Cujo was the first Stephen King book I ever read. This horror novel is, among other things, about a rabid dog. While it certainly is not a favorite of mine, it gave me a good introduction to King’s writing style. I still have not seen the movie adaptation.

Stephen King wrote this novel early in his beginnings as a successful author. He was hot off the big sales of his novels like Carrie and The Dead Zone. Like so many artists, he was dabbling with a lot of drugs and alcohol back then. In his memoir, On Writing, King admits that he does not remember even writing this book. I always thought this story rambled on too much with the subplots, and his drug-fueled amnesia reinforces my opinion.

Saint Bernard dogs have always been the big lovable animals you see in movies like Beethoven or on commercials. Despite their immense size, you just never hear any stories about them being aggressive. For that reason, King took the opportunity to make a monster out of this seemingly harmless animal. That’s what makes a good horror story – turning the normal or unexpected into something scary.

This story begins with a big happy St. Bernard chasing a rabbit through a field. When the rabbit disappears down a hole, the dog naturally looks into the hole. Unfortunately for him, some bats come out and one of them bites him. The bat was carrying rabies, and very soon the lovable St. Bernard is frothing at the mouth and ready to tear apart whoever gets in the way.

The people who get in Cujo’s way are a woman and her son, and together they are trapped inside their car in a remote area with no help in sight. This book was written long before cellular or even cordless phones were around, so there was no easy way to call for help. They couldn’t exactly leave the car and run because Cujo was circling the vehicle like a hungry shark.

Like many of King’s novels, this one has multiple running plot lines with richly developed characters. I thought some of the characters in this one were over-developed. The story varies between the personal dealings of some characters and the problems with the mother and son trapped by the dog. King does a great job of putting you into the mindset of the characters and going into great detail about the horror they experience.

What makes this story work is the way it uses common horror themes like isolation and claustrophobia. Having the added layer of drama with a mother trying to protect her son also helps create tension. Imagine being in a situation like this where the protagonists are stuck inside what should be a refuge (their car) and just a short distance away from help, but unable to reach it. What’s keeping them safe is also their prison, and could possibly become their tomb.

Cujo is by no means a classic novel, but it has done well to engrain itself into pop culture. Many times you will hear the name in movies and television shows when someone speaks of crazy dogs. Even if the book isn’t that great, Stephen King has created such a memorable situation that people still use the name today. That’s why King is still selling millions of books.

Banned Books Write-Off:

This review has been part of pestyside’s Banned Book Write-Off. Click here for a list of participants and rules, as well as a link to a list of other banned books.


Recommended: Yes