Cujo

I have yet to listen to Player One, but due to it's response I probably will. One of the things that seem to make it popular is remembering the 80's. This was written in 1981 and like most King Novels includes all the pop of the time. Here are some examples: Pinto's, Ford Fairlane's, cars with distributor's, station wagons, glass ketchup bottles, crank windows, No 911, stay at home moms, Jimmie Carter, George Carlin, Steve Martin, Johnny Carson, Snoopy lunch boxes, Atari, Video Recorder, George Brett, Love Story, smoking in motels and restaurants, roller skates, instant coffee, Who shot JR, watches with hands, litterbugs, TV picture tubes, X Rated Movie Theaters, Dig it, chive ass, Good Buddy.

Like a lot of King Novels this is a well written story with a little terror thrown in like salt and pepper. He grabs your attention at the beginning with a little terror, builds a little suspense thru the book, and then finishes big with it. The majority of the story is character development and about everyday people, which King does better then most. Kind of like Hearts in Atlantis, The Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption, it is about people.

I give four and a half stars for the story and character development and three stars for the terror. I am a dog lover and I have known too many loving slobbering St. Bernards to think of them as evil. I realize this one has rabies, but I believe he should have chose a Rottweiler or Doberman. The story did drag a little in the middle and I did not like the main male character who did not respond like I would have to my wife's infidelity, which may explain why is wife cheated on him to begin with. I did like Gary, Who just doesn't give a sh*t.

The narrator has really taken a beaten from some other reviewers, I thought she was great. King often narrates his own stuff, but she sounded like a female version of him. I thought during the whole thing that she was perfect for the story. She did not do male voices real well, but that was not important to the overall effect.

My favorite King books in order are: The Green Mile, The Shinning, Misery, Hearts In Atlantis, Graveyard Shift, Cell, Rose Madder, Thinner, Different Seasons, Gerald's Game and Everything Eventual.

The story holds up remarkably well for an early '80s setting, mostly because the situation is so truly terrifying. It would be a 5-star for me if the choice of narrator wasn't so unfortunate. It's sort of like being read to by your grandmother, and while I like grandmothers, there are some stories that would suit someone else better. In the early going, I actually considered abandoning the audiobook because the narration was just too intrusive. The male voices are particularly awful, although it does get a bit better as the book goes on. Fortunately, this book takes place primarily inside the character's heads, sparing us a great deal of painful dialogue. Lorna Raver might have been great in "Drag Me To Hell," but this is not the right medium for her.

Why, oh why, do audiobook producers pay so little attention to casting narration? I could have stood it if she hadn't attempted to do the male voices. Those were just flat-out awful. The rest isn't bad enough to force me to not finish the book, but it certainly is cringe-inducing.

I love King. I'd read his grocery lists; but listening to his books is difficult when the audio publisher will let just anybody narrate them.

This is a story about a young woman in real danger with her tiny son while her (also young) husband is off on a business trip.

The scary parts are about monsters and a big growly dog. Why, in the name of all that's sacred, is this book read by an old lady????? She should be reading Rosamund Pilcher novels or maybe Maeve Binchy but hearing her narrate sex and terror and emotions expressed by 30 somethings really misses the mark.

I can't finish it. Yuck

Boy she realy sucked at reading this book. Her voice box I am guessing has seen several thousand Marlbros. When she tried to do the voices for the charactors I found myself wishing they would die so I wouldnt have to hear that voice again. Good book, but like a turd in a punch bowl it was ruined.

Yes to Stephen King - I could not sit through another narration by Lorna Raver.

Ms. Raver has a very aristocratic voice, which does not suit this story at all. It seemed like a voice more suited to a victorian tale, or something from the Civil War era. Very dry and dull. Not suited for a suspenseful tale about

Had Donna and/or her husband had the common sense to have some defense training, she would have removed the Lady Smith from her purse and shot Cujo through the window thereby avoiding much heartbreak and misery. Of course King would then not have had this unrealistic novel to write. Of course, King would never arm any of his characters because it is better for them to die from stupidity than live because they were able to defend themselves.

Only books contribed by agenda driven authors.

She did the best she could with the material at hand.

Everything after Donna shoots the rabid killer dog Cujo, and the family goes on their way.

Cujo is an example of how a politically agendized writer can twist what would be an easily remedied situation into a hellish nightmare for the politically correct who would allow their family to suffer rather than take reasonable steps to protect themselves. This also holds true for those who travel into the wilderness to pet grizzly bears (with no protection) in the belief that their liberal love for all deadly creatures (animal and human) will be rewarded by being spared from the killer instincts that nature has instilled within those creatures, after which some sad book or movie is written detailing the removal of life and/or limb.Other than that I don't have much of an opinion. (smile)

I can't believe I let this book sit in my wish list for over two years based on user reviews of the reader. Obviously they have never experienced a bad or mediocre reader. Lorna Raver was perfect. I liked her subtle Maine accent. I had no problems trying to figure out the characters. She had great voices for all.

I read the book back when it came out in hardbound. It was good then. It’s still good now. King’s character development in his early days can’t be beat.

I spent a whole day playing solitaire on my computer listening to the end of the book. I couldn’t put it down (or stop listening).

Stephen King, yes, Lorna Raver, maybe.

He should have shaved a hundred or more pages off the story (typical for him). The editing was poor, and the character arcs didn't match the intensity that King was trying to achieve. The entire thing seemed to fall apart about three quarters of the way through and it wasn't that good to begin with.

Depends on the book. She did poorly on some characters, but her narrative voice was solid throughout. I think she was the wrong person for the story.

The book had parts that kind of kept interest, but it was very scattered. I understand why he said he didn't remember writing much of the story, I would want to forget it too. He had to be drunk to come up with something like Cujo.

Near the top

Slow build. A bit talky at times but so classic King. So many details required to result in the tragic and terrible conclusion

Probably Cujo

Yes. It is sickening, sad, tragic twisted. All King's standard stuff.

If you like King, you gotta read it.