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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 (2,028 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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Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    1,166
  • 4 Stars
    550
  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
    52
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Performance
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  • 2 Stars
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    37
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    1,073
  • 4 Stars
    470
  • 3 Stars
    174
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
    24

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

Great story

I like this book, I wish I'd read this book.
But I ordered it through Audible, and the ways its been presented is like nails scraping on blackboard, so annoying.
That awful music and bell ringing put me off the whole book, just tell the story, my imagination adds its own background music and visuals.
Grrr

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

A Fantastic Tale

I originally read this book, as a teenager & absolutely loved it. This audio version is narrated by the great Mr King himself. In my opinion, the author is always the best choice to narrate a book. Mr King doesn't disappoint.

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

The sound of Musak

The story is brilliant and I enjoyed SK reading it but like with everyone else, why O why was there ridiculous music put over the top of the reading in sections?? Like who ok this ?? It made it feel like it was produced in the early 90s it was so bad. It actually made me angry when it would start playing, just the most unnecessary thing ever and it gave zero atmosphere!! Honestly, whoever ok it needs to be put down as you have a lot of unsatisfied listeners here.

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

A Stephen King classic

Good narrator with a broad range.
Musical interludes are a bit weird and unnecessary in my opinion.

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

Good story, but audio book issues lets it down.

Interesting story with plenty of twists leaving you not knowing what's going to happen but annoying overly loud music between chapters that drones over the reader and audio glitches/hissing let it down.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

amazing

What did you like most about Needful Things?

Stephen king never let's you down ,what a good book!

What did you like best about this story?

The characters

Which character – as performed by Stephen King – was your favourite?

Shop owner

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

You get more than you bargain for

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Spectacular

Wonderful narration by Stephen King himself, treat yourself to this suspenseful ride through Castle Rock!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Cracking listen - you'll get used to Stephen King's voice

Absolutely fantastic book. If you like King, you will love this tale - intertwining the customary Castle Rock location and other-world-meets-real-world storyline with a host of flawed, painfully realistic characters.

You'll get used to Stephen King's voice, though it grates on me in the beginning. Interesting to note the inflection that he reads with - much more aggressive than I imagine a voice actor would have done it, but there's no doubt it's exactly how he wants his characters to sound.

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

Leave the narration to the processes Mister King.

Enjoyed this book very much but I do wish Stephan King would just let a decent voice actor to do the story come more to life.

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

decent read but just a shame Steven kind is readin

Steven kings voice isn't the beat for a novel of this size. he should have gone with someone else

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