This is an odd terrifying story of pets & perhaps people that can come back to life after being buried in the pet sematary, which sits on ancient Indian burial grounds. Is it a blessing or a curse? You decide. Very good book. 5 stars.
As with most of King's earlier books, Pet Sematary is one you have to read if you are into scary and suspenseful stories. This is by far one of his 'signature' style books. The movie was done quite well and follows the book almost exact.
Definitely a classic; and so much better than the movie! I'm sure you've all heard the basic story; people have pets who die, and when they bury them in this certain cemetary, they come back to life. Find out what happens to one family when their young son dies and they bury HIM there!
I read this book back in the early 90's and it scared the bejevus out of me. IF you want to know why you don't bring things back from the dead read this.
as always king delivers a fast paced creepy read. i read this book in less than a day,i just couldnt seem to put it down.... way way better than the movie....
PET SEMATARY is a book that will stand the test of time. It is, of course, one of King's early novels, and we can see the author at his peek. The horrors he reveals (from family dynamics to supernatural burial grounds) are chilling enough to scare the bejesus out of the sternest of hearts!
The story revolves around the Creed family and their move from a bustling Chicago suburb to quiet Bangor, Maine, where the father (Louis) starts work as a physician. He brings with him his wife and two children (Ellie, a preteen daughter, and Gauge, a preschool boy still in diapers). The house they move into is beautiful with plenty of land for the children to play on, and a nice old neighbor couple across the "road", the Crandalls. It is this "road" that causes some immediate concern to Louis as Judd Crandall tells him about the deaths of animals caused by the big semi-trucks that blaze down its blacktop.
Judd becomes friends with the family and eventually takes them (or rather is drawn into taking them) on a small path behind the Creed's house that leads to a very special place: the PET SEMATARY. This is the place where most of the animals that'd been killed on the "road" are buried. It's a strange place with concentric circles, the shape the multiple graves make as they are laid out against the well-kept grounds. Louis and Ellie notice a large deadfall tree and Judd warns them not to climb it because it is too dangerous. But there's more to the story than that. What lay beyond the deadfall tree?
Ellie's cat, Church, is eventually killed on the "road", and Judd and Louis decide to bury the cat, but not in the PET SEMATARY; they go beyond, over the deadfall, and into a very special place known as the Micmac burial grounds, a place that has existed since the Earth began, and has the power in its soil to bring back the dead. But at what cost?
"Has anyone ever buried a human being back there?" Louis asks Judd.
"Don't even think such a thing, Louis!" Judd replies.
Church returns to the living, but is much changed. The cat smells foul, and has a very cold and evil manner about it. But at least Ellie has her cat back, right?
Eventually the "road" takes more than just an animal of the Creed's. In a horrific set of narratives, Mr. King draws us into what might happen if humans were brought back from the dead. What happens to our soul if we're brought back? Does it come with us? Or does it stay on the Micmac grounds? Or perhaps something in-between?
This book will, in every sense of the word, "freak" you out! It's terrifyingly terrific, as were many of King's earlier novels. A must read for the horror afficionado.
The Creeds are the ideal family, Physician Father, beautiful mother, a sweet little girl and an infant son.
They find an old house which seems to be a perfect residence for a perfect family on enchanting grounds in rural Maine. It seemed to good to be true. and what seems to be to good to be true, usually is. The real truth was spine chilling and almost as horrifying as death itself.
This is the kind of book that will reach out and literally scare the bee jeezus out of you
I recommend this book to all King Fans. I do believe that I now know why he uses children in most of his books... children can be spooky little people and they have the ability to do frightening things at times
Creepy and fun to read! Will affect you if you have a pet (which I do) or live in Maine (which I do). Reading Stephen King books are always so fun because of the strangeness of reading about my backyard.
I loved this book. I saw the movie first and finally just got to reading the book a few months ago. It was great and I couldn't put it down! Way better than the movie, even though I always hear Fred Gywnne as Jud saying, "The heart of a man is stonier, Louis." Great, great book!!! One of the best I've ever read!
When I read this book for the first time, I wanted to lock it up somewhere and never open it again. But I couldn't do it, It kept pulling at me and I finished it in two days. It is scary on a level much grater than ghost and ghouls. It scares you from the inner most part of your heart. Stephen King knows better than any other how reach inside the human mind and find the things that scare them most. Its not the thing that goes BOO in the night. Its the real world things, the things you only think of at night when your in your bed alone but when the morning comes its the farthest thing from your mind. The things you only think of in your secret mind and never say out loud. This is a must read for readers of any Genre.
When the Creeds move into a beautiful Old house in Rural Maine, it all seems too good to be true: Physician father, beautiful wefe, chariming little daughter, adorable infant sone and now an idyllic home. As a family, they've got it all... right down to the friendly cat.
But the nearby woods hide a blood-chilling truth-more terrifying than death itself... and hideously more powerful.
Excellent. One of the first King books I read. Mainly because of this book, I am now a devoted Stephen King fan. King supposedly scared himself so bad writing this book that he put it away for a while and really did not intend to finish it.
