Needful Things Reading Group Discussion 10/9/19

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Doc Creed

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Random thought: Ace Merrill uses Gaunt's Tucker Talisman about midway through to do "a deed" for him. This is sort of a low key link to The Talisman book, I guess. Plus, at the end, Alan Pangborn has his own kind of talisman which he uses againt Leland Gaunt: the toy canister of mixed nuts. If you notice, when this idea comes to Alan he walks in front of the Tucker Talisman (which he doesn't see).
 

Spideyman

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Guess they need to redo the bookcover-- no longer the last Castle Rock book ;)
Found many connections to other SK books.
Talk about Ace Merrill terrorizing the kids when he was in school (The Body) and having spent time in Shawshank Prison (Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption).

I must admit have not completely re read the book-- you know that old Life gets in the way. Did find many details I'd missed, or forgotten on a first read.
 

Doc Creed

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How and why do you think King uses humor in this novel? Do you think it is because audiences tend to laugh at the whole idea of the devil stealing souls or do you think he just wanted to be different? I think he wanted to lighten the mood at the get-go because he's essentially saying all of us (the readers) are guilty of materialism and even greed. It's a human preoccupation to satisfy these mysterious, constant cravings...which seem inextricably linked to desiring wealth, and therefore, power. Maybe this was his way of ribbing us about our roving eyes, especially when they are looking at a neighbor who has it better than us. Some have said it can allude to addictions, too. What do you think?
 

Doc Creed

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Guess they need to redo the bookcover-- no longer the last Castle Rock book ;)
Found many connections to other SK books.
Talk about Ace Merrill terrorizing the kids when he was in school (The Body) and having spent time in Shawshank Prison (Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption).

I must admit have not completely re read the book-- you know that old Life gets in the way. Did find many details I'd missed, or forgotten on a first read.
Yes,it was fun finding those links to other stories. Like when Polly visits the Camber farm.
 

Doc Creed

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The humor helped alleviate much of the darkness pulling down the town, too. When you think about it, it's a huge tragedy: Nettie fighting Wilma to the death in the middle of the street because the woman had flayed her dog, Hugh Priest who was a sad drunk, and all of the people who resorted to violence over things that never even happened (or at least not perpetrated by the actual victims). Brian Rusk killing himself with a shotgun. I could go on and on.
 

Doc Creed

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Question for the women: do you think King creates a multi-layered woman in Polly Chalmers? Did you think her backstory with her baby was compelling/convincing? It is maybe not his best complicated female character but I did think she was a precursor to better characters such as Lisey Landon, Dolores Claiborne, and Jesse Burlingame.
 

Spideyman

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Question for the women: do you think King creates a multi-layered woman in Polly Chalmers? Did you think her backstory with her baby was compelling/convincing? It is maybe not his best complicated female character but I did think she was a precursor to better characters such as Lisey Landon, Dolores Claiborne, and Jesse Burlingame.
Let me try to tackle this one--I would say, personal opinion, she isn;t that complicated. True, she is a forerunner for Claiborne and esp. Lisey( love that book)

I found Polly to be a kind and caring person, but gullible. Did she not realize the consequences of the magic trinket and taking away the pain?
 

Doc Creed

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Let me try to tackle this one--I would say, personal opinion, she isn;t that complicated. True, she is a forerunner for Claiborne and esp. Lisey( love that book)

I found Polly to be a kind and caring person, but gullible. Did she not realize the consequences of the magic trinket and taking away the pain?
Exactly. She seemed like an intelligent person, otherwise.
 

Spideyman

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Jul 10, 2006
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The humor helped alleviate much of the darkness pulling down the town, too. When you think about it, it's a huge tragedy: Nettie fighting Wilma to the death in the middle of the street because the woman had flayed her dog, Hugh Priest who was a sad drunk, and all of the people who resorted to violence over things that never even happened (or at least not perpetrated by the actual victims). Brian Rusk killing himself with a shotgun. I could go on and on.
The humor is darkly funny. I think KIng said it was a satire of 80's Reaganite greed. No limit to how far people would go to get what they needed.
 

Doc Creed

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Nov 18, 2015
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Doc Creed - know your computer time will be limited, but am confident more will post tomorrow . and the discussion is always open.
Thank you for organizing this reading group. Catch up more tomorrow.
My pleasure. Thank you, Spidey. I have been doing other things in between posting (and, yes, I won't have this laptop for long) so I realize other members may be in similar situations. Attendance levels can be difficult to predict, and I am in no way frustrated. No worries. :kiwi-fruit: