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  • Needful Things

  • By: Stephen King
  • Narrated by: Stephen King
  • Length: 25 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,981 ratings)
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Needful Things cover art

Needful Things

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Stephen King
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Summary

There was a new shop in town. Run by a stranger. Needful Things, the sign said. The oddest name. A name that caused some gossip and speculation among the good folks of Castle Rock, Maine, while they waited for opening day. Eleven-year-old Brian Rusk was the first customer and he got just what he wanted, a very rare 1956 Sandy Koufax baseball card. Signed. Cyndi Rose Martin was next. A Lalique vase. A perfect match for her living room decor. Something for everyone. Something you really had to have. And always at a price you could just about afford. The cash price that is. Because there was another price. There always is when your heart's most secret, true desire is for sale.

©1991 Stephen King (P)2008 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A sophisticated literary craftsman . . . his work anatomises . . . the social fabric of small-town American life." ( Observer)

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What listeners say about Needful Things

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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

On the whole, good...

I have nearly finished this story, and have to say how good it has been. It's really enjoyable to hear the author reading the characters, as they will use the accents they imagined at the point of writing.

But, the music and sound effects interspersed throughout the reading are very off putting and don't really add anything to the atmosphere, but rather puncture it just at a point where I'd found myself lost in the importance of the events.

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34 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The music ruins it massively.

Overall, Needful Things is a fantastic book. Hell, it’s SK, what more can we expect? However, the one thing that lets this audiobook down is the excessive use of music during the opening scenes.
There have been times when I’ve actually been unable to hear the story because for some reason, there is ‘atmospheric’ music playing in the background. If the music played for 10/15 seconds at the most, it’d be bearable. But no, you’re talking about 5 minutes of music playing OVER the narration.

Why? Please someone, why?

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Mr King is not an actor

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I think this book should have been read by an actor as Stephen Kings voice is enough to send you to sleep. A real shame as I love his books.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Drone drone drone

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Very engrossing

This was my second Stephen King novel and I am now a fan of his. This story is creepy and kept you wondering what each character was up to but to me the best thing about the novel was the way commercialism is portrayed. What would you do for the object you have always wanted? If you are a character in this novel the answer is a lot.

I'd highly recommend this novel if only to question if anything you own is "needful".

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

why ?

the music was terrible there was even a slow xmas carol at 1 point . and during a gruesome scene when there was knifes and a cleaver involved u couldn't hear the narration for the stupid music. there was static noises throughout the recording aswell

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

enjoyable but not amazing

i'm a long time fan of Kings books, and i would have to say this was another really good example of a page turner, admittedly this is indefinably not his best book, but the chaos created in it was incredibly funny, at times the novelty wore of a bit, but the other characters reaction made it worth it, sometimes parts of the book just seemed to be almost glossed over by other events in the book, in one case a character breaks there neck and not much more than 2 sentences are given about it after, this does in my opinion actually add to the sense of chaos however i can imagine for some people it would be almost annoying. i haven't given to much away i think.

all in all i would say read through some of the better books like: the dark tower series ( by far the best of his books, and explains a lot of characters in other books like the spider in "IT" however this series is quite an undertaking, i managed to finish all of them in 2 weeks and would say it was really well worth it), i would also suggest listening to the stand, the shining and under the dome. once you have gone through those maybe try some of the other books if your not sick of listening to people read to you by then :)

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Narrated by the author

Perfect! Stephen King knows his characters and their inner voices better than anyone else could! You get the full 3D version here!!

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Naff ending

Reminiscent of Salem's Lot in that an old guy opens a shop in a quaint town and is not all he seems. The residents find themselves buying items they feel they 'need' and go to extremes to keep them.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

First King Novel I’ve Given Up On

I tried and tried but gave up. King’s narration is narrow and the plot unravels at a snail’s pace. Too familiar formula of complex backstories colliding headlong into frightening territory. Heard it all before, but better. A shame because I’m a late convert to the great man of Maine!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really enjoyed

As it is read by the author you know the story is being told as intended to be.

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3 people found this helpful