If It Bleeds
Mr. Harrigan's Phone, The Life of Chuck, If It Bleeds, Rat
Table of Contents
About The Book
Featuring the novella “The Life of Chuck,” now a feature film adapted for the screen and directed by Mike Flanagan (The Fall of the House of Usher, Doctor Sleep) and starring Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Karen Gillan—a Toronto International Film Festival People’s Choice Award winner!
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).
The four brilliant tales in If It Bleeds prove as iconic as their predecessors. In the title story, reader 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.
“An adroit vehicle to showcase the…nature of evil” (The Boston Globe), If It Bleeds is “exactly what I wanted to read right now,” says Ruth Franklin in The New York Times Book Review.
About The Readers
Will Patton’s film credits include Halloween, Boarding School, Megan Leavey, American Honey, Meek’s Cutoff, A Mighty Heart, Remember the Titans, The Mothman Prophecies, Armageddon, and No Way Out. He starred in Swamp Thing on the DC Universe streaming platform and was seen in five seasons of the TNT series Falling Skies. He has won Obie Awards for his performances in Fool for Love and What Did He See? He is also known for his audiobook recordings of the work of Stephen King, James Lee Burke, Denis Johnson, and William Faulkner.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (April 21, 2020)
- Runtime: 15 hours and 12 minutes
- ISBN13: 9781797104805
Raves and Reviews
"Stephen King's latest audiobook has four exceptional novellas that are each masterfully narrated. 'Mr. Harrigan's Phone,' narrated by Will Patton in a wistful tenor, is a meditative coming-of-age tale dotted with technophobia and communications from beyond the grave. 'The Life of Chuck' is King's most imaginative work in years. Narrator Danny Burstein expertly captures the surreal story's shifting tones, which range from pure joy to abject despair. 'If It Bleeds,' a sequel to THE OUTSIDER, is also narrated by Patton, who provides a unique and compelling voice for King's recent favorite protagonist, private investigator Holly Gibney. 'Rat,' about a struggling writer's descent into darkness, is riveting, thanks to narrator Steven Weber's focused intensity. For longtime King listeners and newcomers alike, this collection is essential listening."
– Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award, AudioFile Magazine
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): If It Bleeds Unabridged Audio Download 9781797104805
- Author Photo (jpg): Stephen King © Shane Leonard(0.1 MB)
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