Pet Sematary (1983) By Stephen King

"Sometimes dead is better."

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be harrowing. King has a truly sickening genius for horror at times, and this book, in his own words, is one he himself feels is the most frightening he has ever written; "When I’m asked...what I consider to be the most frightening book I’ve ever written, the answer...comes easily and with no hesitation: Pet Sematary."

"And the most terrifying question of all may be just how much horror the human mind can stand and still maintain a wakeful, staring, unrelenting sanity."

I felt that I flew through this book, despite it taking me some time to read - for reasons I will divulge shortly. The reason is simple; that familiar writing style of King's, that I have come to enjoy so much. He has a nonchalant, almost matter-of-fact way of writing, and yet he still manages to weave metaphor, inference and suspense into his stories with complete ease.

"The soil of a man’s heart is stonier; a man grows what he can and tends it. 'Cause what you buy, is what you own. And what you own...always comes home to you."

There is a growing certainty to the events of the story. At no point was it unpredictable, but in its unwavering certainty, came a grim, unshakable awfulness - like the slow, inevitable march of pallbearers to the grave of the deceased. Each page brought with it a new wave of unease and barbarity.

"Dead fields under a November sky, scattered rose petals brown and turning up at the edges, empty pools scummed with algae, rot, decomposition, dust..."

On an emotional level, this book is truly brutal. It wrenches at you with such a silent ferocity that it was hard to read more than a chapter at a time in some sittings, it is unshakably dark. It oozed dread from page to page. I couldn't wait, and yet somehow loathed to see, how this twisted story would end.

"We either learn to accept or we end up writing letters home with crayons."

My lingering thoughts are as such; I never want to read this book again. Why? Quite simply, the horror - not fear or terror, but horror. It was agonising. It built and festered and clung to me as I read, and while the story itself is brilliant, I do not believe I can ever put myself through its horrifying, dreadful events again.

"Don’t go beyond, no matter how much you feel you need to, Doctor. The barrier was not made to be broken. Remember this: there is more power here than you know. It is old and always restless. Remember."