Necessary Things by Stephen King
Stephen King’s Needful Things was first published in 1991 and is set in Castle Rock, a small town in Maine, USA. Although his books are in no particular sequential order, King wrote ‘Needful Things’ as his last story of Castle Rock, so it contains a number of spoilers for anyone who reads it before any of his previous Castle Rock books, such as ‘The Dark Half’ and ‘Cujo’.
Many people unfamiliar with King’s books mistakenly assume that his horror stories are filled with supernatural entities, ghosts, and monsters, and while this can be said for some of his work, many of his most compelling stories find their horror in through human behavior. The most famous of these books has been ‘Misery’, however, Needful Things is not far behind.
In fact, the book hit the big screen in 1993, and while it wasn’t a huge success, the quality of the plot and screenplay attracted major players, including Ed Harris and Max von Sydow.
There have been many famous books based on the fundamental premise of the battle of good versus evil. What’s impressive about Stephen King’s Needful Things is that evil is portrayed in a very oblique way initially, using only an old man and a small shop that curiously seems to stock exactly what the inhabitants of Castle Rock are looking for as soon as they step foot. . inside. The notion of someone selling their soul to the devil is well known and has also been portrayed countless times and in countless ways, but it is here that King shows his literary skill by combining this premise with his commentary on how far people don’t just go, but also hurt others to achieve what they want.
Leland Gaunt is the newcomer to Castle Rock who opens a quirky little store called ‘Needful Things’ and it is here that he tempts the townspeople with the items they want and in return all he asks of them is to play a game. joke or a practice. joke with someone from the village. It doesn’t take long for the jokes to turn into violence, madness and revenge.
Fighting the evil Leland Gaunt is Alan Pangborn, who happens to be the sheriff of Castle Rock. As the story speeds up, Pangborn is seemingly the only character who is aware of Gaunt’s malevolent behavior, but time and time again he shows up to witness the horror and aftermath of Gaunt’s misdeeds as the inhabitants of Castle Rock turn on each other. .
One of the most enjoyable things about Stephen King’s Needful Things is that throughout the journey the reader thinks they have it all figured out only to be duped as the story takes unexpected turns. Part of what makes this book a “must read” if you’re a fan of horror fiction is how little it takes for seemingly normal people to carry out horrific acts of violence on one another. Yes, there is an evil character who is central to the book, but he is simply the provocateur, the tempter, and the person who manages to reach levels of humanity capable of bringing out the worst in people.
An ideal book for someone who likes a heavy dose of realism with their fictional horror.