Cujo Art
Works / Novels

Cujo

Cujo Art

Released

September 8th, 1981

Available Format(s)

Hardcover / Paperback

Publisher

Viking Press

The Cambers' once-friendly St. Bernard turns into a killer after being bitten by a rabid bat. Donna Trenton's husband is in New York trying to contain a disastrous ad campaign. Feeling abandoned by her workaholic husband, who is frequently out of town, Donna Trenton embarks on an affair with a local handyman. Left to fend for herself, she takes her ailing Pinto to Joe Cambers' garage for repairs only to be trapped with her son Tad in the sweltering car by the monstrous dog.

From the Flap

Cujo slept.

He lay on the verge of grass by the porch, his mangled snout on his fore-paws. His dreams were confused, lunatic things. It was dusk, and the sky was dark with wheeling, red-eyed bats. He leaped at them again and again, and each time he leaped he brought one down, teeth clamped on a leathery, twitching wing. But the bats kept biting his tender face with their sharp little rat-teeth. That was where the pain came from. That was where all the hurt came from. But he would kill them all. He would--

Cujo is a two-hundred-pound Saint Bernard, the beloved family pet of the Joe Cambers of Castle Rock, Maine, and the best friend ten-year-old Brett Camber has ever had. One day Cujo pursues a rabbit into a bolt-hole--a cave inhabited by some very sick bats. What happens to Cujo, and to those unlucky enough to be near him, makes for the most heart-squeezing novel Stephen King has yet written.

Vic Trenton, New York adman obsessed by the struggle to hand on to his one big account, his restive and not entirely faithful wife, Donna, and their four-year-old son, Tad, moved to Castle Rock seeking the peace of rural Maine. But life in this small town--evoked as vividly as a Winesburg or a Spoon River--is not what it seems. As Tad tries bravely to fend off the terror that comes to him at night from his bedroom closet, and as Vic and Donna face their own nightmare of a marriage suddenly on the rocks, there is no way they can know that a monster, infinitely sinister, waits in the daylight, and that the fateful currents of their lives will eddy closer and faster to the horrifying vortex that is Cujo.

Stephen King has never written a book in which readers will turn the pages with such a combination of anticipation and dire apprehension. Doing so, they will experience an absolute master at work.

Inspiration

In the spring of 1977 Stephen took his motorcycle to a mechanic who lived outside of Bridgton, Maine, "in the middle of nowhere". "I took the bike out there, and I just barely made it. And this huge Saint Bernard came out of the barn, growling. Then this guy came out and, I mean, he was Joe Camber-he looked almost like one of those guys out of Deliverance. And I was retreating, and wishing that I was not on my motorcycle, when the guy said, 'Don't worry. He don't bite.' And so I reached out to pet him, and the dog started to go for me. And the guy walked over and said, 'Down Gonzo,' or whatever the dog's name was and gave him this huge whack on the rump, and the dog yelped and sat down. The guy said, 'Gonzo never done that before. I guess he don't like your face.' And that became the central situation of the book, mixed with those old "Movies of the Week," the made-for-television movies that they used to have on ABC. I thought to myself, what if you could have a situation that was an extension of one scene. It would be the ultimate TV movie. There would be one set, there would be one room. You'd never even have to change the camera angle. So there was one very small place, and it became Donna's Pinto--and everything just flowed from that situation--the big dog and the Pinto."

Characters

Hide List Show List
Name
Description
Bernie Carbo
Steve Kemp's cat.
Cujo
A large St. Bernard who contracted rabies from a bat and attacked the car where Donna and Tad were trapped. He was a gentle dog until he got rabies.
Dinah
Trenton family cat.
Mr. Clean
Dead cat of Joe Cambers. He was in the cave with the bats that gave Cujo Rabies.
Mrs. Beasley
Cujo's purebred mother who was owned by Ray Crowell.
Rusty
George Bannerman's Irish Setter.
Sharp Cereal Professor
A character invented by Ad Worx and played by Yancey Harrington who sells Sharp Cereals.
Willie
New dog of Brett Camber
?, Abby
Niece of Evelyn Chalmers
?, Billy
Worked with Roscoe Fisher in about 1978 to get a man out of a potato grading machine. This could have been William Rose, Bill Fullerton or Bill Kennedy, or a new person.
?, Brock
Brother of Marcy.
?, Lisa
21 years old woman who works with Vic Trenton at Ad Worx.
?, Marcy
4-year-old girl whose mother thought she threw up blood, but it was the dye from Red Razberry Zinger cereal.
?, Rocky
The name used by Rob Martin to a waiter in Mr Johnson's Resturaunt.
?, Samantha
Mother of Donna Trenton.
Bannerman, George
Castle County sheriff.
Bannerman, Katrina
Daughter of George Bannerman.
Bannerman, Victoria
Wife of George Bannerman
Bats, The
Gave Cujo rabies when he stuck his head in their cave.
Beaulieu, Stringer (Frenchy)
George Meara had a postage delivery for him.
Belasco, Lewis
Works at Portland Machine where Charity Camber got the Jorgen Chainfall for Joe.
Bellamy, Billy
In a Cerebral Palsy ad done by Vic Trenton and Roger Breakstone.
Bergeron, Dave
Friend of Brett Camber.
Brady, Joan
Friend of Donna Trenton.
Breakstone, Althea
Wife of Roger.
Breakstone, Roger
Fat friend of Vic Trenton. Works at Ad Worx with Vic.
Breakstone, Timothy
Son of Roger and Althea.
Brooks, Gretchen
Daughter of Holly and Jim Brooks.
Brooks, Holly
Sister of Charity Camber.
Brooks, Jim
Lawyer husband of Holly.
Brooks, Jim Jr.
Son of Jim & Holly.
Callahan, Vin
Mechanic in Conway.
Camber, Brett
Son of Joe. Cujo was his dog.
Camber, Charity
Wife of Joe.
Camber, Joe
The mechanic who owned the garage on the outskirts of Castle Rock, called the 7 Oaks Farm, where Donna and Tad were trapped. Father of Brett.
Chalmers, Evelyn (Aunt Evvie)
Oldest person in Castle Rock
Crowell, Ray
One eyed man who gave Cujo to Joe Camber as payment for a job.
Dimmesdale, Reverend
Mentioned by Donna Trenton.
Dobson, Stanley
Picked on Tad Trenton at day camp.
Dodd, Frank
Castle Rock cop
Dodd, Henrietta
Mother of Frank.
Donovan, Mr.
Manager of Shop 'n Save who had his car worked on by Joe Camber and he gave Joe a deal on the food for Cujo.
DuBay, Ronnie
Worked for Portland Machine
Dunbarger, Carol
Killed by Castle Rock Strangler in 1974.
Fisher, Roscoe
Local police officer who used to be a partner of Frank Dodd.
Fournier, Michael
Castle Rock Postmaster.
Frechette, Alma
A Waitress who was killed by Castle Rock Strangler in 1970.
Freeman, Billy
Delivered the Castle Rock Call newspaper.
Gehringer, Debbie
Tad Trenton's 15-year-old baby sitter.
Gresham, Dr.
Brett Cambers' doctor who was seen about his sleepwalking.
Harrington, Yancey
Played the Sharp Cereal Professor.
Heebert, Arnold
Was the oldest person in Castle Rock until his death at 101 years old when he fell off the balcony and broke his neck at Castle Acres Nursing Home. The oldest person was then Evelyn Chalmers.
Hendrasen, Mary Kate
Young girl (9 years old) who was killed by Castle Rock Strangler in 1970.
Hewitt, Mr.
Works at Summers Marketing and Research.
Hofnager, Randy
Kid with a speech impediment who went to day camp with Tad Trenton.
Johnson, Mr.
Owner of a restaurant where Rob Martin, Roger Breakstone and Vic Trenton discussed the last Sharp Cereal Professor ad.
Jones, Harry
Name on imaginary grave thought of by Donna Trenton.
Kemp, Steve
Donna Trenton's lover and a budding (but poor) poet. A furniture stripper and refinisher in his own business "Village Stripper".
MacKenzie, Allison
Amway and Avon dealer.
Magruder, Joe
Worked for Portland Machine
Marchant, Vin
Second oldest person in Castle Rock before Evelyn Chalmers died.
Martin, Rob
President of Image Eye, the company that Ad Worx used.
Masen, ?
Mother of Andy, Marty and Roberta Masen.
Masen, Andy
Detective who worked for the Maine Attorney General, and was looking for Donna Trenton.
Masen, Marty
Younger brother of Andy Masen
Masen, Roberta
Sister of Andy Masen.
McNally, Lou (Attitude)
The Big G's weather reporter
Meara, Cathy
Wife of George Meara.
Meara, George
Postman in Castle Rock
Miller, Mr.
Teacher who was going to get Joe Camber to work on his Ford's transmission.
Milliken, Freddy
Brother of John.
Milliken, John
Brother of Freddy.
Milliken, Kim
Daughter of Freddy.
Moody, Cheryl
High School junior who was killed by the Castle Rock Strangler in 1971.
Mousam, John
Previous owner of Joe Camber's Seven Oaks Farm.
Neadeau, Tommy
Saw a deer out by Moosuntic pond
Pervier, Gary
Joe Cambers nearest neighbor on town road 3.
Petrie, Sally
Friend of Althea Breakstone.
Quentin, Dr.
Castle Rock Doctor.
Redding, Fred
Tad Trenton's playground friend.
Ringgold, Etta
Killed by Castle Rock Strangler in 1975
Rose, Donna
Maiden name of Donna Trenton
Sampson, Dwight
The first person Donna Rose kissed open mouth
Seltzer, ? (Old Man)
Owner of a cow pond where Charity Camber and Holly Brooks swam when they were children.
Sharp, Carroll
Owner of Sharp Cereals
Shouper, Mr.
Worked at the Casco Bank
Simms, Richie
Owned a farm and Joe Camber was going to work on his International Harvester.
Smith, John
Discovered the identity of Frank Dodd.
Steigmeyer, Mr.
Custodian of the building where Ad Worx is housed.
Swallow, Adam
Name used by Steve Kemp when he called Ad Worx.
Thompson, J. Walter
Old boss of Roger Breakstone and Vic Trenton. Worked for the Ellison Agency.
Thornton, Alva
Friend of Charity Camber. An egg farmer who lived on Maple Sugar Road.
Thornton, Bessie
Wife of Alva. Great niece of Evvie Chalmers
Timmins, Red
Always tried to kiss Holly Brooks as a child. He picked on Holly and Charity as children, and later lost his arm when his tractor fell over on him in August 1962.
Toothaker, Pauline
Killed by Castle Rock Strangler in 1971
Torgeson, Buddy
Alcoholic friend of Joe Camber.
Townsend, Hank
State Police Officer.
Trenton, Donna
Was trapped in her car along with Tad, her son, by Cujo
Trenton, Theodore (Tad)
Donna and Vic's 4-year-old son
Trenton, Vic
Donna's husband and father of Tad. Worked for Ad Worx.
Welsh, Joanie
A friend of Donna Trenton
Welsh, Mr.
Husband of Joanie.
Wolfe, William
He took the name of Cujo. A robber and member of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
...
...
Toggle Dark Mode Color Scheme