Stephen King - Needful Things: The Last Castle Rock Story/16N Copy Floor Display

Pros: complex, fascinating; very human characters
Cons: complex, too self-aware, juvenile in places, "name-dropping"

Needful Things is a complex, well-thought-out, carefully constructed horror novel with some very interesting underlying themes. The basic idea is this: a man named Mr. Gaunt opens a shop called "Needful Things" in the sleepy little town of Castle...

Pros: a definite page-turner, easily read...
Cons: ...but also easily forgotten

Steven King doesn't get no respect. His books, while bought by the millions, are often snubbed by critics as amateurish fluff. "King's prose is flawed!" they cry. Perhaps, but I find his writing style personable and very readable. Maybe his...

Pros: Good story.
Cons: Long story.

Needful Things has many of the hallmarks of a Stephen King novel; a complex plot, an extended list of characters, detailed descriptions, imaginative settings, and sheer size; it's over 700 pages in paperback. However, if you're a veteran...

Pros: full of twist turns, and the dark side of people
Cons: not his best, but good

What would you give for your most prized posession? Something all the money in the world couldn't buy, even if you had the money, which you don't. Would you sell your soul? Most people would not. But what if you were tricked into it. Say you struck...

Pros: Good story line, Edge of your seat suspense
Cons: None

Let me start by saying that I'm not a big fan of scary things, so I've avoided Stephen King stuff most my life. But this past winter that changed. I was on a trip with my husband visiting his family and let's just say I got left behind one day while he...

Pros: Small town backstabbing taken to a new level
Cons: A bit long and drawn out

While this is not the most "horrifying" book I have read by King, the horror is certainly more real than in most of his other books. The only supernatural presence in this one is one Leland Gaunt, proprietor of the new shop...

Pros: A good book
Cons: It'll freak you out!

I hope a store like this never opens in my neighborhood. This is another terrifying book. I loved the bad guy. He was truly evil. The way his items enchanted its owners really freaked me out. I could put the book down. I was so afraid for the...

Pros: exciting, keeps you on the edge, you don't want to put it down!
Cons: none

Stephen King keeps his ongoing rule of bargains made with the devil carry a heavy fee! "I danced his tune and now must pay. . . the fiddler's fee, the fiddler's way!". (Sorry, I just had to add my own little ditty!).

This is a great...

Pros: It's surprising, thought provoking, and simply astonishing
Cons: It may seem offensive to some religious people.

Dear Readers,
This book is one of the most astounding fictional horrors I have ever read. For those of you who are interested in intricate and creative horror novels, this will hopefully appeal to you.
Needful Things is the most thought...

Pros: Great concept.. great book!
Cons: So much going on... so it's a little mind-boggling at times

This book is amazing. It took me a good couple chapters to really get into it though, but I was glad I did. Every now and then I got lost, though, because there's a lot to keep up with in this book. Every character has quirks and views that are their...

Pros: Many interesting characters, manipulative Mr. Gaunt
Cons: Ending

Ahh, Needful Things.

First, if you're planning on reading the Castle Rock books, I'd suggest starting earlier on. Sure, that would seem the obvious place for a series of books, but they're not really direct sequels, so you can read them...

Pros: The way King tells the story I felt like I was there all the way through and was reading my diary.
Cons: I wouldn't say there's anything wrong with the book. I really liked it.

Have you ever read a book that just keeps you wanting more? When you read Needful Things you just can't get enough. I was totally anxious to see what was going to happen next. Stephen King expresses the characters feelings in such a way, you feel...

Pros: Well orchestrated cast and lots of fun.
Cons: Predictable in places, especially for King fans.

In a store that has only a few items on display, anyone, everyone actually can find just what they need. There is a catch, of course. As the town anticipates the reopening of a storefront long closed they get a glimpse of the proprietor.
Well...

Pros: excellent plot, amazing characters, scary and intelligent.
Cons: weird ending, too many other King references.

In a small town where everyone knows one another, a town where everyone has friends and enemies in tight packed groups, in a small town like this, everyone has a skeleton in their closet. All it takes is for the right man to open the door.
...

Pros: Vintage Stephen King
Cons: Borrowed Plot

I really needed this book. It didn't cost me a lot, (no pranks mind you) and it filled the void. Whilst not the best Stephen King I have ever read, it is by no means the worst. I had read Misery, Dolores Claibourne, The Tommyknockers and Geralds Game...