Rereading Stephen King, chapter 29: Needful Things

His first book written after conquering his own addictions, this is a compelling story of how far people will go to satisfy their appetites

If there's one thing that Stephen King understands above all others above spider demons and psychic communication lines and psychopathic fans it's addiction. He's shown that again and again, with characters demonstrating that what they need isn't always the same as what they want. In The Shining, Jack wants to write, to look after his family; he needs the drink that he's trying to escape from. In Misery, Annie's wants her basic desires turn nasty when they become needs (as, frankly, do Paul's). It's a recurring theme. So when King calls a novel Needful Things, you know he's not entering the territory of desire with anything resembling a soft touch.

Continue reading...