Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of Cujo

Cujo
Cujo
Author: Stephen King
ISBN-13: 9780451126504
ISBN-10: 0451126505
Publication Date: 9/10/1983
Pages: 304
Rating:
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 49

3.5 stars, based on 49 ratings
Publisher: Signet
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

46 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

sarah5775 avatar reviewed Cujo on + 386 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A big friendly dog chases a rabbit down into an underground cave...and the horror begins. Scary because it really could happen, this is a classic horror novel by a great writer in his prime.
reviewed Cujo on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
As grisly as "Carrie", as ominous as "The Shining", as eeire and absorbing as "The Dead Zone", it throbs with evil and shock.
Bibliocrates avatar reviewed Cujo on + 252 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I really liked this book, another scary book by Stephen King. I saw the movie first, but I'm glad I read the book or I'd have never known Cujo's thoughts as his rabies progressed, frightening!
reviewed Cujo on + 34 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Great classic book
re read it again after many years and will get the movie!
Such intense writing!!
Hellraiser avatar reviewed Cujo on + 110 more book reviews
One of THE most boring King novels that I've read.
reviewed Cujo on + 134 more book reviews
A big friendly dog chases a rabbit into a cave, and wakes a sleeping evil crueler than death itself.
RaccoonGirl avatar reviewed Cujo on + 97 more book reviews
The ultimate beast is looseand Stephen King is sending him your way!

A big, friendly dog chases a rabbit down a hidden underground caveand stirs a sleeping evil crueler than death itself. A terrified four-year-old boy sees his bedroom closet door swing open untouched by human hands, and screams at the unholy red eyes gleaming in the darkness. The little Maine town of Castle Rock is about to be invaded by the most hideous menace ever to savage the flesh and devour the mind
Ryeth avatar reviewed Cujo on + 82 more book reviews
Hard to read (in my opinion) if you are a big animal lover.
roarlady avatar reviewed Cujo on + 24 more book reviews
EVERYDAY TERROR...King Classic that puts the mundane into a blender and lets it splash out in gore all over you...not for the faint hearted as the story becomes too real to ignore.
reviewed Cujo on + 6 more book reviews
Intense...and scary....well worth the read!
reviewed Cujo on + 204 more book reviews
This has to be one of my favorites by King. I had seen the movie so I was reluctant to read the book....there are so many other books on my list to be read why waste my time reading a book that I had seen the movie for? Boy am I glad I decided to read the book. The ending is nothing like that of the movie. This book is all the more frightening because he is writing about real people and this could happen. I stayed up way past my "bedtime" to read this one.
kopsahl48 avatar reviewed Cujo on + 181 more book reviews
I forgot that there is more to this incredible book than just a dog with rabies. This is classic Stephen King horror...:) It is remarkable how he writes an entire story around a rabid dog!

There are two main families that are involved in this nightmare. The Camber family, owners of Cujo, consists of Joe, his wife Charity and their son Brett. Joe is man that is hard on his family and very controlling. He doesn't let his wife or son go very far without him. Charity wants to visit her sister (and get away from him for awhile) and to do this she must bribe Joe. Luckily she is able to do since she won the lottery. Charity is very torn between wanting to leave Joe and staying with him for her son's sake. Cujo was given to the Camber family as payment from one of Joe's clients and has become Brett's beloved dog.

Vic Trenton's family is been shattered. He has just learned that his wife, Donna, has been cheating on him. On top of this, he is about to lose his biggest account and his job in advertising. To save his job, he must fly to New York and come up with a way to save it. Donna has ended the affair and wants to reconnect with her husband. Vic's trip gives them the space they need to figure out what to do. King has added the special element of the monster in the closet for their son Tad, which foreshadows all the horror he will go through. After Cujo's reign of terror the surviving members of the families must pick up the pieces of their lives.

Stephen King even writes from the point of view of Cujo several times. We see that this was man's best friend and that he didn't want to hurt the people but the disease took over his body and he had no free will left.
reviewed Cujo on + 11 more book reviews
If you like Stephen King, this is a wonderful book. Don't be afraid to scream out loud!
K
tlmetz avatar reviewed Cujo on + 14 more book reviews
This book was very good. I couldn't put it down. It really draws you into the story!
susanbellnc avatar reviewed Cujo on + 2 more book reviews
Good book. Read it many years ago and it sticks with you.
meowysmiles avatar reviewed Cujo on + 140 more book reviews
Recomended Great book!! A+++
reviewed Cujo on + 60 more book reviews
While I know Steven King is a very good writer, his books are usually too intense for my tastes. I read this one, however, and couldn't put it down - but it definitely was intense!! Dog lovers will be uncomfortable with the story ............
ORION9 avatar reviewed Cujo on + 56 more book reviews
Stephen King can find evil in almost anything, even a two hundred pound puppy. Well, maybe not a puppy but a huge Saint Bernard. The main character is NOT the dog. He has a cameo role at best but is an essential part of the story. The human characters are very vivid, which is vintage Stephen King as a very good story teller. A relatively short read, but a very entertaining one.
reviewed Cujo on + 59 more book reviews
I don't think that Stephen King can write anything that isn't interesting. That being said, this book is nowhere near his best. It is an interesting book to pass a few hours but it just didn't creep me out like most of his books do. This is the only book that I have ever read by King that didn't have me reduced to a wimpy mess. This book is definitely worth the time invested, just don't make this your introduction to Stephen King if you've not read his work before.
reviewed Cujo on + 6 more book reviews
One of his classics, only King can find a way to make a rabid dog a nightmare for a town.
ellzeena avatar reviewed Cujo on + 149 more book reviews
Now THIS I liked: rendered in exquisite detail minus the clowns, large undulating snake-like creatures, buckets of blood, et al.
reviewed Cujo on + 23 more book reviews
Ok, I have tried and tried but I can not read this book. It scares the crap out of me. I got futher this time (like to chapter 3) but thats it I am done trying. I have accepted that Cujo is to scary for me to read and is the reason I have to have all closet doors closed when I sleep.
reviewed Cujo on + 37 more book reviews
great book
Kibi avatar reviewed Cujo on + 582 more book reviews
King Is Still King, January 30, 2004
A Kid's Review

"Cujo" IS a gripping and compelling novel which pulls the reader in by leaving open ends throughout the entire experience. This book is great from start to finish. You will find it impossible to put down. King is an incredible writer, and the best of his ability shines through in the novel with an easy to get into story and a scary as hell atmosphere. Many people may not understand how a rabid dog makes for a good read, but King writes the novel in such a way as to give the young nightmares and keep the old looking over their shoulders. King writes the novel exploiting every disturbing and gory detail to its fullest. This book is not for the faint of heart, but for those who can stomach it, it's a great read. This book is written like many of Kings novels, as a suspenseful horrifying novel full of twists and bends and freaky story telling. Cujo is a book that in my mind changed the way many authors write horror books. Cujo is the only horror novel I have read that kept me up for weeks and made me think. This is a horror novel and for anyone who likes Cooney or Pike will love this book
romeo avatar reviewed Cujo on + 334 more book reviews
A big, friendly dog chases a rabbit into a hidden underground cave-and stirs a sleeping evil crueler than death itself. A terrified 4 year old boy sees his bedroom closet swing open untouched by human hands, and screams at the unholy red eyes gleaming in the darkness. The little Maine town of Castle Rock is about to be invaded by the most hideous menace ever to savage the flesh and devour the mind...
reviewed Cujo on + 19 more book reviews
Who's NOT afraid of the big bad wolf? In this case the big bad St. Bernard? Good early King book. One that helped him up the ladder to better more complex plots, but all in all, a good easy summer read.
scrapbooklady avatar reviewed Cujo on + 472 more book reviews
Stephen King sure knows how to tell a story. Somehow, a terrifying tale about a rabid Saint Bernard on the loose was also a surprisingly perceptive and sensitive portrait of marital infidelity, forgiveness, and redemption. There is a truly shocking and disturbing ending, which I won't give away, but I think it was brave of King as a writer to go that route, and it certainly made the story more chilling. King doesn't beat you over the head with a moral message, but I suspect that one lesson many readers came away with is that unforeseen and bizarre catastrophes can hit at any time, so what's really important is your loved ones.
waterbearer avatar reviewed Cujo on + 62 more book reviews
Excellent story of horrifying events that could actually happen. Rabid St. Bernard holds mom and her son hostage in their car, while she makes desperate attempts to escape, get help, and keep her boy from dying of dehydration.
reviewed Cujo on + 5 more book reviews
Way better then the movie.
reviewed Cujo on + 21 more book reviews
This dog is SO scary! At times you feel sorry for him, but mostly you wish he would just die!
SouthernDestiny avatar reviewed Cujo on + 156 more book reviews
The story revolves around Cujo, a 200lb St Bernard dog who loves his master and family and wouldn;t hurt a fly - that is until he gets bitten by a rabid bat and starts to go slightly squiffy.

Imagine the nightmare of being stuck in a car that has broken down and refuses to start. Add to the equation the fact that you're at a farm almost in the middle of nowhere with the owner dead, his wife and son away; your husband away on business and having your 4 year old child in the car as well. Oh yes, and let's not forget the rabid dog on the loose and the fact that it's the hottest summer ever.

Imagine how desperate you'd be to get the hell out after 3 days stuck there. Imagine the relief at seeing a policeman turning up to look for you - then the horror of watching aforementioned somewhat rabid 200lb dog ripping his throat out.
reviewed Cujo on + 612 more book reviews
I enjoyed reading this book very much.
reviewed Cujo on + 24 more book reviews
Another horror story by Stephen King involving a family and their loveable friendly St. Bernard dog. The dog chases a small animal into a hidden underground cave and unleashes an evil upon his family crueler than death itself.
reviewed Cujo on + 257 more book reviews
Stephen King puts nerve-tearing teeth into the terror of man's best friend turning into the ultimate beast.
With this warning, prepare to meet Cujo, a friendly, playful 200-pound Saint Bernard who chases a rabbit into an underground cavern. When he emerges from the darkness, he is something else. Something that the men, women, and children of Castle rock, Maine, do not suspect. Until is too late. Until the fever of fear rises and spreads. Until no one is safe, and no one can escape the insatiable slavering evil padding on four paws from victim to victim.
constant-reader avatar reviewed Cujo on + 130 more book reviews
This book truly scared me the first time I read it. Not something I can say for most thriller / horror. One of King's best works for imagery and characterization, and for making the everyday become macabre.
reviewed Cujo on + 5 more book reviews
A little scary.
reviewed Cujo on + 636 more book reviews
Oh, this was such a sad book! I wish I hadn't seen the movie first since the endings were so different... and the parts from Cujo's point of view just made the book all the more tragic... I was just surprised by the brutality of the ending. I had been very confident reading it since I had seen the movie... I don't know that I would really call this a horror novel though, since it was more sad than scary.
reviewed Cujo on + 58 more book reviews
This is one of his better horror, because it deals with a subject we all know, rabies.
reviewed Cujo on + 91 more book reviews
A big friendly dog chases a rabbit into a hidden underground cave - and stirs a sleeping evil crueler than death itself. A terrified four-year-old boy see his bedroom closet door swing open untouched by human hands, and screams at the unholy red eyes gleaming in the darkness
acton avatar reviewed Cujo on + 17 more book reviews
Classic King.
reviewed Cujo on + 89 more book reviews
A big, friendly dog chases a rabbit into a hidden underground cave-and stirs a sleeping evil. A great Stephen King chiller!
reviewed Cujo on + 134 more book reviews
A big, friendly dog chases a rabbit into a hidden underground cave-and stirs a sleeping evil crueler than death itself. A terrified four-year-old boy sees his bedroom closet door swing open untouched by human hands, and screams at the unholy red eyes gleaming in the darkness. The little Maine town of Castle Rock is about to be invaded by the most hideous menace ever to savage the flesh and devour the mind...
reviewed Cujo on
This book is an older book. But it is still very readable.
reviewed Cujo on + 26 more book reviews
a good read
reviewed Cujo on + 14 more book reviews
a Stephen King classic
AntGiant3000 avatar reviewed Cujo on + 159 more book reviews
Book is slightly worn, as it has been read a few times. It is very good shape, for MANY more readings!!