What is this missing?

[scarfshabitofreading]

I was hyped up and scared to read this. I thought I would be going to sleep after three hours listening to my house creak above me thinking it's Gage with the scalpel, but I find myself less than satisfied with this book.

When I read horror, I intend to be scared, but it seems like Stephen King is lacking something. Am I the only one who feels this way?

[C. G.]

I liked Pet Semetary when I was a teen, but rereading it several years ago I found I detested the story and the writing. Offputting, bad pacing, disagreeable, it fits a lot of categories for me. I found the bizarre sequence of him traveling through time hearing the footsteps of dinosaurs in the woods far, far too much for the weight of the story to bear. He went overboard in a few areas and downplayed others, like Churchill, to my mind. The Dead Zone is far edgier, and everything in Different Seasons is fantastic. For my taste, King is either in the groove or he's out of sync, and there's little room in between.

[scarfshabitofreading]

I completely agree. I've only read a few of his books, but I liked Mr. Mercedes and Desperation. I did not like Insomnia and Pet Sementary.

I think he also downplayed Gage's "rebirth". It feels like it was rushed at the end. Like the entire book was about how his father felt about resurrecting family pets and members and not the fact that a murderous two year old was loose. I also agree that he downplayed Churchill. A lot more could've been done with the car.

It is forever unfortunate that Stephen King is not at the top of his game with some of his books.

[Celest]

I enjoyed some of his works, but King isn't my go to author for things to read. Salem's Lot, The Shining and Dreamcatcher were real misses for me. I enjoyed Christine and Cujo, probably because you can't use em as door stoppers XD

[Brooklyn]

I think the big issue with this one is that Louis was flat out too stupid to live. He is in the film as well, but we have the visual terror to distract us from that. In the book, deep in his head, his idiocy is impossible to gloss over. And yes, Gage was rushed.

[Steve]

It's one of his coked-out books, right? That would explain much.

[Carrie]

Eriel wrote: "I completely agree. I've only read a few of his books, but I liked Mr. Mercedes and Desperation. I did not like Insomnia and Pet Sementary.

I think he also downplayed Gage's "rebirth". It feels li..."

Church is a cat....not a car.

[Softbananas]

What is missing ? .... a better author

[Tomas]

I dare to say that I read quite a lot of King's books and Pet Semetary is one my most favourites. I read somewhere that this was written as one of his first books but when he finished it he was afraid that it will not be published so he put it aside and later on his wife convinced him to turn it for publishing. Hard to say if it's true. For me it is really so that the book is different from his other works. Somehow darker.
Still, I read this book several times both as teenager and as adult and I liked it every single time.

[R.a.]

Time and again, I've noticed that King intentionally thwarts the "scares" and potential surprises of his own plots by: one, providing much foreshadowing; and two, telling the reader outright the climactic event before it happens.

The reason, I think, is for, yet again, two reasons: one, to build the ultimate climax of the book; and two, to allow himself "room" and time to explore particular ideas, concepts, and relationships that he chooses per novel.

For me, his habits of literary allusion and film-script writing severely took away from this particular piece.

But, I have to say that there were many elements that I enjoyed. I did enjoy the build to the quickening reanimation of the pagan spirit.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

I think this was one of his better books, but I do agree the Gage thing was just awkward. Hated the dialogue from him when resurrected, was cheesy and off putting. Thought he did a better job with Church.