My Long Walk Through Stephen King's Lot

Stephen King is not just an author who churns out a ton of stories—although, yes, he certainly does do that.   King is an author who has created (and is still creating ) a vast, interconnected literary universe.   One of the greatest pleasures in being a devoted fan is in finding how often King references, and connects to, characters, story elements, and locales found throughout his literary canon.   King often refers to his most ardent fans as “Constant Readers.”   It is a term he uses to regard those readers who’ve put a lot of money into his pockets and faithfully stayed the course with him over numerous decades, reading everything he’s published.   I imagine King is flattered by such commitment from his audience, and counts himself blessed.   But the truth is, he gives his most faithful readers a lot to enjoy on the other end, and rewards their diligence with special insight into his fictional landscape that many casual readers are not privy to. ...

    Recently, a few of my coworkers were interested in starting a book club, and (knowing I am a big King fan) they elected to begin with something by him.   The selection?   Needful Things .   Now, this is a book I had already read—roughly ten years ago—but I was interested in revisiting it.   I remembered the book having at least a few excellent characters, an intriguing tone, and the premise is one that I continue to find fascinating.   Plus, this is “the last Castle Rock story,” or at least had been at the time.   And with the Hulu series “Castle Rock” in development, I’m eager to refresh myself on the goings-on of that particular locale within King’s literary universe.   With all those factors in mind, I figured I might enjoy a reread.   So…did I?   You bet I did.   Needful Things is a book that begins with a highly intriguing premise.   In effect, the Devil sets up shop in a small town with the i...