a different take on the story

[brandon]

Most threads I read on this book seem to revolve around the idea that the plot is about a manic consumerism gone terribly wrong. While that is certainly a valid viewpoint, I kinda look at it from a different angle. I have read this book 3 times, but havent cracked it open for nearly 10 years. What got me to thinking on this was a recent viewing of "Shindler's List". This movie brought home anew why I have always been fascinated with the Nazi movement of the 30's and 40's. While watching this depressing and terribly moving masterpiece, I was reminded again of how easily people are manipulated to a desired cause. Really, just comtemplate how millions of decent, hardworking Germans (read: human beings) were turned into SS murderers, or at the very least complacent accessories. All it took was the right set of circumstances, a brilliant puppeteer, and a timely message and BAM!!... millions dead. Jeez.... We are all really that simple, and that is hella scary! So that is what I take from that book. We are all just a breath away from our worst selves if the right "demon" possesses us.

[wally wonder]

though i haven't picked it up, as yet, the vampire economy might be of interest to you, brandon. and who knows, maybe (i suspect) some of the things chronicled in that work about germany are echoed by what's up in the u s of a, today. some of this things i've been reading about prez obama, for example, and how his national endowment for the arts man...well, i don't think ole rocco is going to rival any of the nazis as far as propaganda goes, or maybe he will, facts didn't matter to the nazis, either.

this story, needful things, like tommyknockers, kicked around that 'group-think' mentality, tommyknockers, more so, but it is there in needful things, the two church groups an example. there's also that small town business at work, as well.

i read a line from this other story i'd been reading, do you like it when people to whom you've done no wrong arrange themselves to be done with you? in needful things, otoh, it is a matter of someone believing they've been done wrong and set out to extract revenge. they won't be done until the other is done in. what happens then? blood flies.

i think obama is like leland gaunt, telling us who the evil doers are, all those rich bigwigs, course they're all corrupt money grubbing smitt-heels, yeah, boy howdy ain't that the troof! sign of the times. so, yeah, there's all sort of analogies could be made to events historical and hysterical.

[brandon]

[QUOTE=Bluey Lunger;337420]though i haven't picked it up, as yet, the vampire economy might be of interest to you, brandon. and who knows, maybe (i suspect) some of the things chronicled in that work about germany are echoed by what's up in the u s of a, today. some of this things i've been reading about prez obama, for example, and how his national endowment for the arts man...well, i don't think ole rocco is going to rival any of the nazis as far as propaganda goes, or maybe he will, facts didn't matter to the nazis, either



I couldnt agree more.

[brandon]

I will look into that Vampire Economy, thank you. Author?

[randallFlaggfan1]

Well put, Bluey. You always have interesting things to say!

[randallFlaggfan1]

BTW, I loved Needful Things. Haven't read it since high school, though! Maybe I'll put this one on my re-read list, too..

[eaglpaul]

Needful Things is my favorite book outside of the DT Series, and I agree with Brandon. I have always felt that this book was about manipulation. How one "man" was able to literally destroy an entire town by threatening to take away a person's "Needful Thing." It's really scary when you think about, and it could just as easily happen to any one of us. That is why I love this book.

[randallFlaggfan1]

I agree. The novels' antagonist expertly manipulates Castle Rock in unprecedented ways. Kind of makes you wonder what else he's done, and what could drive an individual to commit such unspeakable acts?

[jalexbrown]

I read somewhere online quite some time ago that King had started working on a sequel to Needful Things, titled - according to the site - Even More Needful Things. I sincerely doubt there's any validity to the site, but it always made me wonder what it would be like if there was a sequel. Even as sinister as Gaunt was to the citizens of Castle Rock, I always felt that there was an even more benign evil that went unexplored in the book. I get the impression that Needful Things was just scratching the surface of the evil that Gaunt would be capable of managing.