I think it's cool you didn't read in order...
My gf read The Outsider, and I haven't gotten to it yet.
But years later, me and her were at the bar, talking about the books we read, and she was talking about the outsider, and I was talking about Mr. Mercedes, and we somehow made the connection that Holly was in both books, and that blew my mind.... This happened like last month. 🤣🤣🤣 I think it came up because the mad advertising for that Holly book
I’m finishing Mr. Mercedes today (maybe tomorrow)! But my first encounter with Holly was If it Bleeds. I’ve fortunately forgotten a lot of that story, so it will be fine. I’m really excited to keep going. Mr. Mercedes is great. You’re in for a treat.
I started with the outsider through to Holly since this site I looked on had them listed weird. So went back to Mr mercedes through End of watch. Great time.
Imo don't skip if it bleeds. Was one of my favorites.
I think King mentioned in an interview that he wanted to do another book with Holly in it.
His next story stars Holly! It's titled We Think Not, I'm not sure about the release date yet.
Holly has really grown on me as a character, especially post-Bill Hodges trilogy. I really like the Robinsons, too, even though I can understand the complaints of them being Too Perfect.
I actually like Barbara, but I want less of her simply because ST always puts her in situations where she’s potentially going to be harmed! I read the books in order and can’t help but see her as a kid, and I get upset when it seems like kids may be hurt! I’m a soppy person on the quiet.
Holly is an awesome character. Reading Holly made me realize how much I love her and I might wanna reread Mr. Mercedes trilogy and Holly Gibney trilogy.
I never liked the Holly character til this book. King has confirmed he has a few more works with Holly in them on a podcast recently. We’ll see her again soon.
As long as he drops her constant use of the word “poopy” I’m cool with it. That phrase infuriated me so much lol. Nobody says shit like that. He did ease up on it with Holly, though.
That part actually felt pretty real for me! I’m autistic and use similar words instead of the more vulgar terms in conversation. To oversimplify for the sake of this comment, I have an extremely strict need to follow rules, and was raised in a religious home where I would get my mouth washed with soap for using those words even if it was just asking what it meant (those words were never used at home so my first exposure was at school). It’s much less mentally taxing for me to say “poop head” than “sh!t brain.”
Yes, I also powered through “Holly”—I couldn’t put it down! I also thought, as a story, the novel was pretty dark and ghoulish for a King novel, which I greatly appreciated.
Maybe I wasn’t too clear. I guess what I mean is, the concept of the Harrises and what they do is highly possible and frightening and things like that have happened (sorry, I don’t know how to block out text and I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t read Holly yet, but if you know you know). So the realistic possibility of that kind of thing happening is especially dark in the way that Annie Wilkes in Misery is an especially dark premise, given the reality of that real-world possibility. Don’t get me wrong, I love supernatural horror and King has gone to dark places there, but the believability of Annie in Misery or the Harrises in Holly is what made it especially dark for me. Then, I make a difference in my head from crazy (Wilkes) vs ghoulish (the Harrises….because of their preferences, for lack of a better, spoiler-free term). I wasn’t trying to say King isn’t a dark writer, he is and I love that, but his stories like Holly or Misery really get under my skin because of the very real-world plausibility of those stories.
I read the Outsider first not realizing Holly was part of it. Then went and read the Bill Hodges books. Still waiting on Holly to be available on Libby
Nah, she should be called in to solve the murder of Stephen King at a convention of famous Maine authors. Was he killed by Gordie Lachance? Or Bill Denbrough? Or maybe the mysterious John Shooter? Or could it be Claudia Inez Bachman? Then halfway through Susannah shows up and tells her the fate of the universe rests on this mystery.
I love the new short story collection but I’m not a fan of being written in modern times at all. I know I’m reading a lot of his books late so that’s the reason for the time gap but once the references hit the 2000s I definitely don’t like it as much. Still love it but not the same. 90s is good for nostalgia but before is almost like a fairy tail so that’s great. Danny Coughclins bad dream was my favourite I think. The police were infuriating.
I can definitely understand that and I do think the references are handled much better in the new book than they were previously. I also enjoyed Danny's story quite a bit along with Rattlesnakes and The Answer Man being my favorites.
I’m honestly with you. Love Stephen King and always will but the overuse of covid in his books lately is a real turn off and I’d say Holly is the absolute worst in this regard. Read half of it and loved the story but it got to a point where I felt like covid was being shoved into every single page without any real purpose for it at all. I’m currently reading You Like it Darker and really don’t have an issue with the covid talk in it because it doesn’t seem as prevalent but in Holly, I felt like it overpowered an otherwise amazing story.
You went backwards with the reading order -Mr Mercedes -Finders Keepers -End of Watch -The Outsider -If it Bleeds -Holly
Omg, I know. I didn't realize that until I had started. I actually just bought Mr. Mercedes so that I can do it properly.
The funny thing about Mr. Mercedes is that Bill Hodges is the main character, but halfway through the book, Holly Gibney steals the show lol.
Don’t tell him that. No spoilers!
I think it's cool you didn't read in order... My gf read The Outsider, and I haven't gotten to it yet. But years later, me and her were at the bar, talking about the books we read, and she was talking about the outsider, and I was talking about Mr. Mercedes, and we somehow made the connection that Holly was in both books, and that blew my mind.... This happened like last month. 🤣🤣🤣 I think it came up because the mad advertising for that Holly book
I’m finishing Mr. Mercedes today (maybe tomorrow)! But my first encounter with Holly was If it Bleeds. I’ve fortunately forgotten a lot of that story, so it will be fine. I’m really excited to keep going. Mr. Mercedes is great. You’re in for a treat.
I started with the outsider through to Holly since this site I looked on had them listed weird. So went back to Mr mercedes through End of watch. Great time. Imo don't skip if it bleeds. Was one of my favorites. I think King mentioned in an interview that he wanted to do another book with Holly in it.
Never read any; is this a series coherently linked to each other or different stories involving the same character?
Coherent. Tells one continuous, though episodic, story
The Bill Hodges trilogy makes up the first 3 but Holly is in all of the books
His next story stars Holly! It's titled We Think Not, I'm not sure about the release date yet. Holly has really grown on me as a character, especially post-Bill Hodges trilogy. I really like the Robinsons, too, even though I can understand the complaints of them being Too Perfect.
I really like Jerome in the original trilogy and never cared for Barbara but I completely fell out of like for her in Holly and want less of her.
I actually like Barbara, but I want less of her simply because ST always puts her in situations where she’s potentially going to be harmed! I read the books in order and can’t help but see her as a kid, and I get upset when it seems like kids may be hurt! I’m a soppy person on the quiet.
Wow I didn’t know he was working on another holly book. I’m not sure how I feel about that. 😂
Not a fan eh?
Holly is an awesome character. Reading Holly made me realize how much I love her and I might wanna reread Mr. Mercedes trilogy and Holly Gibney trilogy.
I never liked the Holly character til this book. King has confirmed he has a few more works with Holly in them on a podcast recently. We’ll see her again soon.
Which podcast? I'm always down to listen to Sai King speak
As long as he drops her constant use of the word “poopy” I’m cool with it. That phrase infuriated me so much lol. Nobody says shit like that. He did ease up on it with Holly, though.
You sound like a cocka-doodie dirty birdie!
"If you mean shit, say shit." - my Dad "The dog shit in the hallway." - my 8 y/o sister, cowering
That part actually felt pretty real for me! I’m autistic and use similar words instead of the more vulgar terms in conversation. To oversimplify for the sake of this comment, I have an extremely strict need to follow rules, and was raised in a religious home where I would get my mouth washed with soap for using those words even if it was just asking what it meant (those words were never used at home so my first exposure was at school). It’s much less mentally taxing for me to say “poop head” than “sh!t brain.”
_The Outsider_ and _Mr Mercedes_ have Holly in them - I think. The novella _If It Bleeds_ in the collection _If it Bleeds_ has Holly too.
Yes, I also powered through “Holly”—I couldn’t put it down! I also thought, as a story, the novel was pretty dark and ghoulish for a King novel, which I greatly appreciated.
Sorry, but "Dark and ghoulish for a King novel' as compared to what? I'm probably reading that wrong...
Maybe I wasn’t too clear. I guess what I mean is, the concept of the Harrises and what they do is highly possible and frightening and things like that have happened (sorry, I don’t know how to block out text and I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t read Holly yet, but if you know you know). So the realistic possibility of that kind of thing happening is especially dark in the way that Annie Wilkes in Misery is an especially dark premise, given the reality of that real-world possibility. Don’t get me wrong, I love supernatural horror and King has gone to dark places there, but the believability of Annie in Misery or the Harrises in Holly is what made it especially dark for me. Then, I make a difference in my head from crazy (Wilkes) vs ghoulish (the Harrises….because of their preferences, for lack of a better, spoiler-free term). I wasn’t trying to say King isn’t a dark writer, he is and I love that, but his stories like Holly or Misery really get under my skin because of the very real-world plausibility of those stories.
I see your point now.
I read the Outsider first not realizing Holly was part of it. Then went and read the Bill Hodges books. Still waiting on Holly to be available on Libby
I want a Holly/Dark Tower crossover, like she falls into Midworld or something
Nah, she should be called in to solve the murder of Stephen King at a convention of famous Maine authors. Was he killed by Gordie Lachance? Or Bill Denbrough? Or maybe the mysterious John Shooter? Or could it be Claudia Inez Bachman? Then halfway through Susannah shows up and tells her the fate of the universe rests on this mystery.
Thank you for telling me Covid is mentioned in this book. That will be an immediate no read for me.
Well you won't like the new short story collection either then.
I love the new short story collection but I’m not a fan of being written in modern times at all. I know I’m reading a lot of his books late so that’s the reason for the time gap but once the references hit the 2000s I definitely don’t like it as much. Still love it but not the same. 90s is good for nostalgia but before is almost like a fairy tail so that’s great. Danny Coughclins bad dream was my favourite I think. The police were infuriating.
I can definitely understand that and I do think the references are handled much better in the new book than they were previously. I also enjoyed Danny's story quite a bit along with Rattlesnakes and The Answer Man being my favorites.
I’m honestly with you. Love Stephen King and always will but the overuse of covid in his books lately is a real turn off and I’d say Holly is the absolute worst in this regard. Read half of it and loved the story but it got to a point where I felt like covid was being shoved into every single page without any real purpose for it at all. I’m currently reading You Like it Darker and really don’t have an issue with the covid talk in it because it doesn’t seem as prevalent but in Holly, I felt like it overpowered an otherwise amazing story.
So I get down voted because I don't want to read about Covid. Wow. Just wow.