Stephen King's Animal Graveyard, art from the new movie based on the book.
Animal Cemetery (Pet Sematary, in English) is a novel published in 1983 written by the great master of terror Stephen King. According to the author, who is one of the most prolific of the genre, it is his most terrifying novel, as it has realistic nuances that give it a credible and vivid appearance.
This book is capable of moving the darkest feelings of the reader, because it mainly deals with the fear of death and what the human being is capable of doing to keep the people he loves alive, despite the consequences. Even the most terrible ones are worth it, according to the protagonist, who embarks on an adventure full of atrocities to restore what life has naturally taken from him.
About the context
This supernatural horror masterpiece is set in the town of Ludlow, Maine, where Louis Creed —the protagonist—, his wife Rachel, their children Eileen and Gage, as well as their cat, Winston Curchill, arrive expectantly to discover the new family home. The latter is a beautiful colonial property off Highway 15 surrounded by the splendor of the forest. However, beyond the dense trees is an old animal graveyard that begins to unsettle the Creeds.
Later the family will discover that there is something far beyond, deep in the forest., what they must fear: an ancient Amerindian cemetery that brings people back from the dead. This site turns the beings that are buried there into corrupt creatures, the undead that leave a chain of horrors as they pass through the world of the living.
Main characters
Louis Creed: the head of the family, and the new head of medicine at Ludlow University. At the beginning of the plot he is a man of science, honest and calm, determined to take care of his family member and provide them with the security that he feels they need. But when the most terrible events happen, he becomes capable of the most risky and delusional actions.
Rachel Creek: a typical young American mother, with a disturbing secret that forever marked her childhood and left in her a chronic inability to accept emotional losses, creating a constant fear of death.
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Eileen Creek: 5 years old, she is the oldest daughter of the Creed. He is sensitive and very insightful, being able to discern the most complex feelings of adults many times.
gage: He is the youngest son of the Creed, with only 2 years. Gage is cute and often makes Louis think that he will be a gifted young man, due to his early intelligence.
Judson Crandall: Jud is an elderly neighbor who the Creeds, who becomes close friends with Louis, and the latter comes to consider him as a father figure. This man of the people is the one who provides Louis with the necessary information to unleash the paranormal events narrated in the plot.
About the plot
The book is divided into three acts, the first being the longest. In it the author focuses on describing the main characters and the situations with which each one deals. The events and reactions are earthly despite the unspoken mystery and it is possible to identify with each character and empathize with them.
The second act is a wakefulness of mysteries, where the reader can find the fears of each of the characters and the why of these is explained in a masterful way that at times is moving, full of intensity, and at others it can be overwhelming and sinister. The way in which the family and the sanity of the characters fall apart from this act is to hypnotize you.
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But it is in the third act where the reader can experience raw terror. It is here where, in an almost artistic way, the author transforms the characters, revealing their most decadent sides. As you will have seen, the novel is one of the best of the genre, not in vain this work is among the best of Stephen King.