Cujo

5b Stephen King. New York: The Viking Press, 1981. First Book Club Edition. SIGNED

Notes

Cujo by Stephen King is a psychological horror novel published in 1981 that explores the terror lurking within everyday life. The story revolves around a massive, good-natured St. Bernard who is transformed into a rabid killer after being bitten by a bat. Set in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine, the novel interweaves the lives of several characters—particularly Donna Trenton and her young son Tad, who become trapped in a broken-down car while the infected Cujo lurks outside. As the oppressive summer heat rises, so does the tension, with themes of helplessness, domestic strife, and primal fear running throughout. Unlike many of King’s works, Cujo contains no supernatural elements; the horror is purely grounded in reality, making it all the more chilling.

The first Book Club Edition (BCE) of Cujo was released in 1981, simultaneously with the trade first edition. BCEs are slightly smaller, printed on lower stock paper and had cardboard rather than the cloth-backed boards found on the first trade edition.

Description

Cardboard boards with black spine and original dust jacket. One inch tear to upper right hand corner of dust jacket. Cracking to dust jacket spine and tear to lower edge of the back dust jacket. Signature on preliminary endpaper reading “For Jim— Be well, Stephen King (and don’t let the dog bite!).