In Stephen King's magnificent book "On Writing," the best-selling horror novelist makes a surprising confession: "There's one novel, 'Cujo,' that I barely remember writing at all. I don't say that with pride or shame, only with a vague sense of sorrow and loss." Yes, that's right — Stephen King barely remembers writing one of his most famous books. The reason: substance abuse. King has been open about his alcoholism over the years (he also had a pretty bad cocaine habit at one point), and it was his frequent drinking that caused him to forget about penning "Cujo." King also states that he's sad that he can't quite remember the book, as he thinks parts of it are quite good.

Published in 1981, King's "Cujo" follows several different connected characters but focuses primarily on a giant Saint Bernard. The poor pup ends up being bitten by a bat and comes...