Bro!!! This was my first King book as well. I was 10, and bored as shit, off of school. My aunt knew I was into reading, and handed me Cujo .... changed my f'n life!
Ive just finished this one and Im glad I stuck with it. This was not one of my favs to be honest up until around 3/4 of the way through when everything started falling into place... and that end was Amazing! I was shocked, and very sad, to find out Tad had died. So dark indeed. I kind of wish he lived, however, I do feel this makes for a more had hitting ending. A solid read even if a slow starter!
I was very surprised the boy died, it would have been better if the mother had died while fighting and killing Cujo and the boy had lived, but I guess King is not all about happy endings 😢
I love how this was Dave’s and so many people in the comments’ first book by King. This was my first SK book as well, and I’ve been hooked ever since! I bought this book shortly after my first kid was born. I’ve always gone through author phases where I’ll read several books by the same author in a row (starting with RL Stine back in 4th grade!) Before my daughter was born I was in a Sinclair Lewis phase. I had already read Main Street, Free Air, It Can’t Happen Here and Elmer Gentry before she was born, and had just started Arrowsmith, but between work and sleepless nights with a baby waking us up, I found myself nodding off every time I picked the book back up. It wasn’t the author; I really enjoyed Sinclair Lewis’ other works, but I realized I needed something more entertaining. I had always written King off as a pop horror writer whose career peaked by the early 90’s and had nothing substantial left to offer. Boy was I dead wrong. But I always wanted to give him a try, having enjoyed the movies and miniseries Carrie, The Shining and 80’s It. So I went to the local bookstore to find a SK novel, and chose Cujo because I didn’t know the story, but heard plenty of references throughout my life (like people saying, “that little dog thinks it’s a real Cujo” etc). Cujo definitely did not put me to sleep, and I realized right away that this guy was a great story teller that had an amazing gift at developing characters (for example: the way he develops the character of the mail carrier only to have him torn to shreds a couple pages later was like no other writer I had read). Eight years later and I’m making my way through the SK Universe. Great author and great review!
This book builds the suspense right at the beginning! It's scary because it really could happen. The fact that Cujo was a nice dog at first makes it the extra notch of scary in my opinion!
Just read this, its my 15th or so King book. I put off reading this one as I prefer the more supernatural element in his books, but I will forever recommend this book to people, the feelings of heat, being trapped etc it creates were masterful
Just finished the book at that ending really kick me in the nuts. My initial thought was one of disbelief; disbelief that King could be so cruel to characters that I've come to know and love! But it only took a little mulling over in my head to realise that was precisely what made the ending, and the book itself, as (in your words Dave) fantastically grim as it is.
@@DaveReadsKing I remember as much of Cujo as King probably does, probably because I didn’t like it that much, but that scene was probably more memorable than the scenes with Cujo in them 😂
Just finished this in my first chronological read, I was very surprised the boy died, it would have been better if the mother had died while fighting and killing Cujo and the boy had lived Fantastic book though, couldn’t stop turning the pages I felt sorry for the dog all the way through. And it’s not just a one dimensional story about a rabid dog, the back stories about the Trenton’s marriage, Vic and Roger’s business and Charity’s domestic issues are all fascinating There is another significant villain in this book too - Steve Kemp A multi dimensional book
#9!! Yes ... Cujo only ever wanted to be a good boy. It wasn't his fault that the rabbit lured him to that hole. It wasn't his fault the bat infected him. Cujo was ALWAYS a good boy. LMAO .. you nailed it
All been said before, but I love how Cujo differs from his other work in that it’s such a simple concept that, scarily, could actually happen in real life. I think Dee said in a couple of interviews it kinda has 😱 I like the segment where the guys who come to deliver Joe’s hoist thingy encounter pre-rabid Cujo. Apparently a sequence was filmed for the movie but dropped cos it looked too comical. Love how there’s a bit of dark humour with Cujo going for Joe Camber’s balls! Plus Meara the flatulent mailman 💨 🤢 😂 The Sharp Cereals sub plot gets a bit tedious though. Steve Kemp’s revenge is unnecessarily crude and graphic I thought! I like Donna’s soliloquy, and the spilled milk yes or no equivalent in the movie. I don’t know how much was cut but more scenes exploring the Cambers storyline would've been good. I read somewhere anyone can write a story about a mum and kid trapped in their car by a rabid dog but it takes a genius like King to keep them in there for 3 days 😬 Cujo’s demise is a total gorefest! 👁️ 🍇 🤢 🤮 I read that Stephen likes to use what he calls the gross out! I had to look up about the Harpies and Weird Sisters cos I didn’t get those references first time round. I think the book and movie complement each other cos you can’t really visualise how grotesque rabid Cujo looks from the book, while the book has Cujo’s thought patterns as he deteriorates. I thought it was clever the way Vic says omg at the bottom of the page when he opens the Pinto boot and finds Tad, so the reader has to head to the top of the next page to discover his fate. Shocker. 😭 In the movie I’d like to have seen simultaneous cutaways of Cujo regaining consciousness as Donna resuscitates Tad. So many metaphors, if that’s the right term, and parallels with the Frank Dodd thing.
This one is around the middle of the pack for me. Nothing amazing, but nothing bad really. Avoids rambling & hitting the wall around the end of the 2nd act to the beginning of the 3rd. 3/5
Nope I'm definitely going to have to pass on reading this book because I'm a dog person 😬 plus I have watched the movie adaptation when I was a child it definitely terrified me
FYI, Cujo was not a mutt. He was a pure-bred St. Bernard. If you're not even going to bother getting that (clearly stated several times in the book) right, why should I put any store by your opinion of the book?
I’m fully aware he was a St Bernard. I was using the word mutt simply as a slang word for ‘dog’ (a common usage here in Britain), not to infer that the big old mutt was a mongrel or a crossbreed or anything like that. As for listening to my thoughts on the book? Well, quite simply, you don’t have to - totally your choice. It’s also your choice to be unnecessarily aggressive in your comments, but I’d rather you didn’t. Anyway, have a lovely day - I’m just off to walk my own mutt as it happens.
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The sections of this book from Cujo's perspective are some of the most brilliant writing I've ever read in my life.
He's the master of the dog POV
Bro!!! This was my first King book as well. I was 10, and bored as shit, off of school. My aunt knew I was into reading, and handed me Cujo .... changed my f'n life!
High five to your aunt!
Same here lol
Ive just finished this one and Im glad I stuck with it. This was not one of my favs to be honest up until around 3/4 of the way through when everything started falling into place... and that end was Amazing! I was shocked, and very sad, to find out Tad had died. So dark indeed. I kind of wish he lived, however, I do feel this makes for a more had hitting ending. A solid read even if a slow starter!
Hell yeah, the ending is brutal
I was very surprised the boy died, it would have been better if the mother had died while fighting and killing Cujo and the boy had lived, but I guess King is not all about happy endings 😢
I love how this was Dave’s and so many people in the comments’ first book by King. This was my first SK book as well, and I’ve been hooked ever since! I bought this book shortly after my first kid was born. I’ve always gone through author phases where I’ll read several books by the same author in a row (starting with RL Stine back in 4th grade!) Before my daughter was born I was in a Sinclair Lewis phase. I had already read Main Street, Free Air, It Can’t Happen Here and Elmer Gentry before she was born, and had just started Arrowsmith, but between work and sleepless nights with a baby waking us up, I found myself nodding off every time I picked the book back up. It wasn’t the author; I really enjoyed Sinclair Lewis’ other works, but I realized I needed something more entertaining.
I had always written King off as a pop horror writer whose career peaked by the early 90’s and had nothing substantial left to offer. Boy was I dead wrong. But I always wanted to give him a try, having enjoyed the movies and miniseries Carrie, The Shining and 80’s It. So I went to the local bookstore to find a SK novel, and chose Cujo because I didn’t know the story, but heard plenty of references throughout my life (like people saying, “that little dog thinks it’s a real Cujo” etc). Cujo definitely did not put me to sleep, and I realized right away that this guy was a great story teller that had an amazing gift at developing characters (for example: the way he develops the character of the mail carrier only to have him torn to shreds a couple pages later was like no other writer I had read).
Eight years later and I’m making my way through the SK Universe.
Great author and great review!
Thank you!
This book builds the suspense right at the beginning! It's scary because it really could happen. The fact that Cujo was a nice dog at first makes it the extra notch of scary in my opinion!
Definitely! Cujo being a good boy makes it even more heart-breaking
In my read of all King in publication order this book to my surprise is my favourite so far. Even over Shining and Salem’s’ Lot!
Nice! It’s an excellent and dark read!
I do like bleak story ending as it hits you hard and more thought provoking.
For sure!
I absolutely loved Cujo. Great review as always!!!
Thank you!
Cujo was MY 1st King book, too! It's got a big soft spot in my heart, too. August 2020, bought it for $6.
Bargain!
Yeah. An older man sold it to me at the local markets on a Sunday morning. I love it. Great story
Just read this, its my 15th or so King book. I put off reading this one as I prefer the more supernatural element in his books, but I will forever recommend this book to people, the feelings of heat, being trapped etc it creates were masterful
The claustrophobia is so intense!
Just finished the book at that ending really kick me in the nuts. My initial thought was one of disbelief; disbelief that King could be so cruel to characters that I've come to know and love! But it only took a little mulling over in my head to realise that was precisely what made the ending, and the book itself, as (in your words Dave) fantastically grim as it is.
Totally - it’s all so…bleak. Only bettered (if that’s the right word) by Pet Sematary
@@DaveReadsKing Yeah still need to get to that one.
Picked up Joyland earlier, gonna start on that in a bit.
@hdguy5 that one is a cracker! Enjoy 😊
Just finished reading Cujo and honestly feeling really bad for the dog himself.
I know, right?? It wasn't his fault! He just wanted to be a good boy! #justiceforcujo
The remake (if they do it) Cujo will be a Chihuahua - vicious little rats lol
@Mark68 Tad will still scream for ten minutes nonstop.
The jizzing on the bed is one of the few things I remember about this book.. maybe I should reread it 😂
Pretty memorable scene, isn't it?? 😂
@@DaveReadsKing I remember as much of Cujo as King probably does, probably because I didn’t like it that much, but that scene was probably more memorable than the scenes with Cujo in them 😂
@@otherworldsthanthese at least your reason for forgetting it is because you weren't fan, rather than being wasted! Unless....?
@@DaveReadsKing haha it just was a bit weak in my opinion
Spreading his Man Milk 😂😂😂
Just finished this in my first chronological read, I was very surprised the boy died, it would have been better if the mother had died while fighting and killing Cujo and the boy had lived
Fantastic book though, couldn’t stop turning the pages
I felt sorry for the dog all the way through. And it’s not just a one dimensional story about a rabid dog, the back stories about the Trenton’s marriage, Vic and Roger’s business and Charity’s domestic issues are all fascinating
There is another significant villain in this book too - Steve Kemp
A multi dimensional book
For sure!
First King I ever read. I thought it was a tad drawn out (no pun intended) but the last half was excellent.
Also my first King!
I finished reading Cujo 5 mins ago and it is great. It is my 2nd king book (1st was carrie) and the ending is bleak but good
Totally! Glad you enjoyed it!
#9!! Yes ... Cujo only ever wanted to be a good boy. It wasn't his fault that the rabbit lured him to that hole. It wasn't his fault the bat infected him. Cujo was ALWAYS a good boy. LMAO .. you nailed it
#justiceforcuj
I thought I recognized the Rabbit it was a descendent of the Rabbit of Caerbannog lol
@@Mark-nh2hs
You tit ... I soiled my armor, I was so scared!
@@davidphillips9726 🤣🤣🤣🤣 "one rabbit stew coming up".
So why did King want a happy ending to this in movie form and then praised the film version of the mist❓
Who knows? Different horses for different course I guess?
All been said before, but I love how Cujo differs from his other work in that it’s such a simple concept that, scarily, could actually happen in real life. I think Dee said in a couple of interviews it kinda has 😱 I like the segment where the guys who come to deliver Joe’s hoist thingy encounter pre-rabid Cujo. Apparently a sequence was filmed for the movie but dropped cos it looked too comical.
Love how there’s a bit of dark humour with Cujo going for Joe Camber’s balls! Plus Meara the flatulent mailman 💨 🤢 😂 The Sharp Cereals sub plot gets a bit tedious though. Steve Kemp’s revenge is unnecessarily crude and graphic I thought! I like Donna’s soliloquy, and the spilled milk yes or no equivalent in the movie.
I don’t know how much was cut but more scenes exploring the Cambers storyline would've been good.
I read somewhere anyone can write a story about a mum and kid trapped in their car by a rabid dog but it takes a genius like King to keep them in there for 3 days 😬
Cujo’s demise is a total gorefest! 👁️ 🍇 🤢 🤮 I read that Stephen likes to use what he calls the gross out! I had to look up about the Harpies and Weird Sisters cos I didn’t get those references first time round. I think the book and movie complement each other cos you can’t really visualise how grotesque rabid Cujo looks from the book, while the book has Cujo’s thought patterns as he deteriorates.
I thought it was clever the way Vic says omg at the bottom of the page when he opens the Pinto boot and finds Tad, so the reader has to head to the top of the next page to discover his fate. Shocker. 😭 In the movie I’d like to have seen simultaneous cutaways of Cujo regaining consciousness as Donna resuscitates Tad.
So many metaphors, if that’s the right term, and parallels with the Frank Dodd thing.
Loads of great observations here - for a book that King was so drunk he doesn’t remember writing, he did an amazing job!
@@DaveReadsKing I concur. I have read some of his other novels but Cujo is excellent.
love the movie too
Yes! That dog deserved an Oscar
This one is around the middle of the pack for me. Nothing amazing, but nothing bad really. Avoids rambling & hitting the wall around the end of the 2nd act to the beginning of the 3rd. 3/5
Fair enough - I love how tense this is and how bleak the ending is
@@DaveReadsKing yeah, just finished the book, never knew Cujo was replaced by Willie
Nope I'm definitely going to have to pass on reading this book because I'm a dog person 😬 plus I have watched the movie adaptation when I was a child it definitely terrified me
I'm a dog person too - would definitely recommend reading it! Cujo is a good boy after all!
It was also his owners fault for not getting him a rabies vaccine.
Absolutely!
I prefer the book ending.
Same!
69th like, I feel honoured
Filth!
FYI, Cujo was not a mutt. He was a pure-bred St. Bernard. If you're not even going to bother getting that (clearly stated several times in the book) right, why should I put any store by your opinion of the book?
I’m fully aware he was a St Bernard. I was using the word mutt simply as a slang word for ‘dog’ (a common usage here in Britain), not to infer that the big old mutt was a mongrel or a crossbreed or anything like that. As for listening to my thoughts on the book? Well, quite simply, you don’t have to - totally your choice. It’s also your choice to be unnecessarily aggressive in your comments, but I’d rather you didn’t. Anyway, have a lovely day - I’m just off to walk my own mutt as it happens.