Needful Things is a novel set in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine, where a mysterious shop called Needful Things opens up, offering people their deepest desires in exchange for playing pranks on their fellow residents. The story explores the consequences of greed, manipulation, and the dark side of human nature as the town descends into chaos due to the sinister influence of the shop owner, Leland Gaunt. Stephen King's writing style effectively portrays the gradual unraveling of the town and its residents, blending supernatural elements with realistic character development.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book includes graphic violence, psychological manipulation, references to drug use, and themes that may be distressing for some readers.
Has Romance?
There is a moderate level of romance present, primarily between the characters of Sheriff Alan Pangborn and Polly Chalmers.
From The Publisher:
Set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine
Master storyteller Stephen King presents the classic #1 New York Times bestseller about a mysterious store than can sell you whatever you desire-but not without exacting a terrible price in return.
The town of Castle Rock, Maine has seen its fair share of oddities over the years, but nothing is as peculiar as the little curio shop that's just opened for business here. Its mysterious proprietor, Leland Gaunt, seems to have something for everyone out on display at Needful Things…interesting items that run the gamut from worthless to priceless. Nothing has a price tag in this place, but everything is certainly for sale. The heart's desire for any resident of Castle Rock can easily be found among the curiosities…in exchange for a little money and-at the specific request of Leland Gaunt-a whole lot of menace against their fellow neighbors. Everyone in town seems willing to make a deal at Needful Things, but the devil is in the details. And no one takes heed of the little sign hanging on the wall: Caveat emptor. In other words, let the buyer beware…
Ratings (97)
Incredible (17) | |
Loved It (43) | |
Liked It (29) | |
It Was OK (5) | |
Did Not Like (3) |
Reader Stats (164):
Read It (99) | |
Currently Reading (2) | |
Want To Read (37) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (24) |
1 comment(s)
Needful Things is an excellent read. It is engaging and captivating and very clever. The effect the new comer in town has on the residents is horrific. A great scary read. One of the best.
What can you read after
Needful Things?
About the Author:
Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, and Doctor Sleep are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.
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