Stephen King Fans discussion

Discuss Needful Things Here. Please mark all spoilers for those reading a long.

My fav book!

I'll start it tomorrow, haven't read it since it came out

Excellent!!! my second hand copy literally just arrived, so this is very handy indeed. Never read before but know that people love it.

Haven't read this novel in a couple of years. But it was an excellent rip-off of (view spoiler)[The Tommyknockers (hide spoiler)] that used a different tactic on the townsfolk. Loved how Leland Gaunt's character was the complete embodiment of (view spoiler)[Richard Straker from 'Salem's Lot. (hide spoiler)]

The only character in Needful Things I didn't particularly like was Sheriff Alan Pangborn; because (view spoiler)[of the way he treated Thad at the end of The Dark Half. (hide spoiler)]

I've read this one many times and have always loved it. It's also one of the best King audiobooks since King reads it himself in his nasally accent.

It does a good job of forcing you to think about what would be worth your own soul, if anything.

Kandice wrote: "I've read this one many times and have always loved it. It's also one of the best King audiobooks since King reads it himself in his nasally accent.

It does a good job of forcing you to think abo..."
Oooh cool! I might find the audiobook as well and listen along.

Grace wrote: "Oooh cool! I might find the audiobook as well and listen along. ..."

Have you listened to him reading one of his own books? His voice has become very dear to me over the years. There is a marked difference in the sound since his accident when he had to have his teeth replaced, but I would recognize it anywhere!

Do I need to read the other novels that take place in Castle Rock before reading this?

Kyle wrote: "Do I need to read the other novels that take place in Castle Rock before reading this?"

You don't have to in order to understand the story, but it is certainly enriched by having met certain characters before.

I am probably in for this one. When I was in high school I remember my dad giving me his copy to read. I only read maybe 100 pages at the time before giving up. Longer books intimidated me back then (they still do, but I can manage it better now by reading off a Kindle).

I'd love to give this another shot.

Kyle wrote: "Do I need to read the other novels that take place in Castle Rock before reading this?"

Reading Castle Rock stories out of order will spoil other Castle Rock stories that you haven't yet read; since each one tends to reference previous events for continuity or to maintain familiarity. So Here is my order of Castle Rock settings before Needful Things.

1.) The Dead Zone - 1979

2.) Cujo - 1981

3.) The Body - 1982 (novella found in Different Seasons)

4.) Mrs. Todd's Shortcut - 1985 (short story found in Skeleton Crew)

5.) Uncle Otto's Truck - 1985 (short story found in Skeleton Crew)

6.) The Dark Half - 1989

7.) The Sun Dog - 1990 (novella found in Four Past Midnight)

8.) Needful Things - 1991


After that, Castle Rock is still used more times.

King wrote: "Kyle wrote: "Do I need to read the other novels that take place in Castle Rock before reading this?"

Reading Castle Rock stories out of order will spoil other Castle Rock stories that you haven't ..."


Wow. I read these totally out of order. Probably Needful Tings, Cujo, The Body, Dead Zone, The Dark Half, Mrs. Todd, Uncle Otto, Sun Dog. I think at the time, I felt reading Cujo before The Dead Zone really messed me up. The other's weren't that big a deal.

Needful Things is one of my favorites! I love all the different characters and subplots. I feel like the climax is still some of King's best writing.

Derrick wrote: "Needful Things is one of my favorites! I love all different characters and subplots. I feel like the climax is still some of King's best writing."


I thought there were some great scenes, but all in all I was disappointed. But then I've only read it twice... once a million years ago. So I think it deserves another read. I have to polish off my current book (The Ten Thousand Doors of January) first though.

Needful Things is one a book to be read if you have not already it that is.. happy reading!

Nick wrote: "Derrick wrote: "Needful Things is one of my favorites! I love all different characters and subplots. I feel like the climax is still some of King's best writing."


I thought there were some great ..."

I've actually only read it once. I should probably read it again. I own a copy. Need to finish The Witching Hour before I do anything else....

FINALLY after like 3 years of being in this group I can participate in a “book month!” I’ve been reading “Needful things” for the past couple of weeks and am really enjoying it. I’m only about 250 pages in and didn’t want to start such a big book right now but it was highly recommended to me. My first copy was falling apart from whoever owned it before me so I had to purchase a 2nd one to keep from worrying about destroying it more.

Hi Fellow King fans,

I have finished my read of this month's book - "Needful Things" - and here is the link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I also understand that many of you will want to finish your own read before looking at mine, and that is completely understandable. Although it is pretty much spoiler free, it's still good to have completed your own read and our own thoughts before seeing what others think.

To great reading and best wishes,

Scott.

Michael wrote: "The spoiler below is about the end.

Needful Things is a wonderful story but [spoilers removed]"

Absolutely! It could be unending.

I always liked the premise of NF but thought it took its time a little too much during my read a few years back. I do love the shared universe of Kings stories tho and Castle Rock is a great home to many stories.

I always liked the premise of NF but thought it took its time

This is correct.
This is only one of many King tales where even his most minor characters are developed with too much unnecessary filler that sometimes goes on for several pages.
I could care less about each victims backstory if it has nothing to do with the rest of the story.

The only backstory-filler that works for me is a towns dark history. 'Salem's Lot is a perfect example of how filler should work

I actually love when King gives us all that back story on seemingly unimportant characters. It's one of the reasons I enjoy him. My husband says he has diarrhea of the pen, but I don't mind.

I’m only on about page 150 and nothing really has happened yet. This is about how far I got the first time I tried reading this in high school and then gave up. I’ll finish this but it’s slow going for me.

Mark wrote: "I’m only on about page 150 and nothing really has happened yet"

I was tempted to recommend you listen to the audiobook in order to speed things up a bit, but Stephen King narrates this, and his voice always sounds like he suffers from sinus congestion, or post-nasal drip.

I also liked the premise much more than the execution. I usually love that King goes into detail with character backgrounds and things like that, but with Needful Things he overdid it a bit. There are so many side plots that are really only there to emphasize how hypocritical and messed up the people of Castle Rock and their relationships are. And you can tell that King has diabolical fun playing the townsfolk out against each other, but it's just too much.

I've never been a fan of this book But it does have some good moments. I liked the opening where he ties in all the previous Castle Rock events. Even though the voice of the narrator was a little corny, it was still effective.

Kandice wrote: "I actually love when King gives us all that back story on seemingly unimportant characters. It's one of the reasons I enjoy him. My husband says he has diarrhea of the pen, but I don't mind."

I agree as well, I enjoyed the back stories, really got to know the crazy characters in Castle Rock.

I started reading this book before joining Goodreads and this group and finished it last night! But I enjoyed it, can't wait to continue to read more Stephen King, been reading him since I was in high school many years ago!

Good one, this. What do we think the moral of the story is? Be careful what you wish for? Don't be greedy? Don't talk to strange shopkeepers lol?!

Michele wrote: "Good one, this. What do we think the moral of the story is? Be careful what you wish for? Don't be greedy? Don't talk to strange shopkeepers lol?!"


All of the above. :-)

I think one of the morals, there are many, is that we can't value things over people and relationships. Or put too much faith in the illogical.

Kandice wrote: "I think one of the morals, there are many, is that we can't value things over people and relationships. Or put too much faith in the illogical."

Yeah, this is right on point.

Be careful who you trust is the moral I got from this.

Michele wrote: "Good one, this. What do we think the moral of the story is? Be careful what you wish for? Don't be greedy? Don't talk to strange shopkeepers lol?!"

I've never thought about morals to any Stephen King tale. But I would say the opposite. Evil seemed to have more power than good here. I would opt to continue doing evil, because once you stop or betray it, everything you asked for goes away. To hell with being a goody-two-shoes while suffering from crippling arthritis.
Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

“It was the last time she ever saw her alive.”

I hate when King does this. Just throws it in nonchalantly.

Mark wrote: "“It was the last time she ever saw her alive.”

I hate when King does this. Just throws it in nonchalantly."

I love it when he does! It puts me on pins and needles waiting for it. ;-)

Kandice wrote: "Mark wrote: "“It was the last time she ever saw her alive.”

I hate when King does this. Just throws it in nonchalantly."

I love it when he does! It puts me on pins and needles waiting for it. ;-)"

I agree Kandice! I couldn't wait to read how then!

Mark wrote: "“It was the last time she ever saw her alive.”

I hate when King does this. Just throws it in nonchalantly."

Lol, yes. He does this quite a bit...like a broken record. The other novels that come to mind are: The Mist, Pet Sematary, It, The Stand, Finders Keepers, 'Salem's Lot, The Regulators, Mr. Mercedes.

But what's more funny to me is how every single character "found it hard to get to sleep that night.". Or how, in every small town, there's a store or tavern where elderly folks chat around a warm "pot-bellied furnace". Or how every house must have a faded or worn-out "linoleum floor. Or how most guys wear "chino or biball pants and engineer boots".
"ayup"

King wrote: "Mark wrote: "“It was the last time she ever saw her alive.”

I hate when King does this. Just throws it in nonchalantly."

Lol, yes. He does this quite a bit...like a broken record. The other novel..."


"Or how most guys wear "chino or biball pants and engineer boots".

Not to mention chambre shirts.

Robyn wrote: "Kandice wrote: "Mark wrote: "“It was the last time she ever saw her alive.”

I hate when King does this. Just throws it in nonchalantly."

I love it when he does! It puts me on pins and needles wai..."

For me it depends on the character. Somehow the ultimate worst of them all was in (view spoiler)[Bag of Bones (hide spoiler)]. BTW: In a few cases when King says that, the person in question doesn't die. There are a few other possibilities... they never meet again, or the person doing the seeing dies.

Not just chambray shirts...BLUE chambray shirts lol

Derrick wrote: "Not just chambray shirts...BLUE chambray shirts lol"


Yep!

And usually blue chambray WORK shirts!

Kandice wrote: "And usually blue chambray WORK shirts!"

Kandice with the win!

King’s ignorance around firearms continues here. As he writes about Gaunt selling handguns to the townspeople, he constantly refers to them as “automatic”. While automatic handguns exist, they are not common. I thought maybe they’d be something Gaunt would peddle, so I didn’t think much of it, especially as King refers to them as “automatic” dozens of times. But he lost me entirely with the scene of Eddie Warburton using his handgun. He writes “he watched his finger pull the trigger of the automatic twice. Two small black circles appeared”.

This is the behavior of a semi-automatic, not an automatic. There is quite a big difference.

Most of the time King is not able to accurately portray firearms and I really first started to notice with the shootout scene in Drawing of the Three. I’ve noticed it in other books too but here in Needful Things it’s just lazy, in my opinion. He could easily do a small amount of research and write accurately.

I’m sure my opinion here will be dismissed by the group members but needed to get it out. But considering King’s known stance on guns I’m not incredibly surprised by his ignorance.

Mark wrote: "I’m sure my opinion here will be dismissed by the group members but needed to get it out. But considering King’s known stance on guns I’m not incredibly surprised by his ignorance. ..."

I would venture to guess that he is willfully ignorant about firearms and feels it isn't worth the effort of research. We all know guns shoot bullets, and even someone who knows almost nothing else is familiar with the term "automatic." I think he generalizes in a way that won't pull most people out of the story with it's inaccuracy. Clearly it's bothersome to those who know a lot about them, but I think they might be in the minority.

It reminds me of the scene in My Cousin Vinny, when only Mona Lisa knows enough minutia about cars to know that testimony is inaccurate, but not willfully so.

Mark wrote: "King’s ignorance around firearms continues here. As he writes about Gaunt selling handguns to the townspeople, he constantly refers to them as “automatic”. While automatic handguns exist, they are ..."


Not dismissed. I think an author in king's position can get all the free research support he would ever need from experts on everything who would gladly volunteer just to be able to talk with him. I always thought he did. So if he's wrong here, it's not small thing. Of course, I know nothing about guns myself, so I didn't notice it.

Michele wrote: "Good one, this. What do we think the moral of the story is? Be careful what you wish for? Don't be greedy? Don't talk to strange shopkeepers lol?!"
If somebody gives you something really really awesome cheap there's always going to be a terrible catch.

Kandice wrote: "Mark wrote: "I’m sure my opinion here will be dismissed by the group members but needed to get it out. But considering King’s known stance on guns I’m not incredibly surprised by his ignorance. ......"

Haven't thought about that movie in years. Classic.

Mark wrote: "King’s ignorance around firearms continues here. As he writes about Gaunt selling handguns to the townspeople, he constantly refers to them as “automatic”. While automatic handguns exist, they are ..."

Simple answer.
Stephen King has stated before that he was a fan of the Western novelist Louis L'Amour. (Born 1908, Died 1988) as a teen in High School. He's even mentioned him in a few novels. So I would suspect most of his weaponry knowledge came from there.

But regardless, any fans of King wouldn't care if he mistook a Wolf from a Coyote, because a readers ignorance doesn't take them out of a story.