If It Bleeds by Stephen King

Global Sensation and #1 New York Times Bestseller

Includes “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone”—now a Netflix original film starring Donald Sutherland and Jaeden Martell!

Summary:

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).

Synopsis:

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.

Praise:

“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 Author: Stephen King

Stephen Edwin King, born September 21, 1947, in Portland, Maine, is a highly acclaimed and prolific American author known for his horror, supernatural fiction, and suspense novels. He is often referred to as "The King" or "The King of Horror". King's books have sold over 350 million copies worldwide and many of his works have been adapted into successful films and television series.

Early Life and Career:

King grew up in Maine with his mother after his parents separated when he was a toddler. He attended the University of Maine, where he wrote for the school newspaper and met his future wife, Tabitha Spruce.

• After graduating, he taught high school English while continuing to write short stories.
• His first novel, Carrie, was published in 1974, launching his career as a horror author.

Literary Works:

• King has written over fifty novels, two hundred short stories, and nine collections of short fiction.
• His works include The Shining, The Stand, The Dead Zone, and It.
• He also wrote under the pseudonym Richard Bachman.
• Many of his novels and short stories have been adapted into films, including The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, 1408 and Misery.

Personal Life:

• King is married to Tabitha Spruce and they have three children: Naomi, Joe, and Owen.
• He is also a philanthropist, supporting education and community programs through his foundation.
• King has battled drug addiction in the past, but he has overcome it and is now a recovered addict.