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.

This book was great a collection of 4 stories of what I guess you call novellas. The suspense was great as I read I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and did it ever drop in each story. My favor one was "If It Bleeds." Then it was " Mr. Harrigan's Phone" for the oh this is not going to go well. For quirky there was "The Life of Chuck." The one titled " Rat" was just a bit creepy.

"I intended to start this review with the words: 'Stephen King: writer, author, literary figure, artist - a man who doesn't need a special introduction.' And then I realized how inappropriate that beginning is! How can he not need a special introduction? He has done everything in his power to be specially introduced, and I will attempt to do so with this review. It's not just about this book; this book is an occasion to say a few fitting words about the work of Stephen King, which the American high culture embraced with a considerable delay.

First, he was classified as the 'king of horror,' which is completely inaccurate, or rather incomplete. Stephen King is not just a horror writer; he is an observer, a describer, and a writer of life. If we just look around us, we'll see many of King's characters in real life. The evil ones, the Outsiders who attribute their misdeeds to others, the real people who enjoy and feed on others' misfortune, the evil and crazy ones like Charles Jacobs, but also those like Doctor Sleep and Holly Gibney who, in their own way, save their friends and the whole world from evil, and fortunately, there are still more of them in this world.

On Amazon, there is a series of books called 'How to Win the Game of Life,' describing the successes of famous personalities such as Kobe Bryant, https://www.amazon.com/Kobe-Bryant-Mamba-Mentality-Greatness/dp/B0BNV3GKJK/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1700204991&refinements=p_27%3AAlex+Karadzin&s=books&sr=1-1, Zlatan Ibrahimović, https://www.amazon.com/Zlatan-Ibrahimovi%C4%87-Outsider-Lessons-Success/dp/B09ZCSWL1V/ref=sr_1_3?qid=1700205064&refinements=p_27%3AAlex+Karadzin&s=books&sr=1-3 Joe Rogan, https://www.amazon.com/Joe-Rogan-Success-Mindset-Lessons/dp/B09M4NZNLV and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CFS1VB69/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_o02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The trilogy of Joe Rogan, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Johnson. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CMJYYSDF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_o01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Stephen King undoubtedly deserves to be included in this edition, and as number 1, because he and his work have something to say about failure, struggle, falling, and rising, but much more about success, and in the end, only success counts!" In brief: Stephen King has consistently delivered exceptional literary works. It seems impossible for him to produce anything less than outstanding. "If It Bleeds" can be seen as a successor to "The Outsider," featuring the timeless conflict between good and evil. Holly (omen est nomen), along with her friends Jerome Robinson and his sister, becomes entangled in this elemental struggle.

This is a great book. I enjoyed all the stories, which are totally different from each other. I had never read any of the Bill Hodges Trilogy, but the title story in If It Bleeds with Holly Gibney has made me what to read all the books that she appears in because I like the character (I love when I find books enjoy and there is a backlist by the author or in which great characters appear). The other stories are very strong and I have to say The Life of Chuck shows what an experienced author Mr. King is as it has an interesting structure and ends strongly. The other stories are also good and reinforces how the novella is one of the best forms for the author to work in.

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 into one his collections of short fiction, and it earned the 'full five'. Three of the four stories within were five-star caliber, and one was a four-star. I'll say a bit about each of them below.

MR. HARRIGAN'S PHONE: 4 stars This was the first story of the bunch. And while it was a solid opener, it was also the least remarkable. When you have as many years under your belt as Stephen King your characterization tends to be pretty top-notch; such is the case here. King sucked me in with the characters, and this one was also a neat look at the beginning of the Information Era. When cell phones were still a novelty.

THE LIFE OF CHUCK: 5 stars Telling a story backward has the tendency to be a slippery slope, I think. One can imagine they're writing the next 'Memento' and ultimately end up with a dud that would have served the reader better in linear fashion. That being said, I think King did it well here. This story ended up being a very interesting exploration into the multitudes each and every one of us contain; the worlds within us.

IF IT BLEEDS: 5 stars This story was about twice as long as the others, and was the standout of the book. Folks familiar with the Bill Hodges trilogy or with The Outsider will recognize the main character, Holly Gibney. If It Bleeds is a direct continuation of her story after the events in The Outsider. Now, I myself am not familiar with those works, and thus found myself in an interesting relationship with this story. I've not read either the trilogy or The Outsider, nor have I watched HBO's recent adaptation of the latter. As such, I figured that I would still be able to enjoy the story but that it would dissuade me from wanting to go back and read those other books that Holly had appeared in. On the contrary I feel that I am now more interested in reading the other works in which Holly appears than I otherwise would have been. Journey before destination after all. It's just that this time I read the destination before the journey. This was an excellent story.

RAT: 5 stars This story was neck and neck with If It Bleeds for my favorite of the bunch, losing out only by a small margin. That being said though, I found this one to be the most 'classic King' disturbing. In fact I read the brunt of this one late last night, and there were a few times I thought I'd better put the thing down. I even had to turn the light back on. You see (and I'll try to explain without giving too much away) there is a portion of the story where the main character undergoes a descent into physical sickness, and couples this with stubbornness and a few bad decisions. There was something deeply visceral about this section of the story that made me uneasy in much the same way that watching a character's descent into madness would. I found myself totally immersed, and rather than stop for the night I felt I had to push on. It's a funny feeling, really. I found myself at once disturbed and fascinated. A part of me wanted things to get better for this character, for things to be alright. But another part of me--perhaps a larger part of me--wanted the descent to continue, to spiral down into the darkness and take me with it. King is just good like that.

So there it is. My first Stephen King book in a long time and what does it make me want to do? Read more, of course.

'Reality was deep, and it was far. It held many secrets and went on forever.'

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.

Stephen King never fails to disappoint.

I am a die hard fan and cut my teeth on Carrie, The Shining, Christine... I could go on and on. Although it's sentimental and much more subtle, I really enjoyed "Mr. Harrigan's Phone" in this collection.

It brought back a lot of big feelings for me. A reminder of that challenging summer when I turned twenty-five and lost so many people that I love. Right to the heart of it. Bam! I appreciate the humanness connected with this one. It felt like someone finally understood me.

Thank you for the stories Mr. King.

IF IT BLEEDS, the title story, is the 3rd installment in the book, the longest and my favorite. It marks the return of Holly Gibney from the Mr. Mercedes series, which I loved, as well as appearing in The Outsider. Mr. King has created a wonderfully complicated, neurotic and smart character in Holly. This story is all hers and she shines. As does Jerome and his sister Barbara (also Mr. Mercedes), who I was thrilled to see again.

MR. HARRIGAN'S PHONE is the lead story and a close second behind If It Bleeds for my favorite. Mr. Harrigan, an old, wealthy man, hires a kid named Craig to read to him. The story examines their friendship, a cell phone Craig gives to Mr. Harrigan, a death, and a modern way of speaking to the dead. Well done.

THE LIFE OF CHUCK is a story in 3 parts and told backwards. The first chapter is set as the world is ending and billboards proclaiming CHARLES KRANTZ 39 GREAT YEARS! THANKS CHUCK! pop up all over and everywhere. Intriguing, creepy and well written, I was drawn in immediately.

The 2nd chapter introduces us to Chuck in his late 30's and his family, as they gather around his hospital bed.

The 3rd chapter gives us insight into Chuck from his childhood until adulthood. Still going strong and I'm anxious to find out how it all comes together.

But it never does. Not for me anyway. I don't usually read other reviews before writing my own, but I was feeling pretty silly that I couldn't understand the connection. Turns out, I wasn't alone and many were left scratching their heads and I was there with them.

THE RAT is the last story. Drew, a college professor and part-time author, leaves his wife and kids to travel to his family cabin deep in the Maine woods to write his breakthrough novel. During a raging snowstorm and while fighting the flu, he takes an elixir which is the only medicine available at the small country store. As the night goes on, Drew ends up saving a talking rat, which he ends up making a deadly deal with. More in line with a fable, complete with a moral at the end, it had elements of a psychological thriller and I enjoyed it.

Overall, a good summer read. Not the level of horror you may expect or want from Mr. King, but solid, creepy stories.

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. ★ ★ ★ ★