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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
slow-paced
This story was highly enjoyable, with a simple but yet involved plot. It could have been a hundred or two pages shorter though, as it went on it became long-winded, especially with the new characters it became harder to follow and less interesting.
Also, Stephen, women desire more than sex and relationships. You should know. This could have been fantastic if the characters had been a little more complex.
Also, Stephen, women desire more than sex and relationships. You should know. This could have been fantastic if the characters had been a little more complex.
My obsession with [a:Stephen King|3389|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1362814142p2/3389.jpg] started in the summer of 1993. I entered ninth grade that fall. I devoured many of his works between that time and when I embarked on what is perhaps one of his most devisive stories to date. Now, I could be mistaken, but I’m fairly certain that was spring of my junior year in high school.
Needful Things is unlike anything published, and yet the depth and scope of it feels strangely familiar, almost like you’ve been there before. Deja vu at its finest, but not quite. It’s a solid creation all its own. In retrospect, it feels similar to other King classics, such as [b:The Tommyknockers, [book:It|18342|It|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309376909s/18342.jpg|150259]|17660] and [b:Under the Dome.|6320534|Under the Dome|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1511289992s/6320534.jpg|6760952] At the same time though, Needful Things is none of those things. It’s different in several ways. Most telling is the fact that it’s the “master of horror’s” attempt at satire, and given that -as far as I know-- this was his first foray into hightened exaggeration, he did a mighty fine job. It reads like he’d been crafting such stories for years.
Twenty-two years ago, I had only read King’s typically “balls-to-the-wall” type horrific stories. That’s what I’d come to expect. Needful Things, dubbed “The Last Castle Rock Story,” was the antithesis of all the others, in every aspect save five:
There is a sixth element, but it’s relatively minimal, so I thought it best to list it separately. The last correlation is the supernatural, which is seen most promimnently in the novel’s epic denoument. There are, however, ripples of it here, spread sporadically, not unlike a plague.
These insights are all in hindsight. My initial experience was a lot different. I’m not going into detail, mostly because that was a long time ago and frankly, I can’t remember much more than the fact that I liked it. I was remember being somewhat impatient and very mildly bored. I kept going because at that time, King had yet to disappoint. I was in good hands; expert craftmanship, as I’ve come to realize over the last quarter of a century as a Constant Reader.
To reiterate my point, all of that was in retrospect. At the time, I couldn’t have explained more than the surface level premise of the book.
When I reread it in 2016, I was long overdue for a refresher course. And with a handful of exceptions, it felt very much like I was learning about LeLand Gaunt, Brian Rusk, Polly, etc…, for the first time.
This was a buttload of fun. More fun than I’ve had with most books, actually, which naturally kept the pages turning, faster and faster. I also discovered plenty of substance throughout, and I didn’t expect that. I didn’t know what to expect, really. From the finaly crafted large cast, to the character-propelled plots and subplots; and expanding to the electric small town feel, complete with local politics, Castle Rock’s comings and leavings, police department, the hordes of gossipmongers, et al. Not to mention what has become a Stephen King staple: pop culture, of which he is king. No pun intended.
I liked following these diverse characters, including one familiar face. You’re given privilidged insight that either helps or hinders your opinions of them, done in such a manner that’s beautiful and marvelous. It was a sight to behold. King plants you inside their their minds-yes, even the most nefarious individuals—and you’re given insider information regarding their ambitions and their darkest secrets. You live almost vicariously through their passions and exploits, and above all else, their greed.
Avarice is at the center of Needful Things, at the center of Castle Rock. Thematically, King was conveying a universal truth about the world in general. It is a weakness that most of us possess.
There’s a certain diabolical genuis in how the primary antagonist, LeLand Gaunt (whom some believe is the devil incarnate, if only symbolically,) systematically entered the twon, set up shop, and proceeded to do the awful things that he did, piting one against another. The ends clearly justified the means, and what we’re left with is one hell of a thunderstorm. This conclusion was utterly jawdropping and I could go on, but I’m choosing not to. Anything else would spoil the fun for the uninitiated. It was also fascinating to consider the lengths to which he went to, and precisely how he knew which buttons to press. How did he know virtually everything about everyone? However he achieved that, he possessed an innate ability and purpose and strength which, I believe, was unprecedented, and is rarely, if ever, surpassed.
I look forward to the next reread.
Needful Things is unlike anything published, and yet the depth and scope of it feels strangely familiar, almost like you’ve been there before. Deja vu at its finest, but not quite. It’s a solid creation all its own. In retrospect, it feels similar to other King classics, such as [b:The Tommyknockers, [book:It|18342|It|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309376909s/18342.jpg|150259]|17660] and [b:Under the Dome.|6320534|Under the Dome|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1511289992s/6320534.jpg|6760952] At the same time though, Needful Things is none of those things. It’s different in several ways. Most telling is the fact that it’s the “master of horror’s” attempt at satire, and given that -as far as I know-- this was his first foray into hightened exaggeration, he did a mighty fine job. It reads like he’d been crafting such stories for years.
Twenty-two years ago, I had only read King’s typically “balls-to-the-wall” type horrific stories. That’s what I’d come to expect. Needful Things, dubbed “The Last Castle Rock Story,” was the antithesis of all the others, in every aspect save five:
1) character-driven, indicative of fully-fleshed, memorable characters;
2) a large cast;
3) good vs. evil;
4)liberally seasoned with pop culture;
5)small town setting/feel.
There is a sixth element, but it’s relatively minimal, so I thought it best to list it separately. The last correlation is the supernatural, which is seen most promimnently in the novel’s epic denoument. There are, however, ripples of it here, spread sporadically, not unlike a plague.
These insights are all in hindsight. My initial experience was a lot different. I’m not going into detail, mostly because that was a long time ago and frankly, I can’t remember much more than the fact that I liked it. I was remember being somewhat impatient and very mildly bored. I kept going because at that time, King had yet to disappoint. I was in good hands; expert craftmanship, as I’ve come to realize over the last quarter of a century as a Constant Reader.
To reiterate my point, all of that was in retrospect. At the time, I couldn’t have explained more than the surface level premise of the book.
When I reread it in 2016, I was long overdue for a refresher course. And with a handful of exceptions, it felt very much like I was learning about LeLand Gaunt, Brian Rusk, Polly, etc…, for the first time.
This was a buttload of fun. More fun than I’ve had with most books, actually, which naturally kept the pages turning, faster and faster. I also discovered plenty of substance throughout, and I didn’t expect that. I didn’t know what to expect, really. From the finaly crafted large cast, to the character-propelled plots and subplots; and expanding to the electric small town feel, complete with local politics, Castle Rock’s comings and leavings, police department, the hordes of gossipmongers, et al. Not to mention what has become a Stephen King staple: pop culture, of which he is king. No pun intended.
I liked following these diverse characters, including one familiar face. You’re given privilidged insight that either helps or hinders your opinions of them, done in such a manner that’s beautiful and marvelous. It was a sight to behold. King plants you inside their their minds-yes, even the most nefarious individuals—and you’re given insider information regarding their ambitions and their darkest secrets. You live almost vicariously through their passions and exploits, and above all else, their greed.
Avarice is at the center of Needful Things, at the center of Castle Rock. Thematically, King was conveying a universal truth about the world in general. It is a weakness that most of us possess.
Because in America, you could have anything you wanted, just as long as you could pay for it. If you couldn’t pay, or refused to pay, you would remain needful for ever.
There’s a certain diabolical genuis in how the primary antagonist, LeLand Gaunt (whom some believe is the devil incarnate, if only symbolically,) systematically entered the twon, set up shop, and proceeded to do the awful things that he did, piting one against another. The ends clearly justified the means, and what we’re left with is one hell of a thunderstorm. This conclusion was utterly jawdropping and I could go on, but I’m choosing not to. Anything else would spoil the fun for the uninitiated. It was also fascinating to consider the lengths to which he went to, and precisely how he knew which buttons to press. How did he know virtually everything about everyone? However he achieved that, he possessed an innate ability and purpose and strength which, I believe, was unprecedented, and is rarely, if ever, surpassed.
I look forward to the next reread.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
Ooh this was really good! Definitely some of the best writing I’ve seen from King. There are a ton of characters in this one and most of them, even the most minor ones, play a huge part in the overall story. King did an absolute phenomenal job switching between these numerous POVs, creating some of the most suspenseful situations I’ve read from him. There were times when there had to be at least five different high stakes events going on between different characters and the tension was only elevated by the huge scale of everything.
While the book does start slow, the payoff for the end is well worth the read.
I’m starting to see that these town epics that King writes are a force to look out for, and definitely some of my favorite types of stories to read from him (It, Under the Dome, Salem’s Lot).
Also side note I absolutely loved how going into this I casted Leland Gaunt in my head as Tobin Bell (from Saw fame) and I was not disappointed that there ended up being a tape left by him to a character marked “play me.” I know this predates Saw by many years but it still made me laugh.
While the book does start slow, the payoff for the end is well worth the read.
I’m starting to see that these town epics that King writes are a force to look out for, and definitely some of my favorite types of stories to read from him (It, Under the Dome, Salem’s Lot).
Also side note I absolutely loved how going into this I casted Leland Gaunt in my head as Tobin Bell (from Saw fame) and I was not disappointed that there ended up being a tape left by him to a character marked “play me.” I know this predates Saw by many years but it still made me laugh.
Stephen King goes into too much detail about things or people that don’t matter or really contribute to the story but I feel like that happens in every book lol other than that it was a great book!
This is my new favorite book!!! I loved every part of it from the characters, to their archs, and just the concept in general. It's disturbing on multiple levels and I could hardly put it down!!! I wish I could rate this higher!!!!
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
King has tried to say goodbye to Castle Rock on several occasions, but we aren’t always ready to let a good thing go. Hey, I’m still not, this town is almost as fun as Derry (but not quite!), so being in the town again with its character references was thrilling enough. A nod to the underappreciated Cujo was especially liked, but there’s also some mentions of stories from The Dark Half, The Body, Sun Dog, and probably a few more buried memories in the town.
Layered and complicated, creative and well-rounded characters, well-written with a wicked ending -- one of King's better books, but it suffered from too-long-itis. It would have been a much better story if a few hundred pages were trimmed for my impatient mind. The first three hundred pages and the ending were the strongest. The book starts slowly but somehow stays gripping despite the inching plot, I think it’s the middle that started wearing me out, mainly due to such a huge rush of head-hopping that it becomes tedious and somewhat confusing.
Leland Gaunt has become a well-liked King character despite whether you enjoy the movie or the book. I didn’t find him particularly special compared to some of the other villains he’s created, but he works well for the story. The sudden shifts of an almost cheesy nature work well with the underlying comedic tone that sometimes hits the book, which the movie ended up playing up. He did come across a little more flat and character-cheesy in the end of it all, but I have to admit there’s a certain sense of style with his ride and his style.
It’s always a delight to see the Sheriff again. He’s one of my favorites of King’s characters.
I'm happy I read it, but it wasn't a perfect sale.
Layered and complicated, creative and well-rounded characters, well-written with a wicked ending -- one of King's better books, but it suffered from too-long-itis. It would have been a much better story if a few hundred pages were trimmed for my impatient mind. The first three hundred pages and the ending were the strongest. The book starts slowly but somehow stays gripping despite the inching plot, I think it’s the middle that started wearing me out, mainly due to such a huge rush of head-hopping that it becomes tedious and somewhat confusing.
Leland Gaunt has become a well-liked King character despite whether you enjoy the movie or the book. I didn’t find him particularly special compared to some of the other villains he’s created, but he works well for the story. The sudden shifts of an almost cheesy nature work well with the underlying comedic tone that sometimes hits the book, which the movie ended up playing up. He did come across a little more flat and character-cheesy in the end of it all, but I have to admit there’s a certain sense of style with his ride and his style.
It’s always a delight to see the Sheriff again. He’s one of my favorites of King’s characters.
I'm happy I read it, but it wasn't a perfect sale.