If It Bleeds

Title: If It Bleeds

Author: Stephen King

Published in: 2020

Date read: 14th August 2021

Score: 5/5

Genre: Horror, Psychological, Supernatural

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"If It Bleeds" by Stephen King is a collection of four novellas, published in 2020. This volume showcases King's mastery of the longer short story form, offering a diverse range of themes from supernatural horror to psychological drama and existential reflection. The collection's title novella brings back a beloved character for fans.

Here's a breakdown of the four stories:

1. "Mr. Harrigan's Phone"
This novella tells the story of Craig, a young boy who gets a part-time job reading to the reclusive and wealthy Mr. Harrigan. An unlikely friendship blossoms between the two, transcending their age difference. When Craig wins a lottery ticket given to him by Harrigan, he uses some of the winnings to buy the old man a new iPhone, introducing him to the wonders of modern technology. After Mr. Harrigan dies, Craig, out of grief, slips the iPhone into his coffin. What follows is a subtle and unsettling tale where Craig discovers he can still communicate with the deceased Mr. Harrigan through the phone, and seemingly, Mr. Harrigan's influence from beyond the grave begins to manifest in unsettling ways, especially when Craig faces bullies or problems. The story explores themes of technology's impact, grief, and the blurred lines between life and death.

2. "The Life of Chuck"
This is the most experimental and perhaps most poignant of the novellas. It's told in three acts, but in reverse chronological order, depicting the life of Chuck Krantz. The story begins in a world seemingly on the brink of apocalypse, where a mysterious billboard message, "39 Great Years! Thanks, Chuck!", appears everywhere. As the narrative moves backward, the reader gradually pieces together Chuck's life, from his final moments to his childhood. It's a meditation on mortality, the interconnectedness of all lives, and the idea that each individual life, no matter how seemingly ordinary, contains multitudes and holds cosmic significance. The narrative is deeply reflective and touches on themes of human connection and the ultimate meaning of existence.

3. "If It Bleeds" (the title novella)
This story is a direct sequel to "The Outsider" and features the return of Holly Gibney, the quirky private investigator who has become a fan favourite. Set in December 2020 (eerily prescient with the pandemic backdrop, though written before it), Holly is working on a routine missing dog case when she becomes obsessed with news coverage of a horrific school bombing. She notices something uncanny about the TV reporter, Chet Ondowsky, who is always the first on the scene of major tragedies, delivering his reports with a chillingly detached composure. Holly's keen observational skills and her unique intuitive abilities, sharpened by her previous encounter with an "outsider" creature, lead her to suspect that Ondowsky is not human but another one of these interdimensional, fear-feeding entities, similar to the one she faced in "The Outsider." This time, however, Holly must confront the creature largely on her own, in a thrilling and tense investigation that puts her directly in the path of a powerful and malevolent being that thrives on human suffering. The novella explores the vampiric nature of the 24-hour news cycle and the dark side of human consumption of tragedy.

4. "Rat"
This novella centres on Drew Larson, a college professor and aspiring writer who has suffered from severe writer's block and mental breakdowns after previous attempts to write a novel. When a new, seemingly brilliant idea for a Western novel strikes him, he decides to isolate himself in a remote family cabin during a severe snowstorm to finish it. As he battles the elements, illness, and his own creative demons, he encounters a seemingly ordinary rat. However, this is no ordinary rat; it speaks to him and offers him a Faustian bargain: the successful completion of his novel in exchange for a terrible personal cost, the death of someone he loves. The story delves into the dark side of ambition, the pressures of creativity, and the blurred lines between reality and hallucination when one is pushed to their mental and physical limits.

"If It Bleeds" is praised for King's strong characterisation, particularly in the development of Holly Gibney, and for its exploration of contemporary anxieties, the nature of evil, and the enduring power of storytelling.

Comments:
4 fantastic stories. Most importantly, the follow up to Mr Mercedes/The Outsider was brilliant and did not harm the amazing books that they followed. Also, the first story really got under my skin, nice to see that he can still scare and unnerve you.

Books that we've read by Stephen King (68):
Carrie (1974), 'Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (The Shining, #1) (1977), The Stand (1978), Night Shift (1978), The Dead Zone (1979), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981), The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) (1982), Different Seasons (1982), Christine (1983), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983), Pet Sematary (1983), The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) (1984), Skeleton Crew (1985), It (1986), The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) (1987), The Eyes of the Dragon (1987), The Tommyknockers (1987), Misery (1987), The Dark Half (1989), Four Past Midnight (1990), The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) (1991), Needful Things (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1992), Gerald's Game (1992), Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993), Insomnia (1994), Rose Madder (1995), The Green Mile (1996), Desperation (1996), Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) (1997), Bag of Bones (1998), The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999), Hearts in Atlantis (1999), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), Black House (The Talisman, #2) (2001), Dreamcatcher (2001), Everything's Eventual (2002), From a Buick 8 (2002), Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5) (2003), Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6) (2004), The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7) (2004), The Colorado Kid (2005), Cell (2006), Lisey's Story (2006), Duma Key (2008), Just After Sunset (2008), Under the Dome (2009), 11/22/63 (2011), Full Dark, No Stars (2011), The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5) (2012), Dr. Sleep (The Shining, #2) (2013), Joyland (2013), Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) (2014), Revival (2014), The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015), Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #2) (2015), End of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #3) (2016), Elevation (2018), The Outsider (2018), The Institute (2019), If It Bleeds (2020), Billy Summers (2021), Later (2021), Fairy Tale (2022), Holly (2023), You Like It Darker (2024)