Bracket #4: Pet Sematary (1983)

[Jean]

Pet Sematary, 1983

Please vote for Pet Sematary using the following scale:

5: I loved it
4: It was good
3: Average
2: Only so-so
1: I didn't like it

If you haven't read this book yet, please vote Never Read. Feel free to discuss your votes in this thread.

[Garrell]

5!!! Read it in less than 1 day when it came out

[Jean]

5

[mae]

My favorite.

[Heather19]

5 My first King book so it will forever have a special place in my heart

[blavigne]

This was a great story and in a lot of ways one of the darkest ever...loved it

[Odetta]

First King book I ever read! 5

[Merlin1958]

It was good, but in the end it was a novelized version of "Money's Paw". Of course with King's famous characterizations and contemporary style thrown in for good measure.

[pathoftheturtle]

Pet Semetary has different internal structure. It's not scary for the same reason. If it were, then that would be near plagiarism. But if anything, it shows why "The Monkey's Paw" is scary. In that story, the undead is not shown, and the reader's mind is frightened by the idea of it. In the novel, the boy IS shown... but instead of falling flat, the narrative pulls our attention to another hidden, a deeper horror: the evil resurrecting god itself.

[Shannon]

Haven't read it. Judging from the score so far and some of your comments, this should be my next King read.

[pathoftheturtle]

Haven't read it. Judging from the score so far and some of your comments, this should be my next King read.

I second the motion. (You might want to keep the lights on.)

[Iwritecode]

4

Not sure it makes it into my top 10, but top 15 for sure.

[Patrick]

One my first few SK books. I freaking loved it.

5

[pathoftheturtle]

One my first few SK books.

My second. I was like 9 yrs old.

I freaking loved it.

Well put.

[Shawn]

Its was the first King book for me and i started my journey

[divemaster]

I voted 5, but not because I "loved it." I don't know how like or love comes into play with a novel like this. My 5 is for the fact that I appreciated how masterful the horror was developed. This novel was a punch to the gut. After it was over I could pretty much just say My God. I wanted to curl up in the shower and cleanse myself after finishing it.

Ok, look, I'm not going to spoiler tag this, so Shannon stop reading.



To me the most effective part of the story was not the "horror on the page" towards the end when that stuff happened, it was the compulsion shown by Louis to do what he did to get Gage back. It was like he was in a tractor beam, unable to stop himself. Remember when he arranged for his wife to be out of town and he put things into motion to get Gage back? He wasn't even really able to admit to himself exactly what he was planning. He put tools in his car "in case he would need them for something" and would drive by the Cemetery "just to see" what was going on--and the next thing you know he's digging up Gage and the way I read it, if one were to have asked Louis what he was doing, he woould not have been able to give a coherent answer.

King knows how to write characters and situations that most people can identifiy with. Sure, no one here has dug up a corpse, but can't most of us recall a time in our lives when we have headed down a path, seemingly unable to stop ourselves even when we knew it couldn't end up good? Looking back, we might think "man, I can't believe I acted that way!" And of course, rationalization. Like Louis rationalized that he could do better with his wife becasue she was "fresher" when he must have known deep down it was not going to be any better. But he did it anyway.

That's the horror of Pet Sematary. The way that desperate people can rationalize and fool themselves into doing the unthinkable.

[Mattrick]

I voted 4 because it was a very good book that was probably about the darkest King had ever gotten. It deals with a lot of greif and depression so it can be a very tough read. I felt some parts of it dragged and considering it was only about what, 300 some pages it felt like it took forever to get through it. I've read much longer books in a day and this one took me about a month for some reason. Like it but it didn't grip me like King books often do.

[Patrick]

I voted 5, but not because I "loved it." I don't know how like or love comes into play with a novel like this. My 5 is for the fact that I appreciated how masterful the horror was developed. This novel was a punch to the gut. After it was over I could pretty much just say My God. I wanted to curl up in the shower and cleanse myself after finishing it.

Ok, look, I'm not going to spoiler tag this, so Shannon stop reading.

To me the most effective part of the story was not the "horror on the page" towards the end when that stuff happened, it was the compulsion shown by Louis to do what he did to get Gage back. It was like he was in a tractor beam, unable to stop himself. Remember when he arranged for his wife to be out of town and he put things into motion to get Gage back? He wasn't even really able to admit to himself exactly what he was planning. He put tools in his car "in case he would need them for something" and would drive by the Cemetery "just to see" what was going on--and the next thing you know he's digging up Gage and the way I read it, if one were to have asked Louis what he was doing, he woould not have been able to give a coherent answer.

King knows how to write characters and situations that most people can identifiy with. Sure, no one here has dug up a corpse, but can't most of us recall a time in our lives when we have headed down a path, seemingly unable to stop ourselves even when we knew it couldn't end up good? Looking back, we might think "man, I can't believe I acted that way!" And of course, rationalization. Like Louis rationalized that he could do better with his wife becasue she was "fresher" when he must have known deep down it was not going to be any better. But he did it anyway.

That's the horror of Pet Sematary. The way that desperate people can rationalize and fool themselves into doing the unthinkable.

Very well stated.

[Jean]

yes, brilliant! thank you divemaster

[Heather19]

I completely agree. That's one of the things I love about this story.

And I also love how so many people started their journey with King with this book

[mae]

And I also love how so many people started their journey with King with this book

I did, too. Maybe that's why it's colored so much in my mind, but I really do hold it in very high esteem regarding King's overall oeuvre. It's in my personal top-five, but I know it would never rate that high in these polls.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

5. First King book. Most rereads (I think about 6 or 7). Only one that truly scared me.

[Lou Creed]

1st Stephen King book--read it when I was 11 and been hooked ever since.

[Jean]

Last chance to vote! the poll is closing!

[mae]

The poll has closed. Pet Sematary has earned a FAS (final average score) of 4.500000000 or 90.00%, placing 1st (winner) in this bracket. It will be moving on to Round 2.