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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
I do enjoy a good Stephen King novel, but this was not his best in my opinion, and compared to the other two of his 'ensemble cast' stories (specifically the wonderful book "The Stand" and "Under the Dome"), this was my least favourite. I was glad to have read it, but felt that a good portion of the middle dragged instead of building tension. I'm not one who usually shies away from long books but I couldn't help wishing that this one was a good chunk shorter.
There were times when I found myself glazing over and skimming parts, specifically the lengthy chapters with Ace Merrill, the drug addict, who I just wasn't convinced by. Having discovered the circumstances under which King wrote the book (after sobering up both with alcohol and drugs), it's perfectly understandable why King would paint this character as he did, but for me the character seemed a bit too much of a stock villain, and often I thought back to Lloyd from The Stand, a similar character in many ways, and wondering why I enjoyed reading about Lloyd far more than I did reading about Ace. However, I was surprised to find that I loved the parts with Alan Pangborn, particularly when he begins to start piecing together the mystery of why the town has gone completely mad in a matter of days.
In a society that is inherently materialistic and proud nowadays, the moral message is clear and relevant, and of course Leland Gaunt's trickery and power contributed to the madness that ensued, but part of me couldn't help but think... really? A good proportion of the town just needed a last push to totter into madness? Upon finding what they wanted the most, they would stupidly and blindly play tricks on unsuspecting neighbours? Then again, the other part of me couldn't help but wonder the exact opposite, that this madness lies in the confusion between 'wanting' and 'needful', and this foreboding though of course is the brilliance of Stephen King. However, I feel this brilliance is more pronounced in some of his other novels over this one.
There were times when I found myself glazing over and skimming parts, specifically the lengthy chapters with Ace Merrill, the drug addict, who I just wasn't convinced by. Having discovered the circumstances under which King wrote the book (after sobering up both with alcohol and drugs), it's perfectly understandable why King would paint this character as he did, but for me the character seemed a bit too much of a stock villain, and often I thought back to Lloyd from The Stand, a similar character in many ways, and wondering why I enjoyed reading about Lloyd far more than I did reading about Ace. However, I was surprised to find that I loved the parts with Alan Pangborn, particularly when he begins to start piecing together the mystery of why the town has gone completely mad in a matter of days.
In a society that is inherently materialistic and proud nowadays, the moral message is clear and relevant, and of course Leland Gaunt's trickery and power contributed to the madness that ensued, but part of me couldn't help but think... really? A good proportion of the town just needed a last push to totter into madness? Upon finding what they wanted the most, they would stupidly and blindly play tricks on unsuspecting neighbours? Then again, the other part of me couldn't help but wonder the exact opposite, that this madness lies in the confusion between 'wanting' and 'needful', and this foreboding though of course is the brilliance of Stephen King. However, I feel this brilliance is more pronounced in some of his other novels over this one.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved Needful Things. It was up there with The Stand and Gerald's Game, two of my other King favorites. As a teen, when I read this it really impacted my view of what I desired and materialism and selfishness. A great read with meaning interwoven throughout. Loved it.
Ahh, Needful Things. A Stephen King that has sat on my TBR for far, far too long and now having read it, I’m mad that I didn’t make time sooner to enjoy it. Once again, King dazzles with his ability to create a visceral world filled with incredibly realistic characters. It’s not so much of a surprise because Castle Rock is the back drop to many of his novels so he’s had time to cultivate this background but man he does it so well.
This is a thick book but it reads so easily that it’s not tough to plow through. The initial set up for the meat of the story can come off as a bit slow but I think it works because it allows the story to breathe like a fine bottle of wine. Over time, the book tantalizingly grows with its eeriness as the town finds itself swept up in perfect unraveling chaos.
Often when you have a book that utilizes a number of characters and subplots to drive the story, things can become a bit muddled. King really shows how to navigate such an endeavor that it really feels cohesive like building a puzzle with the bigger picture in mind.
Needless to say, this book was a fantastic read for me. I typically enjoy Stephen King’s books but I was pleasantly surprised by exactly HOW much I enjoyed this one. I know I’ve been on such a King trip lately but bear with me since I’m not sure when it’ll be over!
This is a thick book but it reads so easily that it’s not tough to plow through. The initial set up for the meat of the story can come off as a bit slow but I think it works because it allows the story to breathe like a fine bottle of wine. Over time, the book tantalizingly grows with its eeriness as the town finds itself swept up in perfect unraveling chaos.
Often when you have a book that utilizes a number of characters and subplots to drive the story, things can become a bit muddled. King really shows how to navigate such an endeavor that it really feels cohesive like building a puzzle with the bigger picture in mind.
Needless to say, this book was a fantastic read for me. I typically enjoy Stephen King’s books but I was pleasantly surprised by exactly HOW much I enjoyed this one. I know I’ve been on such a King trip lately but bear with me since I’m not sure when it’ll be over!
This was a gripping novel and from the beginning I was connecting the relationships within this crazy town. The suspense made it difficult to put the book down which was also thanks to the easy to follow format of the book. I questioned "how far a person can go just for a material object?" Leland Gaunt was evil yet most of the characters never caught on to his true intentions, until it was too late. The horrific violence really occurred unexpectedly which kept me on my toes. Although this book seemed long it was a quick read for me. Needful Things has become one of my favorites, definitely recommend!!
This was sOMeCraZysHiT of an idea moulded so well to form about an 800-pager book; in a good way of course ! :) It was way too difficult for me to give a five-star rating (a 4.5 is a certain yes), but the end (which I felt could either be disappointing to some, or contradictorily amazing) just took it away !
A very easy plot to understand, but not so much to plot its course during writing I guess.
Mr. Leland Gaunt sells "the stuffs of every person's heart's desires" in a small town, but which has to be paid for with a price; part cash, part prank, and... And that is the only plot on which the entire game of the character encircles!! :)
But what happens when this is being done on a mass-scale ?! That is when the BIG problems arise. Where the repercussions of the small, nasty, very minor pranks, in a small way, slo..o..w..w..w..ly, … in time, can bring about an oVerWhElMiNg effect. 'The Butterfly Effect' very well shows if one wants to understand.
CAVEAT EMPTOR - the Latin phrase that means "let the buyers beware", is a concept around which too, the story revolves.
It also brings out the idea that Faith, and its usage, by itself, certainly seems like magic in this so-called real world.
Neatly plotted, extremely well-crafted and well-knit, our dear Mr. King has done his best with the characterization (5-stars), and his lovely style of expressing (5-stars) using words in a balanced form whenever and wherever required.
References to characters and events from King's earlier works - [b:The Dead Zone|11573|The Dead Zone|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1283509622s/11573.jpg|2745957], [b:Cujo|10603|Cujo|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394208144s/10603.jpg|996156], and [b:The Dark Half|11597|The Dark Half|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1430122353s/11597.jpg|1316297] - are also included sometimes within the story, which have earlier taken place in Castle Rock, the small (fictional) town in Maine.
Although the book is pretty big, Part One of Three while taking up about fifty percent gets the reader acquainted to the 'lovely lives' of the people in the town. The story progresses into high gear from Part Two.
If one could 'see through' the contents of "Needful Things", I felt the story can be included in the genre of Magical Realism as well, added with a touch of some quasi-Sci-fi elements if one wants to interpret it that way. :)
A very easy plot to understand, but not so much to plot its course during writing I guess.
Mr. Leland Gaunt sells "the stuffs of every person's heart's desires" in a small town, but which has to be paid for with a price; part cash, part prank, and... And that is the only plot on which the entire game of the character encircles!! :)
Spoiler
The story shows what can happen of mind-control, and following that the over-shadowing of one's conscience by evil. The results can be gruesome.But what happens when this is being done on a mass-scale ?! That is when the BIG problems arise. Where the repercussions of the small, nasty, very minor pranks, in a small way, slo..o..w..w..w..ly, … in time, can bring about an oVerWhElMiNg effect. 'The Butterfly Effect' very well shows if one wants to understand.
CAVEAT EMPTOR - the Latin phrase that means "let the buyers beware", is a concept around which too, the story revolves.
It also brings out the idea that Faith, and its usage, by itself, certainly seems like magic in this so-called real world.
Neatly plotted, extremely well-crafted and well-knit, our dear Mr. King has done his best with the characterization (5-stars), and his lovely style of expressing (5-stars) using words in a balanced form whenever and wherever required.
References to characters and events from King's earlier works - [b:The Dead Zone|11573|The Dead Zone|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1283509622s/11573.jpg|2745957], [b:Cujo|10603|Cujo|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394208144s/10603.jpg|996156], and [b:The Dark Half|11597|The Dark Half|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1430122353s/11597.jpg|1316297] - are also included sometimes within the story, which have earlier taken place in Castle Rock, the small (fictional) town in Maine.
Although the book is pretty big, Part One of Three while taking up about fifty percent gets the reader acquainted to the 'lovely lives' of the people in the town. The story progresses into high gear from Part Two.
If one could 'see through' the contents of "Needful Things", I felt the story can be included in the genre of Magical Realism as well, added with a touch of some quasi-Sci-fi elements if one wants to interpret it that way. :)
Not my favourite King novel. Like most of his writing (in my opinion, which might not matter to some) it's either spectacular or too drawn out for its own good. Needful Things falls into the middle. I liked parts, bored by others, and disappointed by the ending. Won't stop me picking up another King novel though, and if you're a fan would say it is definitely worth a read. King is one of the very few writers that will always make me read to the end, regardless of how I feel about the story.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Bit of a slow burn to begin with but it really picks up the pace. Compelling narrative which is well thought out but can't say I liked any of the characters.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Excrement, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis