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Pet Sematary Mass Market Paperback – November 1, 1984

4.6 out of 5 stars 19,405 ratings

When a little boy's pet dies, and he persuades his parents to bury it in an old Indian cemetary, reputed by legend to house restless spirits, a nightmare of death and destruction begins
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley; First Signet printing edition (November 1, 1984)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 410 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0451139755
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0451139757
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.2 ounces
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 19,405 ratings

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Stephen King
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Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes NEVER FLINCH, YOU LIKE IT DARKER (a New York Times Book Review top ten horror book of 2024), HOLLY (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), FAIRY TALE, BILLY SUMMERS, IF IT BLEEDS, THE INSTITUTE, ELEVATION, THE OUTSIDER, SLEEPING BEAUTIES (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: END OF WATCH, FINDERS KEEPERS, and MR. MERCEDES (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by the New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works THE DARK TOWER, IT, PET SEMATARY, DOCTOR SLEEP, and FIRESTARTER are the basis for major motion pictures, with IT now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
19,405 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book enthralling and well-written, with artfully-crafted characters and great detail. The story is full of emotions, though some find the ending underwhelming, and customers describe it as a great horror novel with disturbing suspense. The book's pace receives mixed reactions, with some appreciating its fast pace while others find it slow to build. The length also draws criticism, with one customer noting it feels like a short story stretched into a novel.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

488 customers mention "Readability"465 positive23 negative

Customers find the book readable and engaging, with one mentioning they particularly enjoyed the later third.

"The best novel by Stephen King. Ir has no fat at all. It's precise and concrete and the ending is perfect." Read more

"...his imagining of everything being okay, was well written and crucial to the story...." Read more

"...Michael did an awesome job, especially with Jud." Read more

"...This book exceeded my expectations and held my interest all the way from start to finish. The imagery is wonderful and spooky...." Read more

264 customers mention "Scariness level"198 positive66 negative

Customers find the book scary, describing it as a wonderful tale of disturbing suspense.

"...Pet Sematary, on the other hand, tackles the very raw and real fear of death...." Read more

"...It is an interesting creature. I wanted to hear more about it...." Read more

"...The imagery is wonderful and spooky. Not a hard read either. I was easily able to keep up with any flashbacks, and jumps from character to character...." Read more

"...I love this book, it's so spooky and scary its the stuff that keeps you up at night. It's a King classic right up there with The Stand and It...." Read more

76 customers mention "Character development"72 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, describing them as artfully-crafted and noting it as a classic Stephen King novel.

"...I was easily able to keep up with any flashbacks, and jumps from character to character...." Read more

"I've always loved stephen king, grandson received as Christmas gift and was so excited. Think we might have another king fan" Read more

"...The main character is pretty well-realized, although King stated that his idea for the book came from living in a very similar setting with his wife..." Read more

"...does such a great job of describing the scenery, and the characters are very developed...." Read more

59 customers mention "Writing quality"56 positive3 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting it is very well written and easy to read, with one customer highlighting the exceptional descriptive language.

"...Pet Sematary is a very human novel, at its core. One of the most well written parts of the novel was the descriptions of Gage’s death and the..." Read more

"...The imagery is wonderful and spooky. Not a hard read either. I was easily able to keep up with any flashbacks, and jumps from character to character...." Read more

"...But I've also long thought that King, if given the freedom, can flat-out write...." Read more

"...The power of the writing is strong and King obviously knows how to dance with characters who you will love and as the story deepens begin to fear...." Read more

32 customers mention "Image quality"32 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's visual elements, noting its great detail and beautiful environment of semi-rural Maine, with one customer highlighting how the author paints great pictures with words.

"...no more flimsy or cumbersome than a mass market and it just freakin' looks better...." Read more

"...But then there’s real horror- the kind that reflects very real situations, that makes your stomach churn and your heart race because as you read it,..." Read more

"...I love the relationship between Jud and Louis. The detail and imagery are very engaging. I felt like I was there is Ludlow with them...." Read more

"...The imagery is wonderful and spooky. Not a hard read either. I was easily able to keep up with any flashbacks, and jumps from character to character...." Read more

129 customers mention "Emotional content"80 positive49 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the emotional content of the book, with some appreciating how it explores family grief and human emotions, while others find the ending underwhelming and note that the story is more disturbing than scary.

"...Ir has no fat at all. It's precise and concrete and the ending is perfect." Read more

"...The climax is over the top; it might have been more effective if the son had just been an eerie zombie and not a murderous one...." Read more

"...There’s an honest discussion about death being natural versus death being unnatural, and I respected King showing both sides, showcasing Louis’ view..." Read more

"...I love the relationship between Jud and Louis. The detail and imagery are very engaging. I felt like I was there is Ludlow with them...." Read more

33 customers mention "Pace"13 positive20 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it fast and finishing it in two days, while others describe it as slow-moving and slow to build.

"...Though the writing is slow, the darkest parts of the novel are written beautifully, with a masterful use of emotion...." Read more

"...So the flow is generally very effective. I don't want to spoil too much, but it's hard to describe without doing that...." Read more

"...The end is faster and faster and rereading it the geography of New England suddenly is not only about Ludlow but as a dark web of an eerie geography..." Read more

"...Excellent read! I enjoyed the slow build up and the thrilling ending. Highly recommend to all...." Read more

33 customers mention "Length"8 positive25 negative

Customers find the book's length unsatisfactory, with one customer noting it feels like a short story padded to novel length, while another mentions the story takes a long time to build up.

"...It has some freaky moments and it did hit me deep ones or twice, but it’s not as scary as some would say...." Read more

"...It was just too vague and not fleshed out when every other part of the book was detailed painfully...." Read more

"...King can be repetitive, and long winded in the set up. I found myself skimming through excessive passages." Read more

"...The last 100 pages were amazing. I read them to fast! The ending left me wanting more and left my mind and imagination racing with ideas...." Read more

Pet Cemetery - Stephen King
5 out of 5 stars
Pet Cemetery - Stephen King
Great book to read this time of year 🎃
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2025
    The best novel by Stephen King. Ir has no fat at all. It's precise and concrete and the ending is perfect.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2018
    Trade paperback 2018
    UPDATE June 2020 (a little overdue) I had re-bought this item a few months later, and got the correct cover art, the one Amazon depicts in their stock photo. However, it's got glue and bits of paper hanging off of it, just a real mess. I saw a copy of the movie tie in addition from the following year available at the big'ol' W A L M..... and it looked to be more robustly printed, but I have mixed feelings about the 2019 movie, although I haven't seen it because it just looks like it unnecessarily adds a bunch of layers that really add nothing to the story, but like I said -- I haven't seen it (yet...(?))....

    The "Gallery book 2002" info that the product URL cites is in reference to a popart "comic book style" cover-art that didn't do any favors regarding capturing the appeal of the book visually. The movie this book's author wrote was a by the numbers dry as paint stupid MOFO adaptation. So what's left? That stupid hardcover dust jacket that Doubleday haphazardly slapped onto the initial pressings of the book and the subsequent mass market paperback edition? A respectful hardcover re-issue, put together as part of a set of some of his books sometime in the early 1990s, is almost impossible to find. There was a so-so trade paperback released in England a few years ago with a really stupid tagline.

    This book deserves a good cover. It's one of those books that's really really really really really GOOD. It's not something God himself would want to read. It's probably not something you yourself would want to make a religion based upon or apply to your life philosophy. Stephen King wrote this book and disowns it because it isn't "truthful" enough. Who cares? Stephen King ain't anyone to talk authoratiatively about the truth. His lesbian daughter preaches the gospel for a living. Apparently having one's head up their butt runs in the family. This book strikes at the heart of man. The heart of man is deceitful above all things --- and exceedingly wicked. We don't need Stephen King to deliver us from that. Some people don't even want to be delivered from that. Sometimes you can't escape it. This book isn't THE TRUTH. But it does speak to the true hearts of real people for better or worse. And it does so in a manner far more effective than most of his horror novels ever did. CARRIE was not the POS that he initially thought it to be when he set out to write it before giving up on it, but it wasn't half as nerverattling as this. 'SALEM'S LOT, THE SHINING and CUJO et al were well and good, but this is the granddaddy of them all. I'm not buying it until I can get it with a decent cover. I tried ordering it after Amazon.com updated the stock photo and they sent me the old one with the popart cover. I guess they still had some of them leftover. This cover-art is the same as the mass market paperback edition issued in February 2017, but I'm not going to pay $9+ so I can "proudly own" this book in some pulp novel format. It'd be one thing if I just didn't have room for it, but unlike my CD collection that is easier to use because its' not vinyl, a trade paperback is every bit as useful as a mass market paperback. The pages are no more flimsy or cumbersome than a mass market and it just freakin' looks better. And a hardcover reissue that doesn't cost $50++ doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon. IT (1986) -- also one of S.K.'s superior works -- did finally get a hardcover reissue, but not only was the cover rather pathetic, but it had that stupid promo quip "NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE" Since the makers of this past summer's re-make of the movie IT are apparently planning to also remake PET SEMATARY (about dang time!), we might get an equally lame hardcover edition of this book finally -- or maybe it'll be a quality hardcover pressing, i.e.: the mistakes of the past are not repeated (it could happen).
    Perhaps someone who doesn't feel the need to 'I would tell you, but you're not worthy...." will point me to a place on the www where I can find a copy that I can afford(?)
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2023
    Stephen King once said that Pet Sematary is the scariest book he’s ever written. Here’s why I agree. Beware of spoilers for the following review.
    As a horror fan, I can tell you that horror isn’t typically scary. Grotesque, sure- but scary? Besides jump scares, horror has very little horror in it, because most horror fans have the recognition of the horror not being real. Vampires, aliens, monsters? Not real, so in the back of your head you know it’s not scary. Instead, you enjoy it because of how unbelievable it is. But then there’s real horror- the kind that reflects very real situations, that makes your stomach churn and your heart race because as you read it, you can imagine it happening to yourself.
    Stephen King is a master of this. The scariest part of IT wasn’t the clown alien- it was the domestic abuse, the horrors of an ugly, violent reality. Pet Sematary, on the other hand, tackles the very raw and real fear of death. Stephen King himself had a close call with his son and a truck- and he also went through having to explain death, especially pet death, to his children. It’s a relatable situation, and one that I believe you can feel the turmoil of in King’s writing. The horror, the struggle, the fear was real. Louis Creed’s thoughts, his imagining of everything being okay, was well written and crucial to the story. King’s personal stake made these moments all the more thought provoking. Though the writing is slow, the darkest parts of the novel are written beautifully, with a masterful use of emotion. It’s real, honest, and raw- making it a brilliant read.
    Pet Sematary is a very human novel, at its core. One of the most well written parts of the novel was the descriptions of Gage’s death and the scenes that follow; the heartbroken reactions of the characters reacting to a tragic event. The grief in this novel is a very real depiction of how it is in real life. I also loved the truth of Rachel’s family- what they had been through, how they reacted, the strained relationships of her parents and her husband and the way her father tried to make things right in the end. There’s an honest discussion about death being natural versus death being unnatural, and I respected King showing both sides, showcasing Louis’ view of death and tragedy versus Rachel’s extremely opposite view.
    Another thing to mention is the depiction of love in this book. King is known for his sex scenes often being written with an inappropriate or crude edge, but the romance between Louis and his wife Rachel was one of my favorite parts of the book. It feels very believable that they have the relationship of a husband and a wife, and the scenes between them were not as cheesy as I expected them to be. Moreso, the love that Louis had for his children was extremely apparent in this book. The other works I’ve read from Mr. King have not had healthy love in it, and Louis is a different kind of character- one who cares deeply for his family. Emotionally, this was a very strong read.
    Now, all this sounds good, so you might wonder why I chose to give it a four and not a five star review. There is one main reason for this.
    I believe that King gave away too much of the plot. It’s a great writing device, but I am not sure it worked well here. I knew the plot of the novel already, because I’ve seen the movies many times. But I found it jarring when King alluded to Norma Crandall’s death before it happened, and then again with his own son. It was clever, in many ways, but I just struggled with it having been revealed in that way. There was very little surprise in the novel- it all was rather linear, and while the writing was great, that lack of intrigue took it down a notch for me. I still believe this to be one of King’s better novels, though.
    21 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2024
    I chose this novel because I have seen the movies and I wanted to know how closely they match the book. I love the relationship between Jud and Louis. The detail and imagery are very engaging. I felt like I was there is Ludlow with them. I did not dislike any part of the book but the wendigo did not have a large enough role. It is an interesting creature. I wanted to hear more about it. I would recommend this book to my brother, because I know it would scare the heck out of him.

    I purchased this book but also the audible book as well. Michael C Hall narrates and I followed along. Kindle combined the two platforms so you hear his voice and not the generic e reader voice. Michael did an awesome job, especially with Jud.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2024
    I loved this movie growing up. I finally decided to read the book and compare the two. This book exceeded my expectations and held my interest all the way from start to finish. The imagery is wonderful and spooky. Not a hard read either. I was easily able to keep up with any flashbacks, and jumps from character to character. It has references to other kings books, and even to one of my favorite bands. Try it out you won't be displeased and remember sometimes dead is better. Enjoy!!
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • bader_1128
    1.0 out of 5 stars الكتاب وصل بحاله اسوأ من السيئه!!!
    Reviewed in Saudi Arabia on January 26, 2024
    متخيلين الكتاب احد دايس عليه!! وفيه صفحه مقطوعه وصفحه مثنيه ووصخ جداً جداً
    Report
  • Rasse Charlotte
    5.0 out of 5 stars Très bon état
    Reviewed in Belgium on September 14, 2024
    J’ai commandé le livre car impossible de le trouver en librairie et vu le prix j’ai opté pour l’option seconde main et franchement je dois dire que je suis surprise du bel état du livre! On dirait un neuf franchement trop trop contente et impatiente de le lire pendant la spooky season 👻
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    Rasse Charlotte
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Très bon état

    Reviewed in Belgium on September 14, 2024
    J’ai commandé le livre car impossible de le trouver en librairie et vu le prix j’ai opté pour l’option seconde main et franchement je dois dire que je suis surprise du bel état du livre! On dirait un neuf franchement trop trop contente et impatiente de le lire pendant la spooky season 👻
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  • Shailesh
    5.0 out of 5 stars deserves a sequel
    Reviewed in India on May 16, 2020
    A very scary and worth to read book. I wanted to finish the whole book in one night. It kept me occupied for many days.the settings are very spooky... and we know something terrible can happen at any moment.Very sad ending but we are not sure what happens to ellie at the end. I really wish for a sequel for this book.Gweat and tewwible settings...you will know what that is as you read the book. The secluded place, far away from the busy cities is the place where the Orinco trucks roam.. taking the lives of many pets over the last 100 years. but this place hides a dark secret which may seem a dream come true.. but the dream isnt a good one. Louis,his wife rachel, and their kids ellie and gage move in there new house in a secluded place in maine. They meet their new neighbor judson crandall and he takes them up the hill by their house and shows them the pet sematary. But beyond the pet sematary...lies the old micmac indian burying ground..which hides a dark secret. After some time their pet cat dies,crushed under the orinco truck and louis buryies it in the pet sematary, without telling his family about it. Then when their son gage dies, he takes a bad decision which proves to ruin their whole family
  • Jorge Eduardo García
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gran libro, gran edición!
    Reviewed in Mexico on December 12, 2023
    Me encantó la historia. La edición es muy buena también. La letra es quizá un poco más pequeña de lo que me gustaría, pero creo que reste a la calidad del producto. Tiene un acabado que no había visto en otro libro, y creo que eso lo hace especial.
  • RaSRo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Me pareció ver un lindo gatito :3
    Reviewed in Spain on August 23, 2016
    Estoy encantada con los libros de "Brit book". Me lo he comprado de segunda mano y me ha llegado en condiciones perfectas, tan solo con unas pocas magulladuras en la cubierta. La edición es muy bonita, la letra cómoda de leer, algo muy importante, ya que el inglés no es mi lengua materna.
    Respecto a la historia, me parece una de las obras más representativas del tipo de terror que solía usar King (con los años, su estilo ha ido cambiando y madurando). Me parece una obra muy interesante, con momentos que realmente te ponen los pelos de punta, ctodo contado con un estilo directo y sencillo. Una gozada de libro. Ideal para empezar a leer en inglés.