Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Title: Pet Sematary
Five Word Review: "A Masterpiece of Psychological Horror"
My Thoughts:
I haven't read as many Stephen King books as I'd like, and I'm actively working to change that. When researching his most acclaimed works, Pet Sematary consistently appeared at the top of many lists. It immediately moved to the top of my "must-read" list, and I'm thrilled to say it did not disappoint. This is truly a unique story—horrifying and deeply psychological, all while possessing remarkable depth. It's safe to say this one will be living rent-free in my head for quite some time.
The Setting and Inspiration
Pet Sematary unfolds in a small town in Maine, a setting directly inspired by Stephen King's own experiences living there while working as a professor at the University of Maine. Indeed, some of the characters and incidents within the novel are even inspired by real events from that period of his life.
Introducing the Creed Family
The story centers on the Creed family: Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel Creed, who move to the quiet town of Ludlow, Maine, with their two young children, five-year-old Ellie and two-year-old Gage, along with their cat, Church. Louis Creed has taken a new job as the Head of University Medical Services at the University of Maine.
Soon after their move, several unsettling close calls with death occur for Ellie and Gage. On his very first day of work, Louis also encounters the disturbing fatal accident of a student named Victor. Their new neighbors, Jud and Norma, quickly befriend them. Jud warns Louis about the constant stream of large trucks on their road, which frequently run over and kill pets. Jud then takes Louis to the local pet cemetery, located at the end of the road, where many of these unfortunate animals are buried. It has become a local landmark, known simply as "Pet Sematary"—the misspelling is intentional, as it's maintained by the children who owned the pets buried there.
A Warning Ignored
The night after Victor's death, Louis has a vivid dream: Victor appears, taking him to the Pet Sematary and warning him not to venture beyond it, specifically pointing to a menacing pile of wooden deadfall. Louis wakes up covered in dirt, chalking it up to somnambulism (sleepwalking).
Later, Norma (Jud's wife) experiences a severe heart attack. Louis, as a doctor, skillfully manages the situation and saves Norma's life. Jud is immensely grateful for Louis's quick thinking.
A short while later, Louis's family travels to Chicago to visit Rachel's relatives for Thanksgiving, but Louis remains behind, having never gotten along with his in-laws. While alone, Louis receives devastating news: Church, Ellie's beloved cat, has been run over by a truck. Distraught, Louis is unsure what to do. Jud, still feeling indebted, takes Louis and Church to the wooden deadfall located behind the pet cemetery—the very spot Louis had dreamed about—and buries the cat.
A Feline's Return
The next day, Church reappears at the house. Louis immediately notices that while the cat looks like Church, its behavior is profoundly different. The cat is no longer sweet and intelligent; instead, it's foul-smelling and has a disturbing penchant for eviscerating small animals. When the family returns, Louis keeps the unsettling truth from them.
Soon after, Norma dies, seemingly from natural causes. The family members are all disgusted by Church's strange behavior, but they don't understand the underlying cause. A few months later, tragedy strikes again when Gage is killed by a truck. The family is utterly destroyed by grief. Louis, consumed by desperation, yearns to bring Gage back to life. Jud realizes Louis's desperate plan and warns him against it, recounting past instances where similar attempts ended in disaster. Jud explains that he only showed Louis the burial ground because Louis had saved Norma's life and he wanted to do something kind in return, not enable such a dangerous act. Louis, however, doesn't listen. He rationalizes that, worst-case scenario, he can euthanize the resurrected Gage with morphine, given his access to drugs as a doctor.
The Ultimate Transgression
After Gage's funeral service, Louis convinces his family to go away so he can dig up Gage's coffin and rebury him in the ancient Micmac burial ground, where the wooden deadfall is located. As Rachel takes the children, urged by Louis, she senses something isn't right, though she has no idea what. Louis carries out his horrifying plan, and Gage is indeed resurrected. Louis then kills Church with morphine, as the cat had become increasingly problematic.
Rachel, sensing deep unease, returns home earlier than expected, determined to stop whatever Louis is attempting. Jud also arrives for the same reason. The resurrected Gage, however, is a creature of pure malevolence, and he brutally kills both Rachel and Jud. By the time Louis realizes the full extent of the horror he unleashed, it is far too late. Louis is forced to kill Gage with morphine as well.
Still clinging to a desperate hope, Louis believes the Micmac burial ground might work differently this time. He carries Rachel's body and buries it there immediately, convinced that burying her so quickly will yield a different outcome. The book ends with Rachel's cold hand touching Louis from behind, a chilling promise of the horror he has unleashed.
The Chilling Message
What an absolutely amazing story! The profound moral here is, sometimes, being dead is better. It vividly illustrates the idea that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. When bad things happen, sometimes you simply have to learn to live with them. You don't always get a second chance, and trying to change the past can lead to consequences far worse than the original tragedy.
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