Discussion Group Read for May 13, 2020----If It Bleeds by Stephen King

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
9,682
65,192
59
sweden
OK, where to start? I loved this suspenseful thrill-ride. Only i was scared for a moment it would end in persons death that i didn't want to die. It is a very good story, well told but it also, i think, has a deeper point. The point that even if the bad guy here is a monster he is not so much different than us. The difference lies more in grades, he feeds out of carcrashes, massmurders and the like while we are fascinated by them. Not as bad but certainly in the same league so to speak. Its when he crosses the line, goes from feeding to causing, that he must be stopped. Until then one was willing to tolerate him. Because , as someone says in the story, is what he did so much worse than we gather around carcrashes and other disasters of human suffering. He doesn't say it in these words but i think thats his meaning. So, in short, I really, really liked it!!
 

Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
46,336
195,472
79
Just north of Duma Key
OK, where to start? I loved this suspenseful thrill-ride. Only i was scared for a moment it would end in persons death that i didn't want to die. It is a very good story, well told but it also, i think, has a deeper point. The point that even if the bad guy here is a monster he is not so much different than us. The difference lies more in grades, he feeds out of carcrashes, massmurders and the like while we are fascinated by them. Not as bad but certainly in the same league so to speak. Its when he crosses the line, goes from feeding to causing, that he must be stopped. Until then one was willing to tolerate him. Because , as someone says in the story, is what he did so much worse than we gather around carcrashes and other disasters of human suffering. He doesn't say it in these words but i think thats his meaning. So, in short, I really, really liked it!!

Excellent insight,Kurben. I was so happy to see Holly back again. Some are tired of her character, but I loved watching her grow in emotional stability. As always, parts were edge of seat . I know, but, I hope we'll see more of Holly in the future.

Details, the little clues she observed and followed through. A good read , especially for these trying times.
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
I have only read Mr. Mercedes and I watched the mini series and now this. So, I don't know the evolution of Holly. I have a very different picture of her from the books than the miniseries portrayed her. In the T.V. series, she is odd, flat affect, socially awkward and I just don't get that from the things I have read. A bit of a disconnect for me with that. But I know reading the other two Mercedes books and The Outsider would give me a better feel for Holly.
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
Oh, and also wondered if Ralph Anderson in the Holly Gibney universe was the same Ralphie Anderson from Storm of the Century. I was told that it was not the same person, just two characters with the same name.

Ralph Anderson is a cop and is surrounded by pain, misery, suffering chasing a creature that is a psychic vampire feeding on those things. Ralphie Anderson is a known vampire.

I thought it might be kind of cool to think little Ralphie Anderson grew up to be a psychic vampire hiding in plain site, drinking the energy of pain as a cop.
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
9,682
65,192
59
sweden
Hadn't thought of that.
Oh, and also wondered if Ralph Anderson in the Holly Gibney universe was the same Ralphie Anderson from Storm of the Century. I was told that it was not the same person, just two characters with the same name.

Ralph Anderson is a cop and is surrounded by pain, misery, suffering chasing a creature that is a psychic vampire feeding on those things. Ralphie Anderson is a known vampire.

I thought it might be kind of cool to think little Ralphie Anderson grew up to be a psychic vampire hiding in plain site, drinking the energy of pain as a cop.
Hadn't thought of that. I don't think so however. This Ralph is a good very well adjusted cop with family but it should make an great twist if, in an another book, she finds out that Ralph is also an Outlander. He has just played along to get close to her, his races greatest enemy!!! Imagine all the pain, fear and terror a cop might feed on in his work!!
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
Hadn't thought of that.

Hadn't thought of that. I don't think so however. This Ralph is a good very well adjusted cop with family but it should make an great twist if, in an another book, she finds out that Ralph is also an Outlander. He has just played along to get close to her, his races greatest enemy!!! Imagine all the pain, fear and terror a cop might feed on in his work!!
exactly! It could be quite suspenseful and chilling!
 

Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
46,336
195,472
79
Just north of Duma Key
Oh, and also wondered if Ralph Anderson in the Holly Gibney universe was the same Ralphie Anderson from Storm of the Century. I was told that it was not the same person, just two characters with the same name.

Ralph Anderson is a cop and is surrounded by pain, misery, suffering chasing a creature that is a psychic vampire feeding on those things. Ralphie Anderson is a known vampire.

I thought it might be kind of cool to think little Ralphie Anderson grew up to be a psychic vampire hiding in plain site, drinking the energy of pain as a cop.
Do not think SK meant them as the same character. When time allows, do read the Finders Keepers and End of Watch. The book Holly is not the series Holly.
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
Do not think SK meant them as the same character. When time allows, do read the Finders Keepers and End of Watch. The book Holly is not the series Holly.
Right. I was told they were two different characters with the same name.

I just thought it would be cool to have that overlap, another layer of combining his worlds.
 

fljoe0

Cantre Member
Apr 5, 2008
15,859
71,642
62
120 miles S of the Pancake/Waffle line
I enjoyed this one but I'm with the GNT on this one a bit. Compared to the first two, this is my least favorite story so far. It was a fun read but the showdown was a little flat to me. For some reason , even though this is Stephen King, I never felt Holly, Jerome or Barbara were in as much danger as I should have. Maybe I didn't think Stephen would off one of those characters in a novella. :)
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
30,011
127,446
Spokane, WA
I enjoyed this one. It wasn't as scary as any of the books featuring Holly, but it was still a good read. I did feel that the ending came much too quickly as I would have liked to see a somewhat drawn out 'fight to the finish' with Barbara being put in more peril. There was a chance to stretch it out for some more suspense but maybe since this was more in the novella range SK opted to not do it. I like it and I feel that anything with Holly's character in it is worth my time. She's become one of my favorite King people now.
 

cat in a bag

Well-Known Member
Aug 28, 2010
12,038
67,827
wyoming
Missed being here last week. I am very fond of Holly as well. I am glad for her growth but at the same time, I had a hard time believing she would take on this new thing by herself. She still struggles with her mother so that seemed off to me. I hope we see more of her but part of why I love her so is her quirkiness, her social awkwardness. I want her to feel better but I don't want her to lose all if those qualities.
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
9,682
65,192
59
sweden
I read the story notes on this one and Stephen said he talked to an elevator expert about how to craft the way the elevators could be programmed. He said he may have taken some liberties with the elevators but the elevators could do that and I found it frighting that you can make an elevator do that. :)
It is, isn't it? But as more and more things that used to be pure mechanical are now run or steered by computers partly at least. And a computer can be hacked. You can go in your own car and suddenly find that you cant control it because someone hacked the steering systems, or the breaks or whatever. Scary thought!!
 

fljoe0

Cantre Member
Apr 5, 2008
15,859
71,642
62
120 miles S of the Pancake/Waffle line
It is, isn't it? But as more and more things that used to be pure mechanical are now run or steered by computers partly at least. And a computer can be hacked. You can go in your own car and suddenly find that you cant control it because someone hacked the steering systems, or the breaks or whatever. Scary thought!!


Have you ever seen the show Silcon Valley? There is an episode where a guy gets into a self driving car and it malfunctions, all the doors lock and the car drives itself to the docks and loads itself into a shipping container and the poor guys gets shipped overseas. :)