Needful Things – Tony's Horror Corner

“You’ve been here before.”

“Needful Things,” Stephen King’s first novel after deciding to go sober, was released in 1991. This 690-page story is all about the build-up and about how the intricacies and many different characters of a small town can lead to damnation.

King starts this novel out like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. The narration is superb, and it sets the tone for the story so well. If I could take the introduction out and make it its own story, it would be a top 10 King for me, easily. It sets the upcoming events of the novel up perfectly and gives you background details in a very unique way.

When he released “Needful Things,” King meant is as the story to wrap-up his fictional city, Castle Rock, in his storybook universe. The novel is subtitled: “The Last Castle Rock Story” for a reason. King draws on many references and characters from past novels such as “The Dark Half,” “The Dead Zone,” “Cujo,” the novella “The Sun Dog” from the collection “Four Past Midnight,” the novella “The Body” from the collection “Different Seasons,” and many other Castle Rock stories.

“Needful Things” is about a new shop opening in Castle Rock. The name of the shop? Well, it is Needful Things. What kind of shop is it? It is a shop full of things… things you need. Whether you know you need them or not, Needful Things’ owner and operator will show you that you do. The shop owner? None other than Leland Gaunt, one of my favorite King villains.

Gaunt is reminiscent of Randall Flagg at times, so much so that there are even theories out there that suggest they are in fact the same person or being. I am more on the fence with this theory than I was before my reread. Gaunt definitely displays Flagg characteristics and history, but toward the end, I think there is some major evidence that goes against this theory.

The entire town is obviously intrigued by the new shop opening and everyone checks it out, and leaves with something. The residents of Castle Rock aren’t paying Mr. Gaunt in only money though. With each item, comes a task, or prank. These pranks, devised by Gaunt, slowly pit the residents of Castle Rock against one another.

Everyone seems infatuated with the new store and ecstatic with their new purchase… all except Castle Rock Sheriff Alan Pangborn, who smells something off but can’t quite put his finger on it. Pangborn is one of my favorite King characters of all time. He seems like such an awesome person and is a total badass. Where there is evil, there is always an opposition right? Pangborn is Gaunt’s opposition.

“Needful Things,” like I said earlier, is all about the build-up. King sets up the confrontations between Castle Rock residents so well. He makes you feel each character’s paranoia and anxiety. He slowly escalates each prank until you see everything boil over and explode… literally.

“Everyone loves something for nothing… even if it costs everything.”

This novel is awesome, but it is almost a little too big at times. King nails the small town feel and the whole “everyone knows everyone” aspect is absurdly real. The big thing he’s missing, a big thing he usually is amazing at, is the depth for each character. He goes into detail about a lot of them, for sure, but not all, not enough. We get random snippets from almost everyone, but a majority of these character I would have liked to get more from. Either give me more or take people out.

I also feel like the escalation happened too fast. He spent nearly half the novel building up one confrontation, then suddenly everyone is against each other. The final “battle” between Pangborn and Gaunt made me feel so disappointed the first time through, but I actually didn’t hate it as much this time around. I still don’t love it, by any means, but I don’t hate it.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a great novel; the build-up is amazing, its intense, and even funny at times, but there are things that King definitely could have done differently that would have vaulted “Needful Things” into my top 10. In the end, I love this story and recommend you check it out. I also suggest reading the books I mentioned earlier, first. They’ll help make “Needful Things” more enjoyable. Oh, and ignore the movie… not worth it.

4.5 out of 5

Most of Stephen King‘s stories are set in Maine, where he grew up and currently lives. Many of these stories take place in the fictional town of Castle Rock. This summer, director J.J. Abrams is releasing a ten-episode television series on Hulu based on King’s haunted town.

The show, titled “Castle Rock” (of course), is set to release this summer but no exact date has been announced yet (COME ON MAN). There is a lot of mystery surrounding the show, especially since it isn’t based off one of King’s novels, but rather his haunted city, his ideas and his world.

Constant Readers (for those that don’t know, this is the nickname King gave to his readers), are chomping at the bit to get any-and-all information they can about “Castle Rock” before its release. The theories surrounding the show’s possible events and story line are endless.

After viewing the trailers and checking the cast on IMDb a lot of King fans will recognize familiar names and faces.

Sissy Spacek is known in the King-world as the original “Carrie” from the 1976 adaptation of his very first novel by the same name. Spacek was nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars for her performance. In “Castle Rock,” she plays Ruth Deaver, the adopted mother of main character Henry Deaver, played by Andre Holland.

MV5BMTgyY2RhYzQtZmJjOC00ZjBhLWEzZDEtNmJkYTFiZTBjMjdmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzg4NjM1NzU@._V1_

Actor Scott Glenn is portraying every King fans favorite cop, Alan Pangborn. In King’s novels, “The Dark Half” and “Needful Things,” Pangborn was sheriff of the Castle Rock Police Department, but in the show, he looks to be a bit older and (most likely) retired.

Melanie Lynskey, who played Rachel Wheaton in “Rose Red” (a tv movie King wrote), plays Castle Rock real-estate agent Molly Strand.

Lastly, Bill Skarsgard, an actor returning to the King-verse who many, not just King fans, may know (especially the ladies). Skarsgard is known for his work on the Netflix tv show “Hemlock Grove,” and more recently as the horrifying clown Pennywise in the 2017 adaptation of King’s 1986 novel “IT.”

In “Castle Rock,” Skarsgard plays a death-row inmate at Shawshank Prison (yeah the same Shawshank that was featured in “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”). On IMDb, Skarsgard is cast as “Shawshank Prisoner,” creating even more mystery around the show and his character.

In other news, Skarsgard is set to reprise his role as Pennywise in “IT Part Two,” slated to hit theaters September 6, 2019.

**Side Note: This is not the first time Abrams and King have worked together. Abrams developed a series on Hulu in 2016 based on King’s novel “11/22/63” where a man travels back in time to stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. (Another novel I highly recommend once you have gotten through the Castle Rock stories)**

MV5BMTk1NjE5MjUwM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODk3NTk2OTE@._V1_SX690_CR0,0,690,999_AL_

Now, back to the topic at hand: Some of you may be totally lost, and that’s understandable. You’re probably reading all this like, “’Castle Rock?’ What the heck, how am I supposed to get into a show I know nothing about?” That’s where the following list comes in.

As previously mentioned, “Castle Rock” isn’t based off any of King’s stories exclusively, rather a modern look at how King’s haunted city is doing nowadays. “Castle Rock” will take aspects from a lot of King’s work related to the city, so here is a list of novels and stories set in Castle Rock (many of which have been adapted into movies and shows) that you should get and read to prepare yourself for what looks to be the show of the summer.

“The Dead Zone” (1979) (426 pages) (Film released in 1983 and TV series released in 2002)
“Cujo” (1981) (319 pages) (Film released in 1983)
“The Dark Half” (1989) (412 pages) (Film released in 1993)
“Needful Things” (1991)(690 pages) (Film released in 1993)
- Subtitled “The Last Castle Rock Story” It is EPIC.
“Gwendy’s Button Box” (2017) (164 pages)
- King co-wrote this novella with Richard Chizmar, founder of Cemetery Dance Publications based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Chizmar recently released a novella, “Widow’s Point,” which he co-wrote with his son Billy.
“Elevation” (October 2018) (144 pages)

“Elevation” is set to release October 30, 2018. The novella will be the newest addition to the Castle Rock stories and King’s second literary release of the year after the novel “The Outsider,” hits stores May 22, 2018.

Anyway, enjoy the books and keep checking for more info on the show and updates on anything King-related. As always, feel free to comment with any questions, concerns or whatever else your heart desires!