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Pet Sematary

Pet SemataryPet Sematary by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this one! I think it might be my favorite Stephen King novel that I’ve read to date. I love it despite its flaws and occasional messes, those Kingly tics and excesses that sometimes get in the way of a perfect scene for me, because PET SEMATARY is an exceptional novel. I really enjoyed how it takes its time to set up the Creed family and their interpersonal dynamics, their backstories and aspirations, before the shit hits the fan. It doesn’t rush. It lets you really get to know these characters, which is something I appreciate.

I have only vague memories of the film, which I saw just once back in 1989, but I remembered two things about it: Zelda, and that it was essentially a zombie story. I was wrong about that last one, though. It’s most definitely not a zombie story, despite the theme of unholy resurrection, and that’s something I found to be a very pleasant surprise. There’s much more going on — there’s cursed ground and the Wendigo and things in the woods, and instead of shambling zombies there’s a malevolent and inhuman intelligence at work.

Aside from a few moments where King clearly does not understand cats — when they lay their ears back against their head, it does NOT mean they’re happy — I was fully engrossed in the story from start to finish. Without a doubt, PET SEMATARY isn’t just a horror classic, it’s a genre-defining masterpiece.

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