Stephen King Book Club

And so we close out Stephen King Book Club with "Holly". There will be future entries upon future King books (for example the collection "You Like It Darker" comes out in May). But this review is the last until those new books come out. I have reviewed everything I own with this.

This happens to be the best Holly Gibney story. Mostly because it's the type of hard-boiled mystery "Mr. Mercedes" SHOULD have been, but wasn't. And also because the lack of supernatural elements make the cat-and-mouse between Holly and the Harrises that much more interesting and evenly matched.

It's interesting that Holly is going through a hard time. Her horrible mother died of Covid and she's started smoking again. She quits again at the end of the novel, but it's such a sad thing to see.

King says in the Afterward that although Holly shares his views on vaccinations, if he had a protagonist or major character who was an Anti-vaxxer, he would hope to reasonably represent their views. Even in 2023 Uncle Stevie still doesn't get it: That crap is NOT reasonable, and should never be treated as such. King's politics have evolved over the years, but his insistence in fair-mindedness in the current climate is lazy thinking. No other way to put it.

It IS a very political book, at least in the background, mostly because Covid was tragically turned into a political issue, as were vaccinations. In a sane country that would never have happened. It's not just the trauma of losing her awful mother. Holly is suffering the same trauma we all went through back then. And truth be told, we're still suffering it.

This is the first book I've seen King write that is very conscious of the fact that he has used (and overused) certain offensive words (like the n-word) in the past, and is sort of him acknowledging he does not have the license he claimed he did there in "On Writing". King's politics HAVE evolved, and his previous refusal to entertain the notion of cutting back on that type of thing, even slightly, is something he's starting to understand is actually something he needs to be more sensitive about. 60 books late, if you ask me. But the selling point of Stephen King is he's in his mid-seventies and you can still teach him new things. Amazing, but true.

Jerome is a wonderful character for the first time ever because Tyrone Feelgood isn't even MENTIONED.

But I especially dug Barbara Robinson, and her bravery in seeking out Olivia Thornsbury, and the fearlessness of her final essay for the poetry contest. "The poetry is my essay." That's hardcore. I also loved Olivia asking her "Do you understand how good you are at this?" What an amazing mentor.

I also cheered at the doomed Ellen Craslow for refusing to buckle under the Harrises' torture and tyranny. That woman had been to hell and back, and I love that she refuses to give those monsters any level of satisfaction. It felt very good.

King Connections Of Notes: Holly Gibney novel, and the events from all of her previous stories ("Mr. Mercedes", "Finders Keepers", "End Of Watch", "The Outsider", and "If It Bleeds") are all mentioned. Also Inside View, although that one's pretty much a gimme at this point.

That's a wrap for Stephen King Book Club (for now). I'll see you all in May when I review "You Like It Darker". Ooh, "Cujo" sequel! Can't wait! 5 stars.