Published in 1983 by Hodder and Stoughton, and selling over 150,000 copies, Pet Sematary is certainly one of Stephen King’s most famous novels.
The novel has been turned into a motion picture twice, with the 1989 movie receiving a sequel in 1992 which deviated from the original source material.
King himself considers this novel to be one of his most disturbing. But why?
The novel is centred around Louis Creed, a doctor who has recently moved with his wife and two children to a charming house in Ludlow, Maine.
While unpacking, Louis meets Jud Crandall, his elderly neighbour and a long-time resident of Ludlow.
Jud and Louis seem to develop a strong bond, with Louis viewing Jud as the father figure that he never had.
However, their late-night conversations on Jud’s porch eventually lead to Louis learning of the “Pet Sematary” behind his house, a graveyard for the pets of children of Ludlow.
It seems innocent at first, but after a dark and disturbing dream in which he visits the titular cemetery, Louis begins to learn of its past.
The novel deals with themes of grief, loss and guilt as the graveyard becomes a solution to Louis’ problems.
King infamously said that Pet Sematary is the only one of his books to truly scare him, locking it away in a drawer at home and intending to never allow it to be published.
One of the key plot points in the novel was actually based on a real-life situation Stephen King was in, in which he almost lost his son.
I would argue that for this reason, the novel’s most horrifying aspect is not its supernatural element, but instead its ability to happen in the real world to any parent.
Its supernatural element however, lends the novel towards those looking for a spooky read this Autumn, especially its mysterious ending.
And with the novel being relatively short (especially in comparison with some of King's other pieces of fiction) I would argue that it is a perfect Halloween novel for somebody looking for a good scare.