If It Bleeds by Stephen King
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Web ID: 126210916 reviews
LOVE THIS BOOK
If It Bleeds by Stephen King explores many themes that I find particularly interesting like the fear of the future as well as the role of obsession. I found that the split of four parts in the novel creates an exciting twist for every story. It allows the reader to not become too bored as they are not strung out but rather concise tales. Particularly, the last novella, "The Rat" intrigued me the most as the protagonist dives into a dark and obsessive rabbithole. The theme is a beautiful sentiment about the dangers of obsession. As a horror enthusiast myself, King allows me to explore his vast world of supernatural imagination, which plots subtle creation of my own supernatural inquiries. This book really does speak to horror fans globally, as King has done so for many years now. However, I do believe that this collection of novellas is one of his best works. 10/10!
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Rounding up from 4.5 Stars
If It Bleeds is Holly Gibney’s breakout story. Mr. Mercedes was her origin story and this is where she becomes the super hero. Watching Holly’s mind unravel from her tight-woven ball of angst and anxiety to this broad and beautiful investigative landscape is exquisite. All that’s missing is the story-building. In it’s approximated 160 pages, this novella gets right to the thick of it. In The Outsider there was time and space to build the story, to create that anticipation of King’s notable mic drops. In If It Bleeds, we are given mere moments to catch the hook before the story spins wildly, and excellently, out of control. What you can absolutely be sure to expect is King’s stage setting for Holly’s self-titled, full-length novel.
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A powerful, enjoyable, chilling collection!
First of all, despite what one reviewer calls the book, it’s not a collection of short stories; it’s a collection of novellas. Short story collections often feature much more than 4 stories. All or most of the reviews I read went into considerable detail about the premises of the stories, so there’s no need for me to do the same. Suffice it to say that Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is about what happens when a good-natured boy gives a cellphone to a neighbor he has befriended for years; The Life of Chuck is a strange, compelling, eerie story with a title that is pretty self-explanatory; the story is told in reverse, so that is why it might feel disjointed and, maybe, a little confusing to any readers; If It Bleeds was my first introduction to Holly Gibney since I have not read The Outsider or the Bill Hodges trilogy, and I enjoyed the story immensely; not unlike many others, I found it the most suspenseful and terrifying of all of the stories; Rat, however, was quite a suspenseful, gripping, and scary finale for the collection. Sad, funny, suspenseful, scary, moving, and touching, If It Bleeds is a great collection of horror novellas for fans of the genre, but it’s also an excellent book that transcends the expectations of the genre for fans of Stephen King. It is, quite simply, a must-read for ALL fans of the author! As a fan of Stephen King AND the horror genre, I am so overjoyed that I got to include this treasure chest of short fiction in the list of books I read in October, the most spooktacular month of the year!
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Great
Really liked most of the stories in this collection but I must say I liked "If It Bleeds" the best. Brought me back to the Bill Hodges days in "Finders Keepers". Keep up the good work Mr. King.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A suspenseful, eerie novella collection
Stephen King’s “If It Bleeds” is an intriguing short story collection that includes Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, If it Bleeds and Rat. King has moved into a streak of crime fiction lately and fans of that will appreciate Holly Gibney’s return in the title novella If it Bleeds. Otherwise, the other three stories read as classic King with plots delving into frightening and unusual circumstances. Short story collections are sometimes hard to rank, so I’ll break down each story with an individual ranking below. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone I say it often and I’m saying it again here. Very few writers can write the coming of age adolescent as well as King. This story was my favorite of the four and I felt especially tied to Craig since we’d be around the same age with similar memories of the cell phone exploding onto the scene in our childhoods. King writes rich, believable characters and puts a relevant, refreshing spin on a plot we’ve seen before. I loved how he tackles our dependence on the cell phone and the consequences of that dependence. It’s also a reflection of how the World Wide Web shaped and continues to shape our ability to communicate. I loved the pensive, scary moments in this one and the classic King story vibe. 5/5 stars. The Life of Chuck Of all the stories this was my least favorite. I wasn’t all together sure where he was going with this one and it felt disconnected and choppy. It started off strong with an eerie plot more on the sci-fi edge, but from there he lost me. Maybe I just missed the point. I still enjoyed the flashbacks of Chuck Krantz’s life and the haunted house that showed premonitions. The pieces to this one were there, they just didn’t fit really well once put together. I think the overall notion of living your best life in the face of pending tragedy is always a theme to explore, so for that I appreciated it. 2.5/5 stars. If it Bleeds In this novella we get more from the Holly Gibney storyline. For fans of the Mr. Mercedes trilogy and The Outsider, you’re in for a treat. This was the longest of the novellas and I would argue it could’ve (possibly should’ve) been a stand alone. The story itself isn’t anything new per se—it’s really building off Holly’s previous experience in The Outsider, but this time with a new, terrifying entity for her to stop. I like the crime fiction blend with supernatural elements and this one is certainly intense and suspenseful. I may be the odd woman out here but I’m not a huge fan of Holly. So for me personally, I’m fine with this being the last of her continuing stories. Overall, it was a great addition to her storyline and keeps you on edge for the entirety of the story. 4/5 stars Rat I’ve seen some reviewers panning this one but I quite liked it. It gave me Secret Window, Secret Garden meets The Shining feels and I was here for it. I love a good descent into madness story, especially one with an unusual and unsettling twist. I felt for Drew Larson. I mean, felt for him. I don’t want to give too much away and I probably shouldn’t like this character or sympathize with him considering, but he’s tragic and I felt sorry for him. Tragic people (in moments of insanity) sometimes do regrettable things. As with Drew’s novel Bitter River, I think we are left to decide on this one—was it all a Dr. King’s Cough and Cold remedy induced nightmare or did the deal really happen? I think we are also left wondering where Drew goes from here—and if a piece of his sanity was left at the cabin. 5/5 stars.
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Highly Recommend!
When reviewing a work by Stephen King, be it Novel, Novella, Short Story, or Collection, words often fail me when I try to describe what I just read—hoping, praying to jot down something other than ‘Book Good, Buy Book.’ When I reviewed books for Kendall Reviews a few years ago, having never reviewed a book before in my life, Gavin Kendall gave me a chance and always sound advice. One of his suggestions was to explain to potential readers when writing a book review, ‘How the book made me feel?.’ While reading the novellas in IF IT BLEEDS, the one-word descriptor for how I feel while reading any King book, to be honest, is, ‘Home.’ Ridiculous, I know, but true. Like many of you, Dear Readers, I grew up reading Stephen King Books at the age of ten. The one constant throughout the King catalog is his ability to write characters you can’t help but care about: In ‘Mr. Harrigan’s Phone’, nine-year-old Craig not only works for but befriends Mr. Harrigan, an elderly neighbor. Next is an apocalyptic puzzle that has everyone wondering who the mysterious ‘Chuck’ is, his face plastered everywhere in ‘The Life Of Chuck.’ ‘If It Bleeds’ reunites us with Holly Gibney (a.k.a. Holly Berry) and Jerome from MR. MERCEDES and THE OUTSIDER, and a familiar foe they face. And lastly, ‘Rat,’ wherein struggling writer Drew Lawson, desperate to write his first novel, drives to his cabin in the woods for privacy and is confronted with an internal and external storm. And like Dorothy says, ‘There’s No Place Like Home.’ IF IT BLEEDS—Highly Recommend! Source: Own/Hardback Publisher: Scribner/Simon & Schuster Released: 4/21/2020
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