12/5/02
Book
Cujo - Stephen King
In the not so quiet town of Castle Rock, Maine, a new cycle of terror is about to begin. A friendly Saint Bernard dog chases a rabbit through an idyllic summer field. The dog's name is Cujo and he is chasing the rabbit for the simple fun of it though he knows he really is a bit old for such behaviour. The rabbit falls into a hole in the ground and without thought the massive dog tries to follow it. For the rabbit there is no way out even without Cujo hot on his furry tail. Other small animals have fallen into the hole and never got back out. The hole is like a small cave and there are bats clinging to the ceiling sleeping away the bright day. Cujo's barking at the rabbit awakens these bats and they spread their rabies to the good dog. Now the terror begins, but is it only the rabies at work or something more sinister that pushes Cujo into the role of a monster?
Cujo is Stephen King at his best. It is a little too vulgar to be his finest but it stands out as my favourite King novel nonetheless. From the first page to the last Cujo is a gripping page turner. The mood is excellent starting with a high creep factor that is great on its own, but heightened even further for his "Constant Reader" by drawing on events and character from The Dead Zone for extra oomph. The story is made up of several different threads which wend their way through the book. It provides an engaging look at the kinds of people that populate Castle Rock in a way that draws the reader into the book. It portrays a very living and breathing place which lends itself perfectly to the horror King is about to pop out of the dark spaces in his mind.
The pacing is good and the side and back stories are superb. There are a lot of excellent thrills and chills and enough bright spots and sections of dry humour to build the perfect contrast. This contrast only serves to heighten the terror and the bleakness of the soul that is what the novel is all about at its core. King's outlook from the perspective of the dog is gripping and gives the character incredible depth. However Cujo is not the only show in town so to speak. Even aside from the humans in this novel it has a huge character in the form of tension so strong it could almost be called Fate. Circumstances upon circumstances pile up to form the totally harrowing turn of events which is the crux of the story. Cujo is a superb masterpiece of horror.
(
Thank you for reading my review.
Bob Male)
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