Cujo

Title: Cujo

Author: Stephen King

Published in: 1981

Date read: 15th October 2019

Score: 5/5

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Psychological

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Cujo" by Stephen King is a terrifying and visceral horror novel that explores the primal fear of a beloved creature turning monstrous, combined with the claustrophobic terror of being trapped.

The story is primarily set in the small, seemingly idyllic town of Castle Rock, Maine. The central character is a massive, friendly, and beloved St. Bernard named Cujo, the pet of the amiable Camber family, who run a small auto repair shop.

The horror begins when Cujo, while chasing a rabbit, sticks his head into a cave infested with rabid bats. He is bitten and slowly succumbs to rabies. The disease transforms the gentle giant into a monstrous, savage killer, driven by an uncontrollable rage and an instinct to destroy.

Meanwhile, the Trenton family is experiencing marital problems. Donna Trenton is having an affair, and her advertising executive husband, Vic, is struggling with a failing business venture. Their young son, Tad Trenton, is plagued by severe nightmares and a growing fear of monsters in his closet.

When Donna's car breaks down at the remote Camber farm, she and Tad are stranded. Unbeknownst to them, Cujo has already killed Joe Camber and his neighbour, Gary Pervier. The malfunctioning car leaves Donna and Tad trapped inside the stifling vehicle, directly in the path of the increasingly rabid Cujo, who vigilantly guards the property and attacks anyone who approaches.

The novel then becomes a harrowing, claustrophobic ordeal. Donna and Tad are besieged in the car for days, battling extreme heat, dehydration, and the relentless, savage assaults of the monstrous Cujo. Their attempts to escape are repeatedly thwarted by the dog's ferocity. The story is a brutal and unflinching depiction of survival against overwhelming odds, as Donna fights desperately to protect her son from the rabid animal and the elements.

As time runs out and their supplies dwindle, the ordeal pushes both Donna and Tad to their physical and psychological breaking points. The novel is a stark exploration of fear, helplessness, and the ultimate loss of control, culminating in a tragic and violent confrontation where humanity's fragility is starkly contrasted with nature's unleashed fury.

Comments:
It is amazing how King turned a rabid dog into such a widely known symbol of terror. Most people have either seen a TV adaption or read the book, the book turns some relatively mundane facts into such a scary story.

Books that we've read by Stephen King (68):
Carrie (1974), 'Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (The Shining, #1) (1977), The Stand (1978), Night Shift (1978), The Dead Zone (1979), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981), The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) (1982), Different Seasons (1982), Christine (1983), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983), Pet Sematary (1983), The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) (1984), Skeleton Crew (1985), It (1986), The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) (1987), The Eyes of the Dragon (1987), The Tommyknockers (1987), Misery (1987), The Dark Half (1989), Four Past Midnight (1990), The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) (1991), Needful Things (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1992), Gerald's Game (1992), Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993), Insomnia (1994), Rose Madder (1995), The Green Mile (1996), Desperation (1996), Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) (1997), Bag of Bones (1998), The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999), Hearts in Atlantis (1999), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), Black House (The Talisman, #2) (2001), Dreamcatcher (2001), Everything's Eventual (2002), From a Buick 8 (2002), Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5) (2003), Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6) (2004), The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7) (2004), The Colorado Kid (2005), Cell (2006), Lisey's Story (2006), Duma Key (2008), Just After Sunset (2008), Under the Dome (2009), 11/22/63 (2011), Full Dark, No Stars (2011), The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5) (2012), Dr. Sleep (The Shining, #2) (2013), Joyland (2013), Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) (2014), Revival (2014), The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015), Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #2) (2015), End of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #3) (2016), Elevation (2018), The Outsider (2018), The Institute (2019), If It Bleeds (2020), Billy Summers (2021), Later (2021), Fairy Tale (2022), Holly (2023), You Like It Darker (2024)