Needful Things (Novel)

Completed: Approximately 11:00 02/11/12

Author: Stephen King

Publication Year: 1991

Preceded by/Proceeded by: The Dark Half/Gerald's Game

Length: 736 pages (paperback)

Synopsis: A new store opens in the small town of Castle Rock, ME, selling novelties and knickknacks. The owner of the store, Leland Gaunt, is a charming businessman--getting on just about everyone who ventures into his store's good side. Strangely, the items on sell just happen to be what the customer needs in his life--whether to remind him of a good part of his past, satisfy or complement a collection, or enhance a hobby or passion of the person. Even more peculiar, Gaunt's style of doing business allows for the customer to purchase this desired item at a very low monetary price--instead opting for the customer to pay a prank on fellow townspeople in lieu of cash. The jealous protection of these items bought from the store and the anger initiated by these pranks leads to a growing ill will in the town. Grudges, insecurities, and vices that every one in every town has become exacerbated due to Gaunt's items, ultimately leading to the town's destruction.

Highs: (SPOILERS) Gaunt is a charming, well written character that is just as humorous as he is evil. Brian's suicide in front of his brother is rife with emotion. The characterization of most town folks is well thought out, and it's interesting to see how their characters match with the items purchased. As the rising action approaches the climax, the book is very hard to put down. The outlook for the town is ambiguous in the denouement, as several characters lives are ruined already, several are dead, and foreshadowing concludes that others' tragic turn has just begun. Even the long term future of the protagonist is called to question. A very bleak book that is in conflict with a very charismatic antagonist.

Lows: Middle of the book is dragging. Some of the prank concepts are fairly lazy (three of the pranks played on people are almost the exact same) and rely on sloppy structure to keep the plot moving. The falling action, and how Gaunt is defeated, is confusing and is not premediated from the plot at all.

My Thoughts: A fun book to read. A little deeper than a typical King novel. It can be suggested that the book criticizes the materialistic dependencies we have on things as a society, and our "need" to have certain things to make us whole and happy. Many people use these purchases as a way to escape the reality of their current lives, and this unhappiness in the current state of being leads to darker vices and habits as we become less happy with ourselves.

The humor in this book is appreciated, as Gaunt is one of King's more entertaining antagonists. The book starts off very strong, but does begin to drag along at about the middle point, when a new character is introduced fairly far into the novel. As said in the lows, the climax/falling action is not well done at all. It probably can be considered another of King's poorly thought out endings.

Rank in King's books? Definitely not the best, but very far from the worst. I'd put it right above the Stand but below the Shining. Probably my fourth favorite, though I've only read about 6 or 7 of his works.

Rating: 3.75/5 stars