Comments on My Amazon Review of Pet Semetary (spoilers)

[Taoskier]

Rating: 4/5 stars

Spoiler warning: I discuss the ending.

I would recommend this book for adults only. There is not only graphic violence and horror, but graphic sex as well. I gave the rating I did because I suspect King did some research, always a pain, but a plus for verisimilitude. Mostly, though, I rated it highly for other reasons. There is the tick-tick suspense at the end, reminiscent of the end of Kurt Vonnegut's Andromeda Strain. Mostly though I applaud King for his sharp delineation between good (e.g., the idyllic Lou Reed-like Perfect Day and evil--the horror of Gauge's death and funeral). Our hero tries to make things right, only to reap just what he sows, to borrow from Reed's same song. An allusion to Reed would have been perfect. The missing star at the end is because cops aren't that dumb. House burned to ground, maybe to cover thongs up? Like needles stuck in corpses? 0ne or two in the corpse that was liberated from the town cemetery? And evidence of liberation carelessly thrown in MD's garage. Beaucoup evidence on MD's body of a really Hard Day's Night. But that's okay, 'cause when his dead wife's home, it's implied, she'll make him feel all right. No, I think the cops would have a few more questions for the neighbor across the street. And how'd that double-dead cat get full of morphine?

Note: To some extent I was guided by Amazon's questions.

 

[Sundrop]

I read the book when I was 16. I was fine with it, and enjoyed the story very much. To this day, Pet Sematary is one of the scariest books I have ever read, and it remains in my top two favorites.
I haven't read any of the works you listen as comparison/contrast, so the commentary didn't really strike me as useful.

 

[skimom2]

As far as cops, I doubt they are an issue at the end of the novel. I got the feeling that Louis buried his wife right away, and she returned by morning. Then, adios Louis. A police investigation definitely would turn up something hinky, but at that point it wouldn't have mattered and isn't therefore part of the story.

Mr. King's research is more than a suspicion; he directly addresses it in Danse Macabre (I think. It might be in the foreword or afterword of another book--I misremember that right now).

 

[Philzilla]

How is Kurt Vonnegut's Andromeda Strain?

 

[skimom2]

How is Kurt Vonnegut's Andromeda Strain?

Pretty sure that was Crichton. Roll with it

 

[GNTLGNT]

Rating: 4/5 stars

Spoiler warning: I discuss the ending.

I would recommend this book for adults only. There is not only graphic violence and horror, but graphic sex as well. I gave the rating I did because I suspect King did some research, always a pain, but a plus for verisimilitude. Mostly, though, I rated it highly for other reasons. There is the tick-tick suspense at the end, reminiscent of the end of Kurt Vonnegut's Andromeda Strain. Mostly though I applaud King for his sharp delineation between good (e.g., the idyllic Lou Reed-like Perfect Day and evil--the horror of Gauge's death and funeral). Our hero tries to make things right, only to reap just what he sows, to borrow from Reed's same song. An allusion to Reed would have been perfect. The missing star at the end is because cops aren't that dumb. House burned to ground, maybe to cover thongs up? Like needles stuck in corpses? 0ne or two in the corpse that was liberated from the town cemetery? And evidence of liberation carelessly thrown in MD's garage. Beaucoup evidence on MD's body of a really Hard Day's Night. But that's okay, 'cause when his dead wife's home, it's implied, she'll make him feel all right. No, I think the cops would have a few more questions for the neighbor across the street. And how'd that double-dead cat get full of morphine?

Note: To some extent I was guided by Amazon's questions.

....adults only?...I agree young children shouldn't read it....but teens on up?-not an issue...Gee! "graphic violence & horror", imagine that from King!...unheard of..."graphic sex"?...I guess if you're a prude, otherwise it was just some good old monkey lovin' that sure never raised an eyebrow-and certainly less than what can be seen on any satellite dish or Social Media site these days-or hell TV or cable, back when it was penned...King always does research for novels, and if some is flawed-it happens, perfection being unattainable....if you're going to wave another authors name around-you would be well served to do your own research, because The Andromeda Strain is an iconic novel from Michael Crichton released in 1969...the delineation between good and evil is a King trademark, as is the human factor with all it's warts and weaknesses....the cops are immaterial because, who cares what they find "after"?...the novel had already concluded on quite the terrifying note...as to your final question, did you read the novel in it's entirety? Church & Gage are both injected with a morphine cocktail, to once again render them "dead"....I'm not trying to be a horses ass here, but if you write a review-it's best to have your facts straight and avoid Amazon questions....you do yourself, and anyone who reads this review a disservice as well as an injustice to our Patron.....

 

[GNTLGNT]

How is Kurt Vonnegut's Andromeda Strain?

...same as Michael Crichton's Slaughterhouse Five....

 

[doowopgirl]

Your review is well written, but I think a bit too deep for me.

 

[shookme]

How is Kurt Vonnegut's Andromeda Strain?

You beat me to it...

 

[Steffen]

....adults only?...I agree young children shouldn't read it....but teens on up?-not an issue...Gee! "graphic violence & horror", imagine that from King!...unheard of..."graphic sex"?...I guess if you're a prude, otherwise it was just some good old monkey lovin' that sure never raised an eyebrow-and certainly less than what can be seen on any satellite dish or Social Media site these days-or hell TV or cable, back when it was penned...King always does research for novels, and if some is flawed-it happens, perfection being unattainable....if you're going to wave another authors name around-you would be well served to do your own research, because The Andromeda Strain is an iconic novel from Michael Crichton released in 1969...the delineation between good and evil is a King trademark, as is the human factor with all it's warts and weaknesses....the cops are immaterial because, who cares what they find "after"?...the novel had already concluded on quite the terrifying note...as to your final question, did you read the novel in it's entirety? Church & Gage are both injected with a morphine cocktail, to once again render them "dead"....I'm not trying to be a horses ass here, but if you write a review-it's best to have your facts straight and avoid Amazon questions....you do yourself, and anyone who reads this review a disservice as well as an injustice to our Patron.....

You pretty much nailed a lot of the points I was going to cover.

I love this book. It is one of the scariest damn things King ever wrote. There were so many things to appreciate here besides the core story: the bits about the Wendigo, the story of the solider who came home after the war, Church the cat (who hasn't had his/her heart broken after the loss of a pet?). What also lingered with me long after I read this (back in the 80s when I was in school) was the fact that besides Jud, I'm pretty sure there were other residents who knew about the legends and what really went on at the burial ground. What where their experiences like? The possibilities still haunt me every time I think about this book. I would love for King to revisit this a bit in a future short story. It's also one of the few books I'd like them to do another film adaptation of.

 

[Sliced Bread]

You pretty much nailed a lot of the points I was going to cover.

I love this book. It is one of the scariest damn things King ever wrote. There were so many things to appreciate here besides the core story: the bits about the Wendigo, the story of the solider who came home after the war, Church the cat (who hasn't had his/her heart broken after the loss of a pet?). What also lingered with me long after I read this (back in the 80s when I was in school) was the fact that besides Jud, I'm pretty sure there were other residents who knew about the legends and what really went on at the burial ground. What where their experiences like? The possibilities still haunt me every time I think about this book. I would love for King to revisit this a bit in a future short story. It's also one of the few books I'd like them to do another film adaptation of.

I haven't watched the movie in years, I seem to recall from my adolescent there was a sequel with the two kids from Terminator 2 in it, which I remember being really good (although I was a teenager so it may stink in reality) did King have any involvement in the sequel?

 

[Taoskier]

....adults only?...I agree young children shouldn't read it....but teens on up?-not an issue...Gee! "graphic violence & horror", imagine that from King!...unheard of..."graphic sex"?...I guess if you're a prude, otherwise it was just some good old monkey lovin' that sure never raised an eyebrow-and certainly less than what can be seen on any satellite dish or Social Media site these days-or hell TV or cable, back when it was penned...King always does research for novels, and if some is flawed-it happens, perfection being unattainable....if you're going to wave another authors name around-you would be well served to do your own research, because The Andromeda Strain is an iconic novel from Michael Crichton released in 1969...the delineation between good and evil is a King trademark, as is the human factor with all it's warts and weaknesses....the cops are immaterial because, who cares what they find "after"?...the novel had already concluded on quite the terrifying note...as to your final question, did you read the novel in it's entirety? Church & Gage are both injected with a morphine cocktail, to once again render them "dead"....I'm not trying to be a horses ass here, but if you write a review-it's best to have your facts straight and avoid Amazon questions....you do yourself, and anyone who reads this review a disservice as well as an injustice to our Patron.....

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Thanks for correcting me about Crichton; I'd been up all night reading the book. I was tired. A mysterious force wanted me to make that mistake. But who wrote Strain is irrelevant. They both have that clock-ticking suspense at the end, which is excellent for literature or cinema. As for "graphic sex," I think Amazon wanted me to consider the audience the book was aimed at. I thought of the bathtub scene because it was graphic sex and for a lot of middle America that's a no, no, even for young adults. You could argue the couple didn't have sex in that scene only if you use Bill Clinton's Updated Dictionary of the English Language. Suppose I used that phrase w respect to Revival, what would you say? As for research, I'm assuming King did some research on Native American tribes in the area--and I didn't bother to check the author of a book I read some 45 years ago. In no way did I mean to criticize SK for lack of research. I sure as hell wasn't going to check up on it. And, yes I did read to the end. It seems to me that at least two of the undead were injected twice. And Louis, exhausted, wasn't bothering to dispose of the murder weapons. This would lead to a test on the blood, revealing morphine. And, don't forget! Louis's scalpels are in the middle of the carnage, probably next to a well carved Jud. And we're told that Louis just throws axe, spade etc into the garage haphazardly. I agree the ending's good and snappy, like his wife baked just the right amount of time. I empathize w King, being tired at this point and wanting to discharge the police w a brief talk. But there's an empty coffin back at Pleasant Hill, a banged up. Avis rental car, and a path a mile wide pointing to Louis as somehow being behind all this. If King had taken a few more chapters to miraculously untangle this mess I'd have given him five stars. --Taoskier
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[Taoskier]

How is Kurt Vonnegut's Andromeda Strain?

I'd been up all night. I made a mistake.

 

[Taoskier]

...same as Michael Crichton's Slaughterhouse Five....

I'd been up all night. I made a stupid mistake.

 

[Taoskier]

I haven't watched the movie in years, I seem to recall from my adolescent there was a sequel with the two kids from Terminator 2 in it, which I remember being really good (although I was a teenager so it may stink in reality) did King have any involvement in the sequel?

I didn't know there was a movie.

 

[Taoskier]

For everybody who noticed my Crichton/Vonnegut mix up, I'm sorry. I'm familiar with both authors, but I hadn't had much sleep. I read both authors in high school over 40 years ago. I was simply praising King for reaching Crichton's level of suspense and thrill, in the last part of Andromeda, that I never thought anyone else would reach. As for other criticisms, remember, I couldn't put it down and gave it four out of five stars--pas mal!

 

[Taoskier]

You beat me to it...

I'd been up all night. I made a stupid mistake re the author of Andromeda Strain. Sorry.

 

[Taoskier]

...same as Michael Crichton's Slaughterhouse Five....

I'd been up all night. I made a stupid mistake.

 

[Taoskier]

Your review is well written, but I think a bit too deep for me.

Just read it again. King's strongest point is his razor sharp delineation between the good, wholesome things in this world and their polar opposites. Think of that perfect day Louis spends flying a kite with his son Gage. Reminds you of the Let's Go Fly A Kite musical number in Mary Poppins. But then, sans foreshadowing, we're told coldly and simply that Gage will be dead in two months. It's like this author has done everything to, as Shakespeare said, hold the mirror up to life, to show the overflowing love that a father has for his son, and vice-versa. Yet he still has what it takes to stab the reader through the heart with a knife. And, though we'd rather think differently, King is still following Shakespeare's instructions. Did Shakespeare not write tragedies? Yes, he most certainly did. But with King we see at once the tragedy beyond the tragedy. We not only know that Gage will die, but that Louis can, he must, bring the boy back to life. But that's not natural. And, as Mary Shelly warned us, way back in the early 19th Century, twisting nature to man's will can have horrifying consequences.

 

[Pucker]

If King had taken a few more chapters to miraculously untangle this mess I'd have given him five stars. --Taoskier

Untangle the mess?

The "mess" is the whole point. Louis is around the bend. He doesn't care beans or bullets for the "mess."
He just wants what he wants . . . and it does not appear to matter how many chapters the author writes, Louis will keep going until he gets it "right" or drops in the attempt.

Congratulations! You've put a lot of slipshod effort into analyzing the story . . . and managed to skillfully maneuver right around the point of the whole thing.