If It Bleeds by Stephen King Narrator: Will Patton, Danny Burstein, Steven Weber
Series: Holly Gibney #2
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio on April 21, 2020
Genres: Horror
Length: 15 hours and 12 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
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Number one New York Times best seller
From the legendary storyteller and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary collection of four new “exceptionally compelling novellas that reaffirm [King’s] mastery of the form” (The Washington Post).
Readers adore Stephen King’s novels, and his novellas are their own dark treat, briefer but just as impactful and enduring as his longer fiction. Many of his novellas have been made into iconic films, including The Body (Stand by Me) and Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (Shawshank Redemption).
Four brilliant new tales in If It Bleeds are sure to prove as iconic as their predecessors. Once again, King’s remarkable range is on full display. In the title story, fan-favorite Holly Gibney (from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy and The Outsider) must face her fears and possibly another outsider - this time on her own. In Mr. Harrigan’s Phone an intergenerational friendship has a disturbing afterlife. The Life of Chuck explores, beautifully, how each of us contains multitudes. And in Rat, a struggling writer must contend with the darker side of ambition.
If these novellas show King’s range, they also prove that certain themes endure. One of King’s great concerns is evil, and in If It Bleeds, there’s plenty of it. There is also evil’s opposite, which in King’s fiction often manifests as friendship. Holly is reminded that friendship is not only life-affirming but can be life-saving. Young Craig befriends Mr. Harrigan, and the sweetness of this late-in-life connection is its own reward.
“Exactly what I wanted to read right now,” said Ruth Franklin in a rave on the cover of The New York Times Book Review. “Phenomenal," said Brian Truitt in USA Today. “King still owns the fright business like none other.”
©2020 Stephen King (P)2020 Simon & Schuster Audio
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone
This was an interesting story. It follows a kid who starts doing odd jobs for a rich man who has moved to town to retire from the big city. They form a pretty good relationship. Mr. Harrigan likes to send cards on specific holidays with a one dollar scratch off inside. One day the kid gets the jackpot of $3,000. As a thank you, he buys Mr. Harrigan his very first cell phone, an iPhone. Being an older man, who isn’t a big fan of new technology, he isn’t very excited about this. That is until Mr. Harrigan learns about the stock ticker on the phone. Not long after that, Mr. Harrigan dies. The boy finds him and calls his dad, who calls 911. The boy takes the phone, but then puts it into Mr. Harrigan’s suit pocket in the coffin. Then the boy calls and can hear Mr. Harrigan’s voice for the voice mail. The boy tells Mr. Harrigan about some problems he’s been having in school. What happens next surprises him.
The Life of Chuck
This story is interesting in that it is not told in chronological order. It starts with Chuck Krantz on his deathbed. Then you meet him as a kid. But the story goes back and forth between the kid and as a healthy adult. As a kid, Chuck is told by his grandfather, who raises him after the death of both of his parents, not to go to the cupola of the house. He’s always told that the floors are rotten. After his grandfather passed away, he learns the floor isn’t rotten, but there’s another reason to not go up there. Chuck sees his own death. This story really makes you think about how you would live your life, if you knew exactly when and how you would die.
If It Bleeds
This is the reason I grabbed this story. I always loved Holly Gibney when reading the Bill Hodges books. I’m so glad that her story continues. There’s a bomb at an elementary school. And when watching the news, Holly notices something kinda weird about the reporter covering it locally. She goes on a mission to figure it out.
Rat
This was an interesting story. A guy goes to a remote cabin to work on a book. He’s written some successful short stories, but never a full-length book. He gets a fever and a bad storm. Then he has a fever dream where he makes a deal with a rat, if something horrible happens to someone else, his story will get finished. It is like making a deal with a djinn. Things never work out as you expect.
Narration:
I’m not 100% who narrated which parts. I just know Will Patton performed If It Bleeds story. He’s done this group of characters before, so I know that he did them. He did a great job and always does.
I’ve listened to Steven Weber before, but I’m not 100% sure which story was his. But I’ve listened to him before, but it’s been a while. I’ve never listed to Danny Burstein before, but there wasn’t a bad performance on in this collection. I would gladly listen to any of them again.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Will Patton
William Rankin Patton (born June 14, 1954) is an American actor and audiobook narrator. He starred as Colonel Dan Weaver in the TNT science fiction series Falling Skies. He also appeared in the films Remember the Titans, Armageddon, Gone in 60 Seconds and The Punisher. He appeared opposite Kevin Costner in two films: No Way Out (1987) and The Postman (1997). He won two Obie Awards for best actor in Sam Shepard’s play Fool for Love and the Public Theater production of What Did He See?.
About Stephen King
Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1971, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world’s most successful writers. King is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the American Letters and the 2014 National Medal of Arts.
Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.
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I started listening to audiobooks when a new book in a series was coming out and I wanted to get a refresher, but didn’t have time to read all the books (I think it was Anita Blake). I fell in love. I stayed with strictly re-reading books that I’d already read for a long time. I eventually tried an audiobook for something that I hadn’t read first and was hooked there too. Now, I listen to audio for both re-reads and first time. I have some series that I’ve given up reading and only listen. I try to get any many books/audiobooks from the library to help save on my budget. Books on CD and the newer digital downloads from the library really allow me to listen more. I then purchase my favorites (because who can wait in line for your favorite book??) and less mainstream books from Audible or some other online retailer.
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That sounds good. All my rat dreams are good. lol
Calling the phone of a dead guy who has the phone in his coffin would be weird. All kinds of things could happen in a horror story about that.
I wish I liked Stephen King more.
I always liked the Stephen King novellas/short stories. I think I read or maybe they made a movie of the first story? Anyway, I need to get this one. Glad to hear you enjoyed them.