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Not one scene of this book was frightening. If I get any commenters that disagree, please, tell me what makes this a horror novel. You know Gage will be resurected and it lasts like 3 pages, a slightly retarded 2 year old zombie overpowers his insane-with-grief mother and his neighbour. It could be a generational thing that mine is desensitized to violence and gore - but the cashier at Borders who was my age said she had trouble at night after this book. I was mildly interested by some sub-plots and the writing but I wanted to be scared damn it. Was she afraid that a retarded cat would run away from her in fear and mistrust. Someone else mentioned the unused plots that may have been interesting - all-knowing zombies who've been to hell for instance. Church being resurected with dulled senses and becoming skittish is well, meh.
The only emotion I felt was pity at the grief of the cardboard characters. I have read one other SK, The Stand, and the slender, middle class females - Rachel and Franny are almost indistinguishable from one another. And that's it. So, so many plots that could have been utilised and weren't.
What really will stick with you after you finish reading the novel, though, is how close you might come to making the exact same choice that Louis Creed ultimately does. That, not cemetaries, cats, or scary shenanigans, is the true horror of Stephen King's "Pet Sematary".Basically, with no major spoilers, the plot centers on a young family, the Creeds, who move to Maine for a new start. How far would you go to protect someone you love. The lines between what is "right" and what is "wrong" are blurred enough that each scenario could produce both "good" and "bad" consequences.I am currently working my way through all of King's novels (in no particular order), and it never ceases to amaze me how he uses the same basic themes (man's struggle against evil) to create exciting fiction. Shortly after the move, neighbor Judd Crandall shows Louis Creed (the father) a rather supernatural place that can perform miracles beyond human comprehension. However, when a tragedy rocks the Creeds and Crandalls to the very core of both families, Louis must make the horrible decision of whether or not to use that magical power (which also contains some rather unfortunate consequences for the user) for his own personal gain.As is typical with King, the entire book (when not developing the characters, which is also quite important and interesting) is a morality play between "man" (which should represent good, but often does not) and "evil" (a dark force as old as time). I guess part of it has to do with the interesting characters he creates, which holds true in his book. Each character seems to add a new dimension to Louis' "big decision" towards the end of the book.Thus, King fans can expect the same masterful story crafting in this novel, while newcomers to the master of suspense will find that the true horror of King is not in the physical/spiritual realms, but in the psychological thought processes we all have.
It was like I'd taken this long journey to find out the destination was to nowhere in particular. Maybe at the time of its original release, this was a fascinating and enthralling work of fiction of his, but having read his more contemporary works, this one fizzles out like a lit cigarette in a freshly plowed snow bank. I've been an avid fan of Stephen King for a long while and now, many years after picking up my first book of his, (Rose Madder) and having read many more since, I've finally gone back to some of his classics.That being said, I've finally just finished "Pet Sematary" today and sadly, I wasn't impressed at all. Sad.I'm glad I read this one, but I have no intention of re-reading it at any time in the foreseeable future. I liked the characters, but the story went absolutely nowhere. I spent chapters and chapters reading up to a buildup that left me unfulfilled and betrayed. "Rose Madder" or "Delores Claiborne" are much better pieces in my opinion. Skip this one and try one of those instead.
I didn't try any of his other books because I figured they're prolly scary too. I gave the book 5 stars because it managed to scare me so much I couldn't get past about page 35 (I don't remember how many pages I read, but it wasn't much). But I'm reading Mr. I've never had a BOOK scare me before. I didn't know it was possible. King's book "On Writing" and would like to pick up his "Dead Zone" book because he's peaked my interest. Here's hoping I can finish that one.
His stories are page turners and his characters are interesting, but he seems to have a habit of falling short.If you want a "junk food" read then go ahead and read this book. Little 13-year-old me was not frightened or amused.As far as I can tell, Stephen King is over-rated.
I remember I was in middle school when I checked it out from a library. This was my first Stephen King book.
The book just seemed to go on and on and on. I was looking to get scared (which I am rather easily), and this book did not deliver.Although it was quite some time ago that I read this book, I remember its problem was that nothing happened throughout the majority of the book.
There was build up here and there, but it always fizzled out. Now in my mid 20's, I periodically return to him, but have always been dissapointed.
Some of the character development is good and it is a fast read --- Just don't expect it to actually fill you up or satisfy you.
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