OMG, Vin… I would have crapped my pants if that happened to me on a walk. I didn’t know those two books were related (haven’t read either). Great discussion. I hadn’t planned on reading this, but I think I might now.
Yeah, that bear encounter has made me very weary and on alert whenever I’m outside. The book won’t knock your socks off, but I overall liked it. I’m glad I read it now and not when I was in my 20s or as a teen; I think I am able to appreciate what it was going for better.
Aw c'mon Dave, what could you possibly have to fear with a fierce bodyguard like Olive at your side? Olive would make Xena, Warrior Princess seem like Xena, Warrior Princess's comedic sidekick, whatever the hell her name was. 😉
@@BryanM.R.-wt9eb you make a good point, Bryan. Olive would tear that bear to shreds. Her name was Gabrielle… I loved that show and was possibly a little in love with her 😜
Bitter discontent over unfulfilled expectations? This phenomenon is unfamiliar to me. Must be some kind of human thing. 👽 Cujo and The Dead Zone are two of King's earlier novels that I haven't read, but you've definitely made me curious -- even if it was probably impossible to grow up when I did without seeing the Cujo movie. 😉 That had to be a pretty startling encounter with the bear. I'd been hearing scattered and questionable accounts about bears returning to this area, but this past summer there's been several pieces of indisputable video on the local news. I guess encountering one is a possibility I should at least be aware of now. Thanks for the video!
@@BryanM.R.-wt9eb We get a lot of wildlife around us. The coyotes are LOUD at night. This past Spring a mother bear liked to frequent the neighborhood with her two cubs. One day we found the cubs playing in someone’s treehouse. They’re cute… from a distance.
Just finished it myself. I could have done without some of Kemp’s… eccentricities in the story, but I’m surprised how much it has stuck with me. It feels like the reading equivalent of drying out in the hot sun after being soaked, but somehow all comes together into something very interesting. Seems to get to the idea that everyone has monsters in their closet, be they the ones that scare us at Tad’s age, family problems, or Roger’s fear of passing 40 and not being able to support his family.
Great analysis of the book. Personally, I think Cujo is the most bleak, depressing book I have read by Stephen King. I agree the book is not just about the rabid dog but the characters. The bear story is crazy, as a field guide I once was face to face with a full grown elephant, frikken terrifying but you can't back off. The message in the book for me is that life sucks and bad stuff happens,. Bear 😂 in mind that Stephen King was high as a kite when he wrote the book and cannot remember most of the writing. If you consider his addiction problems at the time I would say he was venting, raging at how much life is messed up and everything that happens is just so random. I would need to give the Dead Zone a re-read before agreeing on the serial killer subtext. Still a very insightful review. Cujo was such a good dog. 🥲
@@CliffsDarkGems I think it’s top-tier, one of his very best. Some people disagree, but they suffer from that great malady of modern times, being wrong. :)
