Pride.

That is the moral of the story along with its warning: the consequences of pride. At first, it seems like a tale of greed and possession, but I have to heed that is, much like the storefront of Needful Things, a mere façade. The greed of keeping in tow what on possesses is the initial catalyst for the mayhem that ensues within the little town of Castle Rock, but it is the pride of defending one's self against those who offend that sends people to their deaths within this allegory.

Here is a story that dictates what King does best: he casts a group of characters as large as a fisherman's net and includes the background to each of them, allowing us some depth within their lives that has the reader understand perfectly well why they act in the manner that they do. In many ways, the reader ends up relating very well with the denizens of Castle Rock, which, in turn, makes them the real monsters rather than Mr. Gaunt's (a reference to a being within the works of H. P. Lovecraft) not-so subtle persona.

This is a reread for me, but a reread that is about 15 years apart. I read this during my summer job that took place between my 8th grade exeunt and my high school entrance. Before Needful Things, I had read other books by King. At the time, I did not enjoy Needful Things all that much. I think my prior experience with King involved Pet Cemetery and The Shining, both books I really enjoyed. The big cast was something I was not used to and became very confusing in my young age. I am glad I choose to do the reread, because I see the novel's strengths, references, and allegory now. Before, it was just a tale of revenge gone awry. Needful things is much more than that. It is a reflection back of our own monsters; and what those monsters would do to keep the things we think we need most.