tenuous threads of shared locales and characters. Cujo makes much use of the Frank Dodd “bad guy” from The Dead Zone, completely skipping Firestarter references. Dodd has become something of a bogeyman used to scare children into behaving and a fear the adults in town would like to forget.
I love all of King’s work (not equally!) but have always felt his novels that do not contain a supernatural element make the best movies. Cujo was an excellent movie! What’s funny is that there is a very real undercurrent of the supernatural in the book that does not appear in the movie at all. Dodd is that element. The novel hints that the evil in Dodd is still hanging around Castle Rock. I’m spoiling nothing here by saying Cujo has rabies, but there are very definite pointers to that case of rabies also being a manifestation of the evil of Dodd. King’s hints in this direction are not crucial to the story, but they certainly add a scary element as you read.
King has said, on several occasions, that he wrote this novel at the height of his alcoholism and addiction and it shows. There are no chapters or formal narrative breaks. You are almost forced to read at breakneck speed. Probably the way he wrote it! The narrative takes place over three days with a few flashbacks thrown in to lengthen the plot, but the pace never slows.
There are quite a few coincidences necessary for a series of unfortunate events to occur, but I never found these coincidences unbelievable or even far-fetched. Often in life, the worst tragedies occur because of a string of coincidences. In my life alone there have been times when I’ve said “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 a bit horrific and indicates gore, King doesn’t use a lot of gore in these pages. There’s some, but not a lot. I think almost anyone could get a thrill of some sort from this novel. The movie is also terrific. I think Dee Wallace gives the performance of a lifetime and it was King that gave her the material to do so.
Read it. Watch it. You won’t be sorry.
Any true King fan knows how he loves to tie his novels together with the tenuous threads of shared locales and characters. Cujo makes much use of the Frank Dodd “bad guy” from The Dead Zone, completely skipping Firestarter references. Dodd has become something of a bogeyman used to scare children into behaving and a fear the adults in town would like to forget.
I love all of King’s work (not equally!) but have always felt his novels that do not contain a supernatural element make the best movies. Cujo was an excellent movie! What’s funny is that there is a very real undercurrent of the supernatural in the book that does not appear in the movie at all. Dodd is that element. The novel hints that the evil in Dodd is still hanging around Castle Rock. I’m spoiling nothing here by saying Cujo has rabies, but there are very definite pointers to that case of rabies also being a manifestation of the evil of Dodd. King’s hints in this direction are not crucial to the story, but they certainly add a scary element as you read.
King has said, on several occasions, that he wrote this novel at the height of his alcoholism and addiction and it shows. There are no chapters or formal narrative breaks. You are almost forced to read at breakneck speed. Probably the way he wrote it! The narrative takes place over three days with a few flashbacks thrown in to lengthen the plot, but the pace never slows.
There are quite a few coincidences necessary for a series of unfortunate events to occur, but I never found these coincidences unbelievable or even far-fetched. Often in life, the worst tragedies occur because of a string of coincidences. In my life alone there have been times when I’ve said “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 a bit horrific and indicates gore, King doesn’t use a lot of gore in these pages. There’s some, but not a lot. I think almost anyone could get a thrill of some sort from this novel. The movie is also terrific. I think Dee Wallace gives the performance of a lifetime and it was King that gave her the material to do so.
Read it. Watch it. You won’t be sorry.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 11,682 reviews