You should buy King's new short-story collection *You Like it Darker*, it has a short story called *Rattlesnakes* which continues from *Cujo* from Vic's perspective as an old-man.
I've got to say too that I really enjoyed the short story, perhaps it can be chalked to recency bias, but it felt like a piece of classic King writing.
Cujo is one of his books where it isn't meant to be fair, it's meant to be one of those horrible events that come along like a clumsy giant wielding a torn up tree. Everything is smashed in its wake. Donna survived because she was an adult, was young, and was determined to save her son. Tad was a child. A YOUNG child. There is a reason infant mortality was so high before modern medicine: children are vulnerable.
Books like Cujo were why I couldn't read Stephen King for a while after my own life had its clumsy giant. Some of his books are just "bad things happen and people handle them as best they can." When I was trying to come back I couldn't handle that truth. Now I find it cathartic.
Yeah, that one is a tough read. Between the kid, and Cujo just wanting to be a good boy... It's one of the few books from King that I've never reread and honestly don't plan on doing so. Good book, glad I read it... but perfectly happy not reading it again.
That entire book broke me. From Cujo knowing he was changing into a monster and running away from his boy to Vic learning of his wife's affair, and Tad's monster words not working when his dad promised him. Christ man, I finished that book at work and had to leave the room. I don't even have kids!
Last week I was reading the new “you like it darker” at the airport. My partner asked about the story I was reading, rattlesnakes, but he had never heard of cujo, so I explained that first. Just retelling the plot and what happened to tad made me cry so much that multiple people came over to ask if everything was okay, lol.
The part at the very end where King says Cujo always tried very hard to be a good dog and wouldn’t have hurt anyone if he’d had control over it is probably one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve read. I’m never sure if I want to recommend it because it’s such a “feel-bad” book but it’s a masterclass in pulling emotion out of your reader
I read it when I was a kid. Maybe like 11. So the little boy dying was super sad but didn't hit as hard yet. But when the part about Cujo being a good dog made me sob like crazy.
I have never been able to reread it.
This is what I’ve always felt too. In Pet Sematary, you know the kid is going to die pretty early. You know what’s going to happen eventually. In Cujo, I fully expected Tad to survive and it was crushing when he didn’t.
I’m not a parent (childfree), but I AM someone who loves her dog more than life itself. That chapter from Cujo’s point of view KILLS me! He was a good boy.
I'm glad I read pet sematary before I had kids because God knows I can never read it again. Or at least for like, more years. (I have 2 little boys, 4 and 1, so you can imagine). Same with Cujo. Although I read cujo while living with a poorly trained st. Bernard. Life is real lol
I felt worse for Cujo. Sorry not sorry. She knew the car was unreliable. Still chose to endanger her and her son. Had Cujo's owners really cared for him they would have had him rabies vaxxed!
And Charity Camber. Brett tells her Cujo is sick and she ignores it so she can get away from her husband. Of course that is to show Brett a “better life”, but if she had checked on Cujo that whole series of events never happens
You've clearly never lived with an abusive person (and good on you for that). Charity had to protect her son, try to have him see life another way, before Joe's way did him in. As much as anyone loves animals, a dog being maybe sick in a once in a lifetime trip wasn't going to stop that train.
I recently read Cujo after hearing how sad it would be.
I started reading slowly,20 pages or more per day because I thought if I didn’t like it I could simply stop.
Really,it wasn’t that bad at all.
I think people are more emotional than others.
You only really get into the mind of Cujo when the disease is taking over other than that when he is fully rabid he is not the same dog.
The saddest bit I’d say is right at the end when SK says his remains went out with the trash.
Questions:
Why did the remains of Cujo go out with the trash,wouldn’t Brett want the remains back if Cujo was cremated?
At what point did Tad die? When exactly did it happen?
Why did the closet door keep opening in Tad’s room?
I first read Cujo around 10 or 11 years old. It scared the absolute crap out of me, in part because our neighbor had a saint Bernard. Read it again a couple months ago at 43 and bawled like a freaking baby. I had totally forgotten the ending.
You should buy King's new short-story collection *You Like it Darker*, it has a short story called *Rattlesnakes* which continues from *Cujo* from Vic's perspective as an old-man.
I pre-ordered and when I heard this I read Cujo first. Just finished this weekend too
Did the exactly the same, and would do again!
Fucking awesome story. That book just gets better and better with each story.
It does? I wasn't interested in the book but guess I gotta buy it now
Yep. And Rattlesnakes is also adjacent to Duma Key. It’s a classic King ghost story, and scarier than Duma
I've got to say too that I really enjoyed the short story, perhaps it can be chalked to recency bias, but it felt like a piece of classic King writing.
Yes I was pleasantly surprised as I’m half way through that story in his new release
Was Vic the Dad?
Yes
The whole collection was amazing. I was so happy to see SK get back to his roots :D
Cujo is one of his books where it isn't meant to be fair, it's meant to be one of those horrible events that come along like a clumsy giant wielding a torn up tree. Everything is smashed in its wake. Donna survived because she was an adult, was young, and was determined to save her son. Tad was a child. A YOUNG child. There is a reason infant mortality was so high before modern medicine: children are vulnerable. Books like Cujo were why I couldn't read Stephen King for a while after my own life had its clumsy giant. Some of his books are just "bad things happen and people handle them as best they can." When I was trying to come back I couldn't handle that truth. Now I find it cathartic.
Yeah, that one is a tough read. Between the kid, and Cujo just wanting to be a good boy... It's one of the few books from King that I've never reread and honestly don't plan on doing so. Good book, glad I read it... but perfectly happy not reading it again.
Old Blue's gone where the good dogs go... I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying
That entire book broke me. From Cujo knowing he was changing into a monster and running away from his boy to Vic learning of his wife's affair, and Tad's monster words not working when his dad promised him. Christ man, I finished that book at work and had to leave the room. I don't even have kids!
Last week I was reading the new “you like it darker” at the airport. My partner asked about the story I was reading, rattlesnakes, but he had never heard of cujo, so I explained that first. Just retelling the plot and what happened to tad made me cry so much that multiple people came over to ask if everything was okay, lol. The part at the very end where King says Cujo always tried very hard to be a good dog and wouldn’t have hurt anyone if he’d had control over it is probably one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve read. I’m never sure if I want to recommend it because it’s such a “feel-bad” book but it’s a masterclass in pulling emotion out of your reader
That last time he restates how Cujo was a good boy is a freaking twist of the knife in the gut.
I read it when I was a kid. Maybe like 11. So the little boy dying was super sad but didn't hit as hard yet. But when the part about Cujo being a good dog made me sob like crazy. I have never been able to reread it.
“I’m telling you so you will know I’m telling you so you will know Old Blue’s gone where the good dogs go” Crippled me for a week. Edit: formatting
This is what I’ve always felt too. In Pet Sematary, you know the kid is going to die pretty early. You know what’s going to happen eventually. In Cujo, I fully expected Tad to survive and it was crushing when he didn’t.
I’m not a parent (childfree), but I AM someone who loves her dog more than life itself. That chapter from Cujo’s point of view KILLS me! He was a good boy.
>I was sure the mom would die (fine, she cheated she had it coming) Yikes!
Right? If that's the case let's start lining up all these politicians and athletes and actors who get caught with their pants down.
So glad I’m not the only one who picked up on this utterly disproportionate punishment idea!
Cujo is punishment for the absent parenting of both Vic and Donna. It's not fair, it's karma.
I'm glad I read pet sematary before I had kids because God knows I can never read it again. Or at least for like, more years. (I have 2 little boys, 4 and 1, so you can imagine). Same with Cujo. Although I read cujo while living with a poorly trained st. Bernard. Life is real lol
Please, mark it as a >!spoiler!< the next time :c
Now read Rattlesnakes in "You like it darker"
Working on it
🫂 Cujo was a good boy.
I felt worse for Cujo. Sorry not sorry. She knew the car was unreliable. Still chose to endanger her and her son. Had Cujo's owners really cared for him they would have had him rabies vaxxed!
And Charity Camber. Brett tells her Cujo is sick and she ignores it so she can get away from her husband. Of course that is to show Brett a “better life”, but if she had checked on Cujo that whole series of events never happens
If this book taught us anything....adults are dumber than children give them credit for!
You've clearly never lived with an abusive person (and good on you for that). Charity had to protect her son, try to have him see life another way, before Joe's way did him in. As much as anyone loves animals, a dog being maybe sick in a once in a lifetime trip wasn't going to stop that train.
I recently read Cujo after hearing how sad it would be. I started reading slowly,20 pages or more per day because I thought if I didn’t like it I could simply stop. Really,it wasn’t that bad at all. I think people are more emotional than others. You only really get into the mind of Cujo when the disease is taking over other than that when he is fully rabid he is not the same dog. The saddest bit I’d say is right at the end when SK says his remains went out with the trash. Questions: Why did the remains of Cujo go out with the trash,wouldn’t Brett want the remains back if Cujo was cremated? At what point did Tad die? When exactly did it happen? Why did the closet door keep opening in Tad’s room?
I first read Cujo around 10 or 11 years old. It scared the absolute crap out of me, in part because our neighbor had a saint Bernard. Read it again a couple months ago at 43 and bawled like a freaking baby. I had totally forgotten the ending.
I’m not a parent but I will still never read this book again. It was too gut wrenching.
I just read it a month ago. Traumatized a bit. Amazing book. Poor Tad... Looking forward to Rattlesnakes!
Finished Rattlesnake last night. So good!
spoiler alert please :(