Cujo

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Lorna Raver

The #1 New York Times bestseller, Cujo “hits the jugular” (The New York Times) with the story of a friendly Saint Bernard that is bitten by a bat. Get ready to meet the most hideous menace ever to terrorize the town of Castle Rock, Maine.

Cujo used to be a big friendly dog, lovable and loyal to his trinity (THE MAN, THE WOMAN, and THE BOY) and everyone around him, and always did his best to not be a BAD DOG. But that all ends on the day this nearly two-hundred-pound Saint Bernard makes the mistake of chasing a rabbit into a hidden underground cave, setting off a tragic chain of events. Now Cujo is no longer himself as he is slowly overcome by a growing sickness, one that consumes his mind even as his once affable thoughts turn uncontrollably and inexorably to hatred and murder. Cujo is about to become the center of a horrifying vortex that will inescapably draw in everyone around him—a relentless reign of terror, fury, and madness from which no one in Castle Rock will truly be safe…

Good story, annoying narrator

If you could sum up Cujo in three words, what would they be?

Suspenseful but slow-ish

What did you like best about this story?

My favorite thing was that Cujo had his own point of view. He wasn't a monster at all, really.

What aspect of Lorna Raver’s performance would you have changed?

I would have replaced her with someone less annoying. Her performance made me have less sympathy for the characters -- she made the main character seem wimpy and irritating and her Tad was a whiny, irritating child.

Who was the most memorable character of Cujo and why?

Cujo - he wanted to be a Good Dog and he WAS, until the rabies ruined his brain. I felt a lot of sympathy for him (more when I read the written version than I did with the audiobook)

Any additional comments?

It sure would be nice if Stephen King would narrate his own books. I may be picky because I saw that some people really enjoyed this narrator, but I just could not stand her.

he was a good dog it wasn't his fault

it took me 50 chapters to get what was going on, but once I did, I had to finish it in one night. I'm sorry mr king that it took you explaining exactly what Cujo represented for me to understand

Things that go bump in the daytime...

Excellent book. One of the best written by one of the best. As far as King books go, and I have read nearly all of them, this book is in the upper third of his best. Excellent writing, and the sub-plots and ancillary stories that are interwoven among the main story are so compelling and SO Stephen King. He truly is the master of telling amazing, simply complex stories. His writing style is my favorite, and this book is one of his best.

Lorna Raver did a great job with the narration. She would get quite dramatic at times, thus the 4 stars rather than 5, but I am fairly stingy with 5 star ratings for narrators. She really did a fine job.

JAWS with a dog instead of a shark.

What made the experience of listening to Cujo the most enjoyable?

This book is classic King. There are multiple plots that pull in the listener but all end up revolving around the transformation of a gentle Saint Bernard into a rabid killer. The book flies by and the narrator does an excellent job in building tension when required.

What other book might you compare Cujo to and why?

Like the headline stated, this reminded me most of Jaws with a dog. There was a lot of the story that takes place in one location but somehow it managed not to get boring, even when waiting for the inevitable to happen.

Which character – as performed by Lorna Raver – was your favorite?

I enjoyed all the characters equally. Great narration.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Man's best friend no more...

I'm breathless.

I have to admit I've listening to tons of King on audible but for some reason I've been avoiding this bad boy....jeez was I wrong. I should've known that King would leave me breathless and have my mind spinning of thought of my own life. This book actually got me deep to my core and made me cry! Amazing book!