Hey bookworms and Constant Readers! I'm glad to finally be talking about Cujo because I'm tired of seeing it listed as a bottom-third Stephen King book. Where would you place it? Sound off below.
This is my favorite King story. Its gritty, depressing, unpredictable. Deals with real life issues. I think the most least referenced part of the story is the environment. Just as The Shining makes you feel cold this one makes you sweat. Cujo is probably the most underrated character King has ever created
Cujo was such a good boy before the bite. I felt sad when he started getting mad. For me this book was one of the most terrifying ideas King has in the beginning of his career and I really liked it. Not on my top 3 King books though.
What I like about Cujo is it's completely grounded in reality. Its a real situation that could have happened to anyone back then, which to me is always much scarier than ghosts or telekinesis or whatever
Cujo was still a good boy after having contracted rabies; he was just sick. The people in the book were so dumb and dysfunctional, I found myself cheering for Cujo all the way through it. To me he was a victim, not a villain.
I read this book just a few months ago, and was deeply moved by it. To me, the overall message was that life is shitty and there are monsters we fear and face throughout: a monster in your closet, a failed marriage, a failed career, a sweet dog who is rabid(not feral dude). Regarding King being ripped, I think that made the book that much more raw and personal. A grand expression of deep depression. There was a scene where a random woman dies while hearing the little boy squealing with delight while playing on a swing....remember that? GUT PUNCH. Also, the final paragraph where it mentions the bunny that Cujo chased into the bat cave dying in slow, silent misery......that bunny is all of us -trapped in the cave called life. Ugh.
When I was about ¾ of the way through I thought that . . . (Spoilers ahead) . . . Steve Kemp was going to discover Donna at the Camber's (since he saw the note she left while he was trashing her house). I thought he might go there to bother her, get himself killed, and then Donna and Tad could escape in his van. I still think that could've been a cooler ending. I never expected Tad to die. That one hurt
Also, props to Dee Wallace - not only for being a screen icon, but she had to go to the hospital for exhaustion because filming "Cujo" was so taxing on her physically and mentally. She put her all into that movie. She explained in an interview that your body doesn't realize that you are going through these traumatic things for a movie and so it really affects you as an actor.
8:30 Haha. No. I read Pet Sematary and Misery, and neither one scared me. (At least not while I was reading it. That said, when I was alone in bed in the middle of the night, and the shadows in my room could have been anything... I'll admit both books did terrify me at 3 AM the next morning.) The main thing I got out of Pet Sematary was a lot of tears and dread. The suspense was beautifully built, and after a while, I started just bursting out in tears every time Gage's name came up.
I tell people all the time that Cujo is criminally underrated. I’ve read 20+ King books which include all the big ones and while others might be better, Cujo was without a doubt a favorite of mine. I found it to be incredibly suspenseful and gut wrenching. That ending stayed with me for a few days. I’m happy to hear someone echo my sentiments on the book.
I had heard average at best reactions to this story and I found myself loving it. The simplicity and the desperation of such an upsetting story had me blowing through at a record pace
I love the music of your introduction! It is so dark and so eerie (is that the right word?). I am reading Cujo right now for the first time, so far I think I enjoy this book more then the books Stephen King was aware of writing.
I almost dreaded clicking on the video at first because I was worried you'd be in the popular camp of not appreciating this one like I do. I'm glad to see that's not the case. As you mentioned, not a perfect book, but I still rated it five stars when I read it as an adult. It's very underrated, as you said. I admit I sobbed at the end, as a mother of a young son at the time. The emotion in this book, and I'd always found rabies fascinating regardless. I grew up in the mountains in North Carolina before moving to Florida and remember a nonvacinated dog I grew up with ended up getting it. As for the movie, glad you also enjoyed it too and I agree it's one of his better screen adaptations. I think the director did a great job with somehow capturing the grimness, miserable mindset of Castle Rock without having to get flashy, you could almost sense it in the air before Cujo even turned vicous. I know a lot of fans were unhappy the movie changed the ending, but I think it fit the film version better. As for Dee Wallace Stone, she was always a top favorite screen queen of mine - her acting in this, the Howling, Critters, Halloween remake, among others, she's an excellent actress with grief, fear, and genuine emotion. Something you said resonated with me too on not enjoying it as much as a teenager. I watched the movie as a teen, did not read the book as an adult. I think most of us got bored with the story as a teen or child and that this is a story adults will appreciate more when it comes to the side plots that dominate the first half of the story. As an adult, it doesn't bore me at all with the strained marriage, pressure, parent/child bond, cheating --- as a teen, I think it tended to be boring in parts, but as an adult not at all. I hope they don't remake this one, don't see how they can actually improve on it. Oh, and I have to mention I love your introductions to these particular books with the artwork and reading passages. It was great with The Shining and Why You Should Read Michael Crichton as well.
Thanks so much for the comment. A lot of his books have hit me differently reading as a parent vs reading as a teen. His books are timeless for that very reason.
The book truly frightened me. Nothing about the dog scared me, it was the people in the book. All so rotten yet so real. And the ending was so sad. Binge read the whole book in two sittings and it left me feeling disturbed.
I loved this book just finished it I didn’t think I was gona like it since I had already seen the movie yet the last 100 hundred pages I couldn’t put it down it was so good I gave it 5 stars
Really enjoying your review! So refreshing to have a reviewer who can talk eloquently and at length without cut edits after every sentence! Subscribing! Cheers!
Im not a big reader, my severe adhd makes it so that i just cant handle books most of the time. But i went through a stephen king phase in highschool and this book, along with pet semetary, have stuck with me ever since and changed the way i saw the horror genre. Those 2 books are genuinely the most tragic stories i think i know of, besides a certain episode of breaking bad
I checked this out from the Library when I was in 6th grade after seeing the movie... my mom found me reading it and took it away when I was about 75 pages in...
@@mikesbookreviews I was lucky. My mum was fine with me reading King. She told me she wasn’t too happy with me reading Misery and Gerald’s Game, but she didn’t stop me
Just finished this last night. It was my first King book and I really liked it. There was some confusion for the first 15% of the book where I was like where is the horror aspect this is just a drama. But then I started getting into those storylines and thought the book on the whole was a solid 4/5.
Been waiting for this one! Glad to see such a long video talking about it. When I read this book I was irritated on how it barely focused on Cujo, but all that irritation went away in the last 1/4 of the book. This book had me legit terrified of dogs for a few weeks, and I had multiple dreams of evil dogs and even myself getting bitten by bats, this book does everything so well, and the relationships within the book definitely need to be there, I couldn't imagine this book without forming the relationships first, because it helps the ending pay off so much better. *Spoilers ahead* The big ending and what really got me was that the Trenton's seemed to just be getting over or tolerating Donna's affair and Vic kept calling and cared about her and it seemed to be getting better, and right as it gets better you have this happening where Donna and Tad are in the car, and my heart will always break for Tad, that really made me cry. It was a gut wrenching moment when you see how hard Tad fought and how hard Donna fought for him all for the heat and exhaustion to kill him. That's the worst part of the book, and I stopped for minutes after reading his death and just sat there teary eyed. This book really is good.
Hi Mike. I just discovered your channel and immediately subscribed. I've been a constant reader of Stephen King for 40 years and just finished reading Cujo for the third time. I first read it when I was 10, again at 16 or 17 and today at 48. I started re-reading his books in publication order about 6 months ago. Cujo was the first book of his that I read and it's one of my personal favourites. Definitely one of his most underrated books. Nice to see that you appreciate the movie as well.
Just finished the novel a few hours ago and hoo boy... That was tense as all hell. I was surprised to find out that it was one of King's more polarizing/disliked novels, as I felt it was VERY good. Only criticism I have is that it could have worked with a little bit of the bloat cut out, maybe 50 pages or so. Other than that, I thought it was extremely gripping. I knew the big spoiler in the end before I went in, but even still, it hit me like a train, and I found myself tearing up pretty badly LOL. I've only read about 15 of his novels so far, and I'd say this would be mid-tier, though for context I haven't read a King novel that I've disliked yet! Also as a side note, I personally find Lisey's Story to be the most underrated King novel, simply because it's tied with IT as my favourite novel of his, but is also one of my favourite novels of all time. I love the blend of romance with horror, wish he would write more of it! I hope you enjoy it when you eventually reach it!
for me cujo is actually one of king's most terrifying works because rabies is...an actual thing, that can happen. yeah carrie, and it, and the shining, and pet sematary etc, but those are all fairly supernatural. rabies is something that you could experience in your life, and it's such a horrifying way for someone or an animal to go, and the book goes so in depth about the way that cujo's brain is being overcome by the virus.
I really liked Cujo. I never read it until recently. I didn’t find it as hard to put down as most others but that was only because of how long a few of the parts about the Sharps account was. I realized I stopped during those parts much easier than any other parts of the story line. I was invested in Brett’s life even with the extended family, Donna’s drama, even what Joe and Gary were doing and couldn’t put it down at those parts. Overall really enjoyed it.
Cujo is one of my favorites! I tell everyone to start with it, bc it's super long or insane lol. Side note: my little brother would name every pet he ever had Cujo, starting at the age of five. Every hamster, bunny, fish, etc. It was very bizarre.
Discovered your videos last week and they immediately made me want to pick up a King book. So I started Cujo on Friday. Finished it half an hour ago. Loved it. Might not be his very best but I was glued to the pages most of the weekend. I loved the ending. Now Im going to have to spend the rest of the evening nursing a book-hangover.
Misery was the book that made me fall in love with reading in middle school. So glad I found your page. I’ve revisited King recently and reading some books I haven’t read yet including Cujo. Love your channel and you’re enthusiastic review of King works.
Just finished rereading cujo and gotta be honest I still dont like the ending but at least there was a glimmer of hope Saying that I don't think the 3ndiny was bad I just wasn't a fan I personally love it and part of it did genuinely scare me as I had scary music in the background to help me get into it better I rewatched a clip from the movie and actually felt scared
Thank you for also including the spoilers. My dad was a King junky when I was growing up. I saw the movies when I was way too young. The only book I've read of King was The Dark Half. But I have 11/22/63 and his most recent? I think, The Institute. I've heard the comment about King being a better writer before his accident. Thank you for your review.
when i read this book at the point where tad dreamt about a lake and ducks and stuff and he and his mom was okay and safe and in his dream it was mentioned that tad went with the ducks.... now i think this is where tad initially died and the donna was hallucinating all this time which make things even more depressing which is good...(IDK IM MIGHT BE THE ONLY ONE THINKING ABOUT THIS BUT DAMN...)
Donna’s affair seems to trigger the events in Cujo, with Tad’s death as a harsh consequence. King might be exploring how fate or God balances the scales, punishing Donna while also freeing Charity Camber from her abusive husband. It’s as if fate used this tragedy to change lives in different ways.
@@bernabefernandeztouceda7315 Donna’s affair in Cujo seems to trigger the tragic events, as if she’s telling God she doesn’t deserve the fruit of the love she abandoned. Tad’s death feels like fate’s harsh way of balancing the scales, punishing Donna while freeing Charity Camber from her abusive husband. In the novel, Donna even feels Cujo looking at her, judging her.
@@__ZANE__ thanks for the response. I still don't see it, though, I get it on the metaphorical but not on the concatenation of events. It felt like everything was pushed together in a forced way in order to get to the main tragic thing, and then King justifies the forcing by adding metaphorical meaning to It and that is probably my main complaint about the book
@@bernabefernandeztouceda7315 I think that’s part of King’s deeper commentary on fate. The affair isn’t the literal cause of the events, but on a symbolic level, it feels like the affair sets off a chain reaction. Donna’s guilt and her emotional abandonment of her family seem to attract the tragedy that unfolds, almost like a subconscious invitation for consequences. It might feel forced because King is showing how life’s worst outcomes often stem from subtle, unacknowledged actions-what we think we’ve buried still finds a way to resurface.
Good vid, Mike. Saw the movie when I was a kid. Never read the book. The way you describe it kinda reminds me of Jaws by Peter Benchly where there is a lot more drama going on than the movie.
Cujo was my first Stephen king book and I read it in 7th or 8th grade. I remember the early passages being clearly not appropriate for kids, but that made the read all the more exciting hahah
I read it last week as part of my Castle Rock run. Wasn't expecting much, but I liked it. I think the adultery woman explaining why she cheated on her husband is one of the best thing I ever read, all writers included.
I read this book when it came out decades ago. Saw the movie and pretty much forgot about it. I'm currently listening to Stephen King novels chronologically on my phone and I'm up to "Cujo". I'm up to the part where Donna Trenton is explaining to her husband why she cheated. Biggest load of crap I've ever heard. Any husband with an ounce of self respect wouldn't listen to that garbage. And you know why? Because if HE had cheated and started spouting that s*** she never would have accepted it. Vic: "Oh honey, I felt old and that woman who was almost ten years older than me found me attractive and our kid was going to school and my mom had knick-knacks and, well, that should be enough to justify being me being a faithless spouse." Donna: "Yeah, I understand." Never in a million years.
I just finished reading this yesterday and I thought It was a great read. Sure some of the side stories were unnecessary like Charity’s trip and to me some of Vic’s trip was just unnecessary, but overall great. It did have me on edge at points especially with Bannerman finding the pinto I really thought It was over and then bam he’s dead. And the whole Tad thing caught me by surprise I really thought he was gonna make it and they would have a happy ending but no I even had to reread the page because I couldn’t believe he had died. I thought Donna was hallucinating or something like that.
It’s one of the few Stephen King’s books I didn’t read yet. I actually have it, but every time I decide to read it I think “maybe I should read something else, this other book seems more interesting, etc.” because all I know I just know it’s about a dog and I don’t believe that an evil/ possessed/ afflicted by rabies dog as the main antagonist can unsettle me. So I decided to watch this video hoping it will convince me otherwise because I hate to have this book from one of my favorite authors yet finding excuses not to read it.
Maybe it's because you're a bloke that you don't understand the familial relationships, yeah it sounds like a soap opera but these things are what makes King so awesome, you can relate, but only if you want to!
My favorite genre is fantasy but every once in awhile I'll delve into horror territory. This time I chose to read Cujo again and was not any less disturbed than the first time. The book was absolutely metal. The thing that scares me the most is that rabies is real and the book's portrayal of it is fairly accurate. Just the fact that viruses like this exist has spurred whole-ass philosophical conversations with myself about life, purpose, religion etc.
Cujo is one of my very favourite King books of all time. The fact that he was not sober while writing it just makes it even MORE amazing to me, that wasn't a deterrent. :D
I love Cujo! It was the first SK book I ever read I was 8 (now 46), I watched the movie and my Mom told me it was book. After reading it I fell in love with King and started at Carrie and read everything in order.
Finally some love for the Cujo movie. Stephen King film adaptations can be very hit'n'miss but I believe that was one of the better ones. Stephen King should be read before seen....
It really annoys me when people talk about 'The Shining' (positively none the least) & then tell me they haven't read it. I don't know why it bugs me so much, I just feel the book is so, so much better. The best Stephen King adaptation I've seen is Green Mile, in my opinion. Love the new IT series though, & was pleasantly surprised by Doctor Sleep. It's made me want to read the book again, as I was disappointed by the book thinking it would be more 'supernatural' ghosts & ghoulies type thing, more like The Shining than it was.
Ummm...not scary!?! This was a first time read for me (finished in three days) and my first night reading it I had to stop because Tad's closet monster really freaked me out. I am a 43 year old adult who WILL NOT SLEEP WITH MY CLOSET DOOR OPEN. That's a no. I started reading after I got into bed for the night and then I had trouble falling asleep because I was waiting to hear my closet door opening. Also, for me, I thought the ending was a good one. It was realistic and gritty and made me have all kinds of feelings. I also liked that you got sections of the book from Cujo's perspective. I really enjoyed that. I also felt like I read this book faster because SK decided not to break this book up into chapters or sections. It just starts and goes until the final page. So, not only was I wanting to know what was going to happen, and how certain things culminated, it was also hard to find a stopping point. Just interesting way to structure a novel. He does the same for Delores Claiborne (which I read about 10 years ago). Again, interesting structure for storytelling. I feel like SK likes to mix things up structure-wise and always found that interesting.
I'm glad you posted this review. I went into Cujo thinking it was going to be a mediocre book, but I was pleasantly surprised by how brutal it is. Horror aside, the human element in it was too relatable for me.
I feel like the statement "he was on drugs so it's bad" is so counterproductive. Hunter S Thompson is one of this generations greatest writers and he was constantly under the influence
Cujo was one I read as a teenage, and I remember liking it. I just haven't had a desire to revisit the story. I still remember a lot of it. And if I may quote Dudley Dursley of all people concerning this book, "I don't think it's a waste of space," but rather a very solid King story, and I recommend it.
The film is great, but the book is even better. The fact that we see Cujo's perspective (then being the protagonist villain) is something that worked very well. It is a psychological terror and a criticism of owners who do not vaccinate their animals, as this type of situation can occur. And Stephen King was an alcoholic at the time he wrote the book. It's as if Cujo is the *"personification of his addiction"* in the form of a dog. Good video.
The book's really good, anybody who doesn't like it just doesn't understand the dynamics of a fucked up relationship and/or people forget that there was a world without cellphones lol and this story takes place in said world.
cujo is the first stephen king book i read, and i think it’s incredible. right now i’m reading carrie but i want to get more. i’m only 13 so like i couldn’t tell he was high when he wrote it-
Watching your videos has thrown me into the world of Stephen King. I read Misery, currently reading Dolores Claiborne and next is Christine, then Cujo, then Pet Sematary. I still have to find the guts to read IT...cause I hate clowns lol
Hi Mike. I absolutely love your book reviews, especially the Stephen King ones. I haven't gotten around to reading Cujo yet, not actually sure why 🤷🏼♀️ It's looking at me now though, from the bookshelf, with disgust so I think it'll have to be next on my list. Also, I would kill for your book collection. Love seeing it in the background & could only wish that mine was so neat & ordered. Best wishes from across the pond. 💚
The decision to remove all the chapters makes Cujo a terrible book for me. It's like reading the Ulysses. I know the reason was to make it more immersive or breathtaking but it simply does not work for me. It's just annoying to read.
@bernabefernandeztouceda7315 stephen king can't even tell you the meaning of the ending lol snort down a few fat lines and you might get close to the meaning
Wow... I keep seeing comments saying I have to read this book from a facebook group tht I'm in and I've seen it a million times as one of Stephen King's best but haven't read it yet. Might have to read it. The fluff turns me off though Lol! I've seen the movie and I thought it wasn't bad at all!
I have MAJOR mixed feelings about all of the proverbial fluff that you mentioned. The iconic setup & scenario are what make this novel unique, especially the further world building of Castle Rock, but beyond that this one just feels slightly lackluster aside from the terrific literary word flow that King was somehow still able to conjure without the typical cognizance. Almost like a muscle memory thing is the best thing I could correspond it to. And while a weaker entry for me in what is considered by many his best decade of creativity there's no denying how iconic Beethoven...er...I mean CUJO...sorry, actually is in the minds of casual popular culture. With good reason as well since no one else had ever done a story quite like this one before, whereas so much King stuff, ie SALEM'S LOT, was him riffing and putting his own spin on priorly told stories. Pleasure watching as always Dude! Long days and pleasant nights.
Hey bookworms and Constant Readers! I'm glad to finally be talking about Cujo because I'm tired of seeing it listed as a bottom-third Stephen King book. Where would you place it? Sound off below.
I don't have a specific order of favorites, but it would be in my top five.
This one is definitely in my top 10
I’d put it in B tier. Better than expected. Not among his best but far from his worst
Exactly. The imagery sticks with you though@@therubberman1997
This is my favorite King story. Its gritty, depressing, unpredictable. Deals with real life issues. I think the most least referenced part of the story is the environment. Just as The Shining makes you feel cold this one makes you sweat. Cujo is probably the most underrated character King has ever created
I’m with you.
Cujo was such a good boy before the bite. I felt sad when he started getting mad. For me this book was one of the most terrifying ideas King has in the beginning of his career and I really liked it. Not on my top 3 King books though.
Certainly not a top 3 for me, nor a top 10. But I think it’s so much better than it’s legacy.
What I like about Cujo is it's completely grounded in reality.
Its a real situation that could have happened to anyone back then, which to me is always much scarier than ghosts or telekinesis or whatever
Cujo was still a good boy after having contracted rabies; he was just sick. The people in the book were so dumb and dysfunctional, I found myself cheering for Cujo all the way through it. To me he was a victim, not a villain.
@@omalleysmith9100 you were cheering him on to kill the lady and child?
Its a great analogy for mental illness.
Stephen King and the way he treats kids in his books scares the hell out of me as a father lol pet sematary had me wanting to go hug my boys.
Pet Sematary is without a doubt his scariest book if you have young children.
Exactly! In Stephen King's world anybody can get. Nobody is safe and it really plays on you when you become a parent reading his books.
He’s a pedo, right?
Cujo was the very first King book that I read. And when Tad died, I quit reading King for years. Until I gave the Dark Tower: The Wastelands a try.
I read this book just a few months ago, and was deeply moved by it. To me, the overall message was that life is shitty and there are monsters we fear and face throughout: a monster in your closet, a failed marriage, a failed career, a sweet dog who is rabid(not feral dude). Regarding King being ripped, I think that made the book that much more raw and personal. A grand expression of deep depression. There was a scene where a random woman dies while hearing the little boy squealing with delight while playing on a swing....remember that? GUT PUNCH. Also, the final paragraph where it mentions the bunny that Cujo chased into the bat cave dying in slow, silent misery......that bunny is all of us -trapped in the cave called life. Ugh.
When I was about ¾ of the way through I thought that . . .
(Spoilers ahead)
. . . Steve Kemp was going to discover Donna at the Camber's (since he saw the note she left while he was trashing her house). I thought he might go there to bother her, get himself killed, and then Donna and Tad could escape in his van. I still think that could've been a cooler ending.
I never expected Tad to die. That one hurt
Also, props to Dee Wallace - not only for being a screen icon, but she had to go to the hospital for exhaustion because filming "Cujo" was so taxing on her physically and mentally. She put her all into that movie. She explained in an interview that your body doesn't realize that you are going through these traumatic things for a movie and so it really affects you as an actor.
8:30 Haha. No. I read Pet Sematary and Misery, and neither one scared me. (At least not while I was reading it. That said, when I was alone in bed in the middle of the night, and the shadows in my room could have been anything... I'll admit both books did terrify me at 3 AM the next morning.) The main thing I got out of Pet Sematary was a lot of tears and dread. The suspense was beautifully built, and after a while, I started just bursting out in tears every time Gage's name came up.
Got to agree with you. This is easily one of my favourite endings in a King book. A real shock to the system. Which is what horror books are for.
I tell people all the time that Cujo is criminally underrated. I’ve read 20+ King books which include all the big ones and while others might be better, Cujo was without a doubt a favorite of mine. I found it to be incredibly suspenseful and gut wrenching. That ending stayed with me for a few days. I’m happy to hear someone echo my sentiments on the book.
I had heard average at best reactions to this story and I found myself loving it. The simplicity and the desperation of such an upsetting story had me blowing through at a record pace
Named my own dog after this book. Couldn’t be more the opposite of the Cujo
Ha ha same. Except my wife wouldn’t let me name him Cujo.
I was thinking the same XD
Cujo was a good dog dude, but something happened to him that was out of his control. That's the entire point!
Fun Fact the St Bernard for both Cujo and Beethoven was the same dog.
There were 13 dogs used as Cujo to make the movie.
As soon as I finish reading a King book I love coming here to see what Mike had to say about it
Same 😂
I read Cujo when I was a teen, and really enjoyed it. It's a different kind of horror, and surprisingly emotional.
I love the music of your introduction! It is so dark and so eerie (is that the right word?).
I am reading Cujo right now for the first time, so far I think I enjoy this book more then the books Stephen King was aware of writing.
Ha. That did seem to be when he couldn’t miss.
I almost dreaded clicking on the video at first because I was worried you'd be in the popular camp of not appreciating this one like I do. I'm glad to see that's not the case.
As you mentioned, not a perfect book, but I still rated it five stars when I read it as an adult. It's very underrated, as you said. I admit I sobbed at the end, as a mother of a young son at the time. The emotion in this book, and I'd always found rabies fascinating regardless. I grew up in the mountains in North Carolina before moving to Florida and remember a nonvacinated dog I grew up with ended up getting it.
As for the movie, glad you also enjoyed it too and I agree it's one of his better screen adaptations. I think the director did a great job with somehow capturing the grimness, miserable mindset of Castle Rock without having to get flashy, you could almost sense it in the air before Cujo even turned vicous. I know a lot of fans were unhappy the movie changed the ending, but I think it fit the film version better. As for Dee Wallace Stone, she was always a top favorite screen queen of mine - her acting in this, the Howling, Critters, Halloween remake, among others, she's an excellent actress with grief, fear, and genuine emotion.
Something you said resonated with me too on not enjoying it as much as a teenager. I watched the movie as a teen, did not read the book as an adult. I think most of us got bored with the story as a teen or child and that this is a story adults will appreciate more when it comes to the side plots that dominate the first half of the story. As an adult, it doesn't bore me at all with the strained marriage, pressure, parent/child bond, cheating --- as a teen, I think it tended to be boring in parts, but as an adult not at all.
I hope they don't remake this one, don't see how they can actually improve on it.
Oh, and I have to mention I love your introductions to these particular books with the artwork and reading passages. It was great with The Shining and Why You Should Read Michael Crichton as well.
Thanks so much for the comment. A lot of his books have hit me differently reading as a parent vs reading as a teen. His books are timeless for that very reason.
I read it for the first time resiliently and was shocked. Job done. As a father I was hurt.
It was certainly a different experience reading it again after having kids.
Cujo is my favorite Stephen King book, and movie adaptation.
The book truly frightened me. Nothing about the dog scared me, it was the people in the book. All so rotten yet so real. And the ending was so sad. Binge read the whole book in two sittings and it left me feeling disturbed.
Loved this book. Loved the way some of the story was told from Cujo’s perspective.
I loved this book just finished it I didn’t think I was gona like it since I had already seen the movie yet the last 100 hundred pages I couldn’t put it down it was so good I gave it 5 stars
Really enjoying your review! So refreshing to have a reviewer who can talk eloquently and at length without cut edits after every sentence! Subscribing! Cheers!
Thanks! I only use jump cuts when I sneeze or get interrupted by my kids.
Got an instant like for the Sharp cereal qoute in the beginning very sharp 👌🏻
Cujo and Kojak are the pop culture references for doggies, bad boy and good boy.
Im not a big reader, my severe adhd makes it so that i just cant handle books most of the time. But i went through a stephen king phase in highschool and this book, along with pet semetary, have stuck with me ever since and changed the way i saw the horror genre. Those 2 books are genuinely the most tragic stories i think i know of, besides a certain episode of breaking bad
I checked this out from the Library when I was in 6th grade after seeing the movie... my mom found me reading it and took it away when I was about 75 pages in...
Ha ha I had to hide King books from my mom growing up.
Ha! I thought for a second your mom took the book away when you were 75.
@@mikesbookreviews I was lucky. My mum was fine with me reading King. She told me she wasn’t too happy with me reading Misery and Gerald’s Game, but she didn’t stop me
Just finished this last night. It was my first King book and I really liked it. There was some confusion for the first 15% of the book where I was like where is the horror aspect this is just a drama. But then I started getting into those storylines and thought the book on the whole was a solid 4/5.
Been waiting for this one! Glad to see such a long video talking about it. When I read this book I was irritated on how it barely focused on Cujo, but all that irritation went away in the last 1/4 of the book. This book had me legit terrified of dogs for a few weeks, and I had multiple dreams of evil dogs and even myself getting bitten by bats, this book does everything so well, and the relationships within the book definitely need to be there, I couldn't imagine this book without forming the relationships first, because it helps the ending pay off so much better.
*Spoilers ahead* The big ending and what really got me was that the Trenton's seemed to just be getting over or tolerating Donna's affair and Vic kept calling and cared about her and it seemed to be getting better, and right as it gets better you have this happening where Donna and Tad are in the car, and my heart will always break for Tad, that really made me cry. It was a gut wrenching moment when you see how hard Tad fought and how hard Donna fought for him all for the heat and exhaustion to kill him. That's the worst part of the book, and I stopped for minutes after reading his death and just sat there teary eyed. This book really is good.
That ending was soul crushing.
Hi Mike. I just discovered your channel and immediately subscribed. I've been a constant reader of Stephen King for 40 years and just finished reading Cujo for the third time. I first read it when I was 10, again at 16 or 17 and today at 48. I started re-reading his books in publication order about 6 months ago. Cujo was the first book of his that I read and it's one of my personal favourites. Definitely one of his most underrated books. Nice to see that you appreciate the movie as well.
Just finished the novel a few hours ago and hoo boy... That was tense as all hell. I was surprised to find out that it was one of King's more polarizing/disliked novels, as I felt it was VERY good. Only criticism I have is that it could have worked with a little bit of the bloat cut out, maybe 50 pages or so. Other than that, I thought it was extremely gripping. I knew the big spoiler in the end before I went in, but even still, it hit me like a train, and I found myself tearing up pretty badly LOL. I've only read about 15 of his novels so far, and I'd say this would be mid-tier, though for context I haven't read a King novel that I've disliked yet! Also as a side note, I personally find Lisey's Story to be the most underrated King novel, simply because it's tied with IT as my favourite novel of his, but is also one of my favourite novels of all time. I love the blend of romance with horror, wish he would write more of it! I hope you enjoy it when you eventually reach it!
for me cujo is actually one of king's most terrifying works because rabies is...an actual thing, that can happen. yeah carrie, and it, and the shining, and pet sematary etc, but those are all fairly supernatural. rabies is something that you could experience in your life, and it's such a horrifying way for someone or an animal to go, and the book goes so in depth about the way that cujo's brain is being overcome by the virus.
I read Cujo when I was around 15 also. I didn't read anything by king for years afterward. Cujo was my first by King
I really liked Cujo. I never read it until recently. I didn’t find it as hard to put down as most others but that was only because of how long a few of the parts about the Sharps account was. I realized I stopped during those parts much easier than any other parts of the story line. I was invested in Brett’s life even with the extended family, Donna’s drama, even what Joe and Gary were doing and couldn’t put it down at those parts. Overall really enjoyed it.
Cujo is one of my favorites! I tell everyone to start with it, bc it's super long or insane lol. Side note: my little brother would name every pet he ever had Cujo, starting at the age of five. Every hamster, bunny, fish, etc. It was very bizarre.
I wanted to name every dog my wife and I have owned together Cujo and she refused.
@@mikesbookreviews my own St Bernard is called Cujo. Other dog with that name I met at Petsmart: tiny chihuahua.
Gordie actually makes direct reference to Cujo, saying he was a successor to Chopper to kids of Castle Rock
Discovered your videos last week and they immediately made me want to pick up a King book.
So I started Cujo on Friday. Finished it half an hour ago. Loved it. Might not be his very best but I was glued to the pages most of the weekend. I loved the ending. Now Im going to have to spend the rest of the evening nursing a book-hangover.
Misery was the book that made me fall in love with reading in middle school. So glad I found your page. I’ve revisited King recently and reading some books I haven’t read yet including Cujo. Love your channel and you’re enthusiastic review of King works.
Just finished rereading cujo and gotta be honest I still dont like the ending but at least there was a glimmer of hope
Saying that I don't think the 3ndiny was bad I just wasn't a fan
I personally love it and part of it did genuinely scare me as I had scary music in the background to help me get into it better
I rewatched a clip from the movie and actually felt scared
Thank you for also including the spoilers. My dad was a King junky when I was growing up. I saw the movies when I was way too young. The only book I've read of King was The Dark Half. But I have 11/22/63 and his most recent? I think, The Institute. I've heard the comment about King being a better writer before his accident. Thank you for your review.
Just discovered this channel, goes along very well with my Stephen King unhealthy mania.
Great content, subbed!
Welcome aboard!
Just ordered and it’s gonna be my first Stephen King Book
Fantastic! Someone who enjoys Cujo for what it is. A very realistic horror with an intense and brutal finish.
when i read this book at the point where tad dreamt about a lake and ducks and stuff and he and his mom was okay and safe and in his dream it was mentioned that tad went with the ducks.... now i think this is where tad initially died and the donna was hallucinating all this time which make things even more depressing which is good...(IDK IM MIGHT BE THE ONLY ONE THINKING ABOUT THIS BUT DAMN...)
Donna’s affair seems to trigger the events in Cujo, with Tad’s death as a harsh consequence. King might be exploring how fate or God balances the scales, punishing Donna while also freeing Charity Camber from her abusive husband. It’s as if fate used this tragedy to change lives in different ways.
Why exactly Donna's affair was the trigger for the tragic thing? I don't remember...
@@bernabefernandeztouceda7315 Donna’s affair in Cujo seems to trigger the tragic events, as if she’s telling God she doesn’t deserve the fruit of the love she abandoned. Tad’s death feels like fate’s harsh way of balancing the scales, punishing Donna while freeing Charity Camber from her abusive husband. In the novel, Donna even feels Cujo looking at her, judging her.
@@__ZANE__ thanks for the response. I still don't see it, though, I get it on the metaphorical but not on the concatenation of events. It felt like everything was pushed together in a forced way in order to get to the main tragic thing, and then King justifies the forcing by adding metaphorical meaning to It and that is probably my main complaint about the book
@@bernabefernandeztouceda7315 I think that’s part of King’s deeper commentary on fate. The affair isn’t the literal cause of the events, but on a symbolic level, it feels like the affair sets off a chain reaction. Donna’s guilt and her emotional abandonment of her family seem to attract the tragedy that unfolds, almost like a subconscious invitation for consequences. It might feel forced because King is showing how life’s worst outcomes often stem from subtle, unacknowledged actions-what we think we’ve buried still finds a way to resurface.
@@__ZANE__ great answer!! Thank you
Thanks for the video Mike. I havent read a ton of King books yet but Cujo is one of my favorites. Its a must read for any king fan.
Right on.
Good vid, Mike. Saw the movie when I was a kid. Never read the book. The way you describe it kinda reminds me of Jaws by Peter Benchly where there is a lot more drama going on than the movie.
Very good comparison.
Cujo was my first Stephen king book and I read it in 7th or 8th grade. I remember the early passages being clearly not appropriate for kids, but that made the read all the more exciting hahah
I liked all the subplots. It all added to the book for me.
I read it last week as part of my Castle Rock run. Wasn't expecting much, but I liked it. I think the adultery woman explaining why she cheated on her husband is one of the best thing I ever read, all writers included.
King, himself, said that notebooks are bad bc if an idea is good, it’ll stay with you
Really nice review. Considering picking up Cujo
Enjoy!
@@mikesbookreviews Thank you. You have a great channel
I liked cujo it was the first king novel I read
You should have warned me about the end Mike I just finished!
I just finished it. That ending hurt, not gonna lie
I read this book when it came out decades ago. Saw the movie and pretty much forgot about it. I'm currently listening to Stephen King novels chronologically on my phone and I'm up to "Cujo". I'm up to the part where Donna Trenton is explaining to her husband why she cheated. Biggest load of crap I've ever heard. Any husband with an ounce of self respect wouldn't listen to that garbage. And you know why? Because if HE had cheated and started spouting that s*** she never would have accepted it. Vic: "Oh honey, I felt old and that woman who was almost ten years older than me found me attractive and our kid was going to school and my mom had knick-knacks and, well, that should be enough to justify being me being a faithless spouse." Donna: "Yeah, I understand." Never in a million years.
Lol you're very right, but that whole part was very well written. King's prose was way better back then
Here to support the King videos. Haven’t gotten around to Cujo yet.
Hope you try it.
I just finished reading this yesterday and I thought It was a great read. Sure some of the side stories were unnecessary like Charity’s trip and to me some of Vic’s trip was just unnecessary, but overall great.
It did have me on edge at points especially with Bannerman finding the pinto I really thought It was over and then bam he’s dead. And the whole Tad thing caught me by surprise I really thought he was gonna make it and they would have a happy ending but no I even had to reread the page because I couldn’t believe he had died. I thought Donna was hallucinating or something like that.
It’s one of the few Stephen King’s books I didn’t read yet. I actually have it, but every time I decide to read it I think “maybe I should read something else, this other book seems more interesting, etc.” because all I know I just know it’s about a dog and I don’t believe that an evil/ possessed/ afflicted by rabies dog as the main antagonist can unsettle me. So I decided to watch this video hoping it will convince me otherwise because I hate to have this book from one of my favorite authors yet finding excuses not to read it.
Hope you read Cujo. Great Read!!
Maybe it's because you're a bloke that you don't understand the familial relationships, yeah it sounds like a soap opera but these things are what makes King so awesome, you can relate, but only if you want to!
My favorite genre is fantasy but every once in awhile I'll delve into horror territory.
This time I chose to read Cujo again and was not any less disturbed than the first time. The book was absolutely metal.
The thing that scares me the most is that rabies is real and the book's portrayal of it is fairly accurate. Just the fact that viruses like this exist has spurred whole-ass philosophical conversations with myself about life, purpose, religion etc.
Cujo is one of my very favourite King books of all time. The fact that he was not sober while writing it just makes it even MORE amazing to me, that wasn't a deterrent. :D
Yeah, it’s an amazing accomplishment
I love Cujo! It was the first SK book I ever read I was 8 (now 46), I watched the movie and my Mom told me it was book. After reading it I fell in love with King and started at Carrie and read everything in order.
Cujo was the first Stephen King book I ever read as a child, he's my go to author when I want a spooky book. I'm currently reading Tommyknockers haha
He’s always good for that.
Love that dog!
Crazy book. Half way through and it’s freakin amazing
Finally some love for the Cujo movie. Stephen King film adaptations can be very hit'n'miss but I believe that was one of the better ones.
Stephen King should be read before seen....
No idea why that movie gets the shit it does. It’s mostly faithful, uses a real dog, and doesn’t wimp out on most of the violence.
It really annoys me when people talk about 'The Shining' (positively none the least) & then tell me they haven't read it. I don't know why it bugs me so much, I just feel the book is so, so much better. The best Stephen King adaptation I've seen is Green Mile, in my opinion. Love the new IT series though, & was pleasantly surprised by Doctor Sleep. It's made me want to read the book again, as I was disappointed by the book thinking it would be more 'supernatural' ghosts & ghoulies type thing, more like The Shining than it was.
Love the overlook hotel shirt
Ummm...not scary!?! This was a first time read for me (finished in three days) and my first night reading it I had to stop because Tad's closet monster really freaked me out. I am a 43 year old adult who WILL NOT SLEEP WITH MY CLOSET DOOR OPEN. That's a no. I started reading after I got into bed for the night and then I had trouble falling asleep because I was waiting to hear my closet door opening. Also, for me, I thought the ending was a good one. It was realistic and gritty and made me have all kinds of feelings. I also liked that you got sections of the book from Cujo's perspective. I really enjoyed that. I also felt like I read this book faster because SK decided not to break this book up into chapters or sections. It just starts and goes until the final page. So, not only was I wanting to know what was going to happen, and how certain things culminated, it was also hard to find a stopping point. Just interesting way to structure a novel. He does the same for Delores Claiborne (which I read about 10 years ago). Again, interesting structure for storytelling. I feel like SK likes to mix things up structure-wise and always found that interesting.
This book was _so_ good. I'm only about halfway through King's books so far, but this is up with the shining as his scariest books.
Oh my I loved this book ☺ officially have a book hangover as I don't know which SK to read next 🤪
Thankfully, he has plenty to choose from.
I'm glad you posted this review. I went into Cujo thinking it was going to be a mediocre book, but I was pleasantly surprised by how brutal it is. Horror aside, the human element in it was too relatable for me.
A lot of people don't realize this but Cujo is a retelling of The Shining; it's The Shining by Stephen King repackaged.
Yep...I felt the same way. SK recycling his material.
Same with Pet Sematary
I feel like the statement "he was on drugs so it's bad" is so counterproductive. Hunter S Thompson is one of this generations greatest writers and he was constantly under the influence
Cujo was one I read as a teenage, and I remember liking it. I just haven't had a desire to revisit the story. I still remember a lot of it. And if I may quote Dudley Dursley of all people concerning this book, "I don't think it's a waste of space," but rather a very solid King story, and I recommend it.
Yeah that’s fair. I was actually dreading it on my re-read and then liked it way more as an adult with kids.
I'm extremely jealous of your first edition hardcovers.
The film is great, but the book is even better. The fact that we see Cujo's perspective (then being the protagonist villain) is something that worked very well. It is a psychological terror and a criticism of owners who do not vaccinate their animals, as this type of situation can occur. And Stephen King was an alcoholic at the time he wrote the book. It's as if Cujo is the *"personification of his addiction"* in the form of a dog. Good video.
Very much better than the movie. Especially the ending.
I think ending is perfect it's dark and as father of two little girls it was hard and real, I loved it.
Yep. Tore me up at this age.
I loved cujo, the book and the movie!
The book's really good, anybody who doesn't like it just doesn't understand the dynamics of a fucked up relationship and/or people forget that there was a world without cellphones lol and this story takes place in said world.
cujo is the first stephen king book i read, and i think it’s incredible. right now i’m reading carrie but i want to get more. i’m only 13 so like i couldn’t tell he was high when he wrote it-
I read this in 2014. It was awesome, one of my favorites
Just finished Cujo and I really liked it. The story seems quite stereotypical, but the way he preformed this is amazing.
Great review one correction tho the dog was around 190-200 lbs
Beautiful intro
Hello.. like ur book review.. 😊📖 happy reading to u!!
Likewise.
Watching your videos has thrown me into the world of Stephen King. I read Misery, currently reading Dolores Claiborne and next is Christine, then Cujo, then Pet Sematary. I still have to find the guts to read IT...cause I hate clowns lol
Hi Mike. I absolutely love your book reviews, especially the Stephen King ones. I haven't gotten around to reading Cujo yet, not actually sure why 🤷🏼♀️ It's looking at me now though, from the bookshelf, with disgust so I think it'll have to be next on my list.
Also, I would kill for your book collection. Love seeing it in the background & could only wish that mine was so neat & ordered.
Best wishes from across the pond. 💚
Amazing analysis 👏 👌 👍
The decision to remove all the chapters makes Cujo a terrible book for me. It's like reading the Ulysses. I know the reason was to make it more immersive or breathtaking but it simply does not work for me. It's just annoying to read.
I like the looping ending of the dark tower. For me the biggest letdown is "It"....god damn giant spider lol
The giant spider isn't important at all. You're missing the whole point lol
@bernabefernandeztouceda7315 stephen king can't even tell you the meaning of the ending lol snort down a few fat lines and you might get close to the meaning
@@mikecampbell1731 exactly 👃👃👃🤡🤡🤡
Wow... I keep seeing comments saying I have to read this book from a facebook group tht I'm in and I've seen it a million times as one of Stephen King's best but haven't read it yet. Might have to read it. The fluff turns me off though Lol! I've seen the movie and I thought it wasn't bad at all!
I just finished it and honestly didn't feel there was any "fluff." It's all just part of the story. Did you ever end up reading it?
I read every Stephen King book that came out between 1974-1986, and this is easily the darkest one from that time period.
It is also very dark, and don't get me started on Pet Sematary
I kinda feel like his early books were the best.
I think they were his most evil ideas.
It’s like all those rock bands from the 70’s; when they were on drugs their content was amazing.
I have MAJOR mixed feelings about all of the proverbial fluff that you mentioned. The iconic setup & scenario are what make this novel unique, especially the further world building of Castle Rock, but beyond that this one just feels slightly lackluster aside from the terrific literary word flow that King was somehow still able to conjure without the typical cognizance. Almost like a muscle memory thing is the best thing I could correspond it to. And while a weaker entry for me in what is considered by many his best decade of creativity there's no denying how iconic Beethoven...er...I mean CUJO...sorry, actually is in the minds of casual popular culture. With good reason as well since no one else had ever done a story quite like this one before, whereas so much King stuff, ie SALEM'S LOT, was him riffing and putting his own spin on priorly told stories. Pleasure watching as always Dude! Long days and pleasant nights.
Read the book this week and just watched the movie. The book is great. The movie held back on a few things, and changed the ending a bit. Softened it.
" I love that book,that's a nasty mud " chief Jim Hooper xD
Hey! I really love your shirt :)
Thanks! I've always been the caretaker.
One of the best books I’ve ever read
I enjoyed Kujo. It's not a top ten King for me but it's not bad at all either!
Right on.