If It Bleeds by Stephen King (2020) What better way to kick off the Month Of Scary Stuff than with a fresh collection 3 new King short stories and a novella.......
If you're King fan (yes, we are), then there's plenty here to love......although we're sorry to report that none of these stories will give you nightmares or force you to run around the house switching all the lights on.....
Still, we guarantee you a good, creepy time, and a few of the stories find the author in a contemplative mood about the state of the world and we flawed humans who inhabit it. (And yes, he does indulge in a few sideways swipes at Donald Trump....perfectly okay with us. )
We won't spill the plots, (you know we hate that), so here's a quick skim to give you a taste of what's inside the pages.....
"Mr. Harrigan's Phone" A ghost story wrapped up in one of King's patented, heartwrenching childhood reminiscences......complete with the usual vile King-sian high school bully whom you can't wait to see what the story has in store for him.....
"The Life Of Chuck" Enormously clever in its elaborate construction, but honestly, not one of our faves. It becomes sort of a chore to see where it's going (an intricate combo of "It's a Wonderful Life" and the End Of The World As We Know It) But many of its scenes may tug at your heartstrings.
"If It Bleeds" The premier piece of the book, a novella featuring Holly Gibney, the sweet, ever vulnerable character from King's "Bill Hodges" trilogy and "The Outsider". But deep down, the lovable Holly has a core of steel and she's going to need it as she faces off with one the author's typically ghastly, superhuman creatures.
"Rat" Once again, King takes up the plight of struggling writers everywhere, those who scribble on legal pads, pound an old typewriter or dance their fingers across their laptops. This tale takes a while to set up its premise, which becomes a good old fashioned 'Be Careful What You Wish For' fable......(and we especially dug the writer character's novel-in-progress, which reads like the ultimate combination John Ford/Howard Hawks western movie)
Nothing earthshaking here, but if you want to fill your October with some fun, chilling reads,,,,look no farther than "If It Bleeds" 4 stars (****)
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