‘Pet Sematary’ Review

First official cover for the book.

Pet Sematary, is a horror novel written by Stephen King in 1983. It got nominated with a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984, and was then later made into a film. It is the story of the Creed family moving into the countryside from Chicago. Their home appears safe and their only neighbors are elderly, friendly people. The only real threat is the road passing by their new house, with the constant passing of large trucks. Louis Creed, a doctor and the man of the house, had gotten a job at a local university at the infirmary, and on his first day of proper work, he receives a patient who is surely going to die. The road accident victim, Victor Pascow, dies in the arms of Louis and haunts him continually in his dreams. When Church, the family cat, becomes a road kill while Louis' wife (Rachel), his barely two year old son (Gage), and his five year old daughter (Ellie), are in Chicago visiting relatives, Jud Crandall, the friendly, elderly neighbor, helps him by taking him to beyond the Pet Sematary. The Pet Sematary, built and looked after by the children of the village (hence the misspelling), was built for all the animals who were run over by the dreadful trucks and some animals who died of old age or disease. But what was beyond the Pet Sematary, through the woods which used to belong to Indian tribes? Louis, led by Jud, found another cemetery, this an old Indian one hard to reach. When instructed to bury the cat there, Louis did and the following day, the cat returned alive. Slightly changed, and clumsy and untrusting, but still alive. When Louis' son, Gage dies in another road accident, and Louis buries him in the Indian cemetery, Gage comes back much changed, in a very evil way.

Movie poster for Pet Sematary

I liked this book because firstly, it was written by Stephen King (who I think is awesome), and secondly because the story contains a lot of intrigue and suspense. Although at times some little plots are so obvious, the ending comes with some surprise. This being said, the ending is more of an open one, letting the reader imagine what they want to complete the story. This is a very frustrating and yet exciting way to read this novel. Frustrating because you do not know if your made up ending is the intended one, and exciting because you feel the author trusts you with his narrative.

This was made into a movie in 1988. It was directed by Mary Lambert, and Stephen King appeared in it as a small role of a priest at a funeral. A sequel movie was also made, Pet Sematary 2, but this movie was met with less critical and financial success. The movie does differ greatly in some very important details, sometimes the details were left out or else completely changed. The end also has an alternative feel to it. It does not have the same unfinished ending the book displays, forcing a definite end on the watcher. But I still think both the movie and the book were good in their own rights. I definitely recommend both of them.

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