If It Bleeds: Mr. Harrigan's Phone, The Life of Chuck, If It Bleeds, Rat

I will preface this review by confessing that I am a massive Stephen King fan. I read everything the man puts out, for better or worse. I will also add that his novellas and short stories are among my personal favorites. So, having said all that, IF IT BLEEDS is another 5-star contribution from a master storyteller. Each story is unique, and yet there is still an underlying theme that threads them together. I will add some of my quick thoughts about each piece. The primary entry is MR. HARRIGAN'S PHONE. It is a bittersweet, coming-of-age ghost story told from a first-person perspective. I will also confess that I am partial to first-person storytelling, and some of my all-time favorite King stories are in this fashion (11/22/63, Bag of Bones, Revival). The story feels like vintage Stephen King, (a term I am reluctant to use, because late in his career, Stephen King has written some of his most compelling fiction) in that it could easily fit in with DIFFERENT SEASONS or FOUR PAST MIDNIGHT. From start to finish, this piece was captivating. It was tightly wound, and it ends on a button. THE LIFE OF CHUCK seems to be everyone's favorite (based on what I've seen from book Twitter and King fans across all social media platforms) and I can definitely see why. When Stephen King gets more literary with his writing, he also usually produces an exquisite story. The story is told backwards, and in three-acts. It gave me 11/22/63 vibes, and it moved my heart and spirit. I guess, after some reflection, it is "my favorite" from this collection as well, though it feels wrong to say that. This one was the most creative, and I think I love it mostly from a writer's perspective. King's ability to remain innovative after 45 years is inspiring. IF IT BLEEDS is the eponymous story, and continues King's recent interest in blending crime with the supernatural. It is a direct sequel to a previous work, THE OUTSIDER, which was a stunning novel in its own right, and adapted beautifully as an HBO limited series. Holly Gibney has divided King fans since her introduction in MR. MERCEDES, and I have long been in the camp that loves her. Perhaps it is because I notice certain qualities she has that some of my closest friends have (maybe myself, as well), but mostly I think it's because she is resilient and tough, and yet filled with an unmistakable empathy. IF IT BLEEDS is the longest story in this collection, and it was the fastest one I read. Page-turning suspense and high-stakes with characters I've come to enjoy reading more about. RAT is a twist on the classic Faustian tale, one that King has explored in a number of stories throughout his career. In his previous novella collection, FULL DARK, NO STARS there is a story titled "Fair Extension," which follows a character who shows no remorse about the catastrophic bargain he strikes up. Here in "Rat," the main character is uncertain if the bargain was a fully-realized thing, if he really meant it, or if he is losing his mind. This story is clearly King having fun, and it is certainly a fun, slightly unsettling read. Of course, I love every opportunity we get to hear about Stephen King's writing process and his thoughts. Usually we are blessed with a forward or an author's note in his collections, and IF IT BLEEDS is no different. What a blast these four stories were, and I cannot wait to revisit them soon.

Stephen King, born in 1947, is a very creative American author known for his popular and best-selling novels, short stories, and screenplays. His many works include over sixty books and numerous short stories. Lots of them have been adapted into films and television shows. His work includes horror, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy, and he has received the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Anthony Breznican wrote in Vanity Fair, “King’s stories are often about people uniting and protecting each other in surprising displays of decency and humanity. They’re about rising up and facing down the cruel and unspeakable.” Breznican’s appraisal is very apt in describing one of the four novellas in this volume, the one the entire book is named after, “If It Bleeds.” I want to comment on this novella. Stephen King’s 2020 book “If It Bleeds” contains an Author’s Note in which he writes, “I began to notice that certain news correspondents seem always to appear at the scenes of horrific tragedies… (and their) stories almost always head local and national news; everyone in the biz knows the axiom 'If it bleeds, it leads.’” People are fascinated by horrific tragedies. There is a German noun, schadenfreude, which means pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune. The single word is derived from two German words: schaden “harm” and freude “joy.” An example of its usage is “newspapers thrive on schadenfreude." Proverbs 24:17-18 warns us that this behavior is wrong. “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them.” This verse goes beyond urging us to act appropriately—it requires us to embrace God's perspective, even towards those who harm us. It tells us that God's anger will be turned away from the enemy and towards the person who is rejoicing. I understand the author of Proverbs is not necessarily saying God will do so, but it is part of nature that, if people act with schadenfreude, there is a natural consequence: they hurt themselves. Many people recognized this in the past. "Actions have consequences, (this is the) first rule of life." “We are free to choose, but we are not free from the consequences of our choice.” "We are the authors of our own consequences, if not always of our own actions" There is a somewhat similar psychological concept known as the “bystander effect.” In March 1964, 28-year-old Kitty Genovese was attacked, sexually assaulted, and stabbed to death near her apartment building, in an attack that lasted for about half an hour. There were significant inaccuracies in the initial news reports. However, despite the inaccuracies, the original story inspired social psychologists to research the "bystander effect," which states that individuals are less likely to offer help in an emergency when others are present, because others are already responsible. The case helped lead to the establishment of the centralized 911 emergency call system in New York City. It spurred the creation of "Good Samaritan" laws in various other places to encourage people to assist victims without fear of legal repercussions. People are also often hesitant to intervene when witnessing an attack due to a combination of psychological and situational factors, including, uncertainty about the situation, not knowing how to help, the belief that it is not their responsibility, looking to others for clues on how to behave and if no one else is reacting, a bystander may interpret the situation as less severe or not requiring help, or fear for their own safety. The 2015 movie with Van Damme, “Pound of Flesh,” is an example of a latter reason, fear that helping others will result in harm to them. A man goes to help a woman in distress, fights and beats the man who is assaulting the woman. She awarded him with drinks and sex as a thank you, and he awoke the next morning missing a kidney. Fortunately, he was a highly trained ex-military operative, an expert in weapons and hand-to-hand combat. He could take revenge. But the average person cannot. Stephen King’s “If It Bleeds” is a brilliant novella. The story is told superbly, and the character of Holly, the heroine, is superb. She has no fear of helping others, and she does so in a fantastic way. The author of the biblical Proverbs would praise her, and readers will find good reasons to praise Stephen King.

Mostly bought this because it had the one Holly Gibney story I didn't have. I enjoyed it very much. I love seeing how she has grown through all her stories. The Life of Chuck was a real brain twister and I also really enjoyed Mr. H arrogance phone. Rat was ok but all in all solid stories.

This book contains four novellas by Stephen King, and I feel like it would deserve five stars based on each of them. All four are very good, but my personal favourite is probably the title one, If it Bleeds. Holly Gibney is one of my favourite characters, and it was great to see more of her. Life of Chuck is also a very quirky but deep story that was very good. I loved the whole book!

If It Bleeds, it leads... It has been quite some time since I've read King. Every time I do so I realize that I was long overdue. He is a master of the craft with so many years under his belt that when he grabs you he really grabs you. This was my first foray...

Stephen King has released another long-awaited collection. In a tradition akin to “Four Past Midnight,” “If it Bleeds” spawns four page-turning novellas. This time, with another surprise to his die-hard horror fans, the stories focus on the coming-of-age character, the paranormal, ghosts, and of course, death. They reflect the Stephen King responsible for works such as “The Body” and “The Green Mile.” And as anticipated, the author of “Mr. Mercedes” and “The Outsider” has reunited his Constant Readers with P.I. Holly Gibney in the book’s title story. In “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” Craig is the young-coming-of-age adolescent not yet old enough to work when he’s hired by Mr. Harrigan, an elderly curmudgeon once a top-magnate in the stock-market and business world. Craig’s job is to read to him, as task he gladly performs even if some of the books he doesn’t understand like, “Lady Chatterley’s Lover.” Harrigan, old-world and set in his ways, denounces modern gadgets and technology, a mental block Craig breaks through when he buys Mr. Harrigan an iphone. The phone is a way of thanking Mr. Harrigan, since Craig struck lucky on a scratch-off ticket the old man gave him. As Craig teaches Mr. Harrigan everything about the phone, the gadget soon becomes a guilty pleasure, and an unlikely friendship forms between the old man and the boy. But when Mr. Harrigan dies, Craig continues to talk to him and realizes by some oddity, Mr. Harrigan may be listening. All Craig has to do is dial the phone and ask for his help. The story is both heartwarming and eerie, about an unlikely friendship so unique that it may transcend death itself. It also leaves the reader questioning reality versus imagination. At Mr. Harrigan’s casket, Craig slips the phone into his suit pocket. Then, as he stands over Harrigan’s grave and dials the phone, he swears he can hear it ringing. The coming-of-age story also sends chills down the spine, a classic King trademark. King has brilliantly documented “The Life of Chuck” in backwards fashion, with the last chapter being the first, and the first being last. The world is ending in the first chapter. The apocalypse has commenced. The internet is failing as California sinks into the ocean. Huge sinkholes are opening on the highways, making car travel a burden. Stars are inexplicably falling from the sky. Food is now a luxury quickly fading into a famine. Yet everywhere one looks, on billboards, television screens, and signs, is the face of an unfamiliar middle-aged man named Chuck. The advertisement thanks him for thirty-nine good years with his job at the bank. But those who are living through the final end want to know—who is Chuck? “The Life of Chuck” deals with not only the apocalypse, but the reality of ghosts and those who see them. It is about warnings from beyond that go unheeded and about living life to the fullest while you can. The subsequent chapters introduce us to Chuck as young boy living with his grandparents, his curiosity stoked by a haunted room in their house. As always, King’s characters are real and unforgettable, each of them marked by their own tragedy or circumstances. And after sneaking a peek into the haunted room, Chuck is no different. The story is surprising with unexpected twists and a mind blowing narrative that takes the reader through decades of Chuck’s life. “If it Bleeds” begins with a package delivery, one that eventually blows up a western Pennsylvania middle-school, killing many in its wake. Affected by the tragedy is King fan- favorite, Holly Gibney. Something about the round-the-clock newscaster who just happened to be on the scene has triggered Holly’s attention and curiosity. But what is it about Chet Ondowsky? Something is different about him, something that Holly’s keen insight doesn’t miss. There’s something about his face. Could Holly be dealing with another Outsider? With help from an unlikely source, Holly begins to put the pieces together, and while doing so, makes an audio recording of everything she knows and forwards it on a flash drive to Det. Ralph Anderson, her cohort in “The Outsider.” Not as lengthy as its predecessor, the story can definitely be considered a sequel to “The Outsider.” The same fast-paced thrill ride that existed in that book and the “Mr. Mercedes” trilogy is present in “If it Bleeds.” Soon, Holly confronts Chet Ondowsky and the heart-pounding action begins, making the reader turn page after page in hopes of Holly’s survival. “If it Bleeds” is a perfect addition into Holly’s storyline. Also, it’s hard not to miss King’s observation of the Media’s often ghoulish drive when it comes to newsworthy tragedies. Drew Larson is a wannabe author in “Rat.” He’s had three prior failed attempts, the last one scaring everyone from his wife and children, to his mentor. Drew suddenly sees a vision, a story set in the old west that plays out in his mind. To the dismay of his wife, Lucy, he sets out to write what he claims is a sure thing. This time, he will drive miles to his late father’s cabin and work on the first draft. But Drew faces the onset of not only a storm, but a virus he picked up from another. In the midst of these obstacles, he sees a rat, one who talks to him. The rat makes a Drew a deal, a shady one, but one that bears out. “Rat” is another exploration of reality versus imagination. The character questions it, and so does the reader. Was the rat real, or was the rat conjured by Drew’s own imagination in an effort to combat his low-confidence level? “Rat” is a unique story with authentic and true-to-life characters and a setting that remains etched in the mind. “If it Bleeds” contains well-crafted imaginative stories and will sit well alongside King’s other collections.

To make a (small) pun, if Jefferey Deaver is the king of shorter stories, then King must surely be the prince. Stephen has published, and we’ve read them all, some dozen anthologies of novellas and short stories, of which the latest is “Bleeds”, a compendium of four novellas of around 90-190 pages each. The four are: “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” – perhaps the most entertaining novella we’ve ever read (!), a compelling and almost moving tale of a boy’s first adult friend and first cellphone, and how interestingly the two intertwine. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “Life of Chuck” – sort of a ghost story, unusual in that it is told in three parts, in reverse order; probably our least favorite of the four… ★ ★ ★ “If It Bleeds” – by far the longest tale featured (from the “Mr. Mercedes” set) detective Holly Gibney, in a plot launched with a disastrous middle school bombing. Holly’s little PI firm is working a series of minor cases, and has nothing specific to do with the bombing; yet she keeps thinking about one of the early TV reporter’s possible role in the event, shades of her “shape-shifter” theories in King’s 2018 novel “Outsider”, in which she was the featured protagonist. She meets a man in Maine to test their common ideas about the “reporter”; she soon decides on a showdown. However, the story has a somewhat dangling ending and for some reason has a lot of asides about Holly’s mother and uncle, etc., which have nothing to do with the plot. (King says in his afterward he wanted to start fleshing out her back story, claiming she is one of his favorite characters.) ★ ★ ★ ★ “Rat” – a writer leaves home and family temporarily to go off to a secluded cabin in the woods to compose his Great Novel, which he claims, despite only limited previous success , has magically appeared to him almost fully written in his mind's eye. While there, during a horrific Arctic storm, and horribly sick to boot, he makes friends with a rat (!) that comes calling, and the rest is history. It was difficult to see where this one was headed, but it was twisty and fun. One always wonders when a writer writes about a writer if some sort of autobiographical illusion is taking place – but King states in an afterward that he has no idea where he came up with this tail, er, tale. ★ ★ ★ ★

I’ve always enjoyed Stephen King’s novellas and short stories, in some instances, more than his full-length novels. I’m pleased to say this new collection – containing four novellas – is reminiscent of some of his best ("Four Past Midnight," "Different Seasons," "Full Dark, No Stars"). In the first novella, "Mr. Harrigan’s Phone," King displays his firm grasp on what has always been his strength – characterization. The story revolves around a young boy (Craig), his relationship with an older gentleman (Mr. Harrigan) and a new-fangled invention (the iPhone). It’s a coming-of-age story with some spooky twists. "Mr. Harrigan’s Phone" is well-plotted with great characters and is, overall, an excellent read. The second novella, "The Life of Chuck," totally blew my mind! The story is divided into different chapters that, at first, don’t seem to relate to each other. Then WHAM! the connection is made and it’s like an epiphany. I’m not going to say more about this story (it was my favorite of the four) – you have to experience it for yourself. All I will say is it made me think and the next day I tweeted Mr. King thanking him for writing it! The third novella, "If It Bleeds," was, in my opinion, the least interesting of the four. For fans of "The Outsider" , the return of Holly Gibney will be welcomed. I, too, was excited when I discovered that her saga was going to continue here. However, I found the interactions between Holly and her mother somewhat tedious and I have to say I skimmed through most of them. It’s a good story, but I wish King had tightened it up more. The final novella, "Rat," gave me the creeps (in a good way)! I was reading it in what I call “the wee smalls” (2-3am) and when the story’s protagonist opens the door during a storm, and sees a rat with strange human-like paws, I got shivers and put the book down for the night! I finished it the next evening. The protagonist (Drew) is a writer and, as an author myself, I thoroughly enjoyed King’s description and examination of the thought process that occurs when writing fiction. Rat was a very good story with a bit of a twist reminiscent of Grimm’s fairy tales and, to me, ranks second after "The Life of Chuck." In summary, "If It Bleeds" provides a stellar reading experience and is highly recommend by this reader who is glad to see King back at the top of his form.