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_It’s for you_ Steve Jobs holding up a first generation iPhone. So small. > _Good Wishes from Mr Harrigan._ > > Stephen King, **Mr Harrigan’s Phone** King opens the novella collection with the surprisingly sedate **Mr Harrigan’s Phone**. It’s a quieter opening than you might expect from Stephen King collection, but similar to other stories like **Willa** from **Just After Sunset** or **The Woman in the Room** from **Night Shift**. But as the first, it sets the tone for the collection. Things are not what the seem, and our expectations are played with. It has elements of a ghost story in the vein of M.R. James, though instead of an ancient cursed relic of a bygone age, it is a first generation iPhone (admittedly, a relic of a bygone age from our perspective now). We live in an age where the smartphone is almost completely ubiquitous (you’re probably reading this on one now), to the point where there is a growing movement to reject the time it consumes with its screen in favour of older style brick phones. I can sympathise with the idea, but the modern age has made it so that these black mirrors are the key to unlock everything around us, leaving those without behind. That there are menus in restaurants that can only be unlocked with a QR code shows the extent to which access with a phone is assumed. This is not new territory for King. It shares some thematic links with **Cell** , and though the execution of those themes are wildly different, it is notable that both stories are set in a similar time period. It’s almost like King is highlighting the point: “here’s when we could have stopped all this.” But unlike **Cell** , which could appear a bit like an Old Man Yells at Cloud at times, this takes on a more nuanced view with how Mr Harrigan approaches the phone. Though Craig is our narrator, it is the titular Mr Harrigan who occupies the space for the first part of the novella. Harrigan is old, a man who has utilised modernity in his business without really embracing it. He is old school, who despite his millions of dollars prefers a more utilitarian, simple existence. At one point, Craig asks him about why he doesn’t get a computer, and Harrigan explains that a computer, or television or radio, would only grow to consume him. It’s almost a Buddhist approach to object ownership, in that he almost completely refuses to let his objects own him. He has books, a garden, a fine house, but even his location of choice is the relatively humble Harlow. Yet Craig introducing the wonders of the first iPhone to him, and the lure of the screen becomes too much. Soon he is using it for photos of mushrooms, the occasional text message and checking the stock market. The horror! The book makes it clear in its comparison to drugs that even in his relatively small way, Harrigan has formed an addiction to the capabilities of the iPhone. The free articles give way to paywalls, something which Harrigan foresees, the seventeen free apps pre-downloaded give way to more apps, ones you pay for with money or your personal information. Though we do not think it consumes him, Harrigan becomes a functional addict in his way to the phone. The horror of the story is how this continues after his death. Craig’s burial of the phone with Harrigan ties the two, man and phone, together in the great beyond. And then, Craig begins the labours of Harrigan beyond death. It’s a hoary story that wouldn’t be out of place in an **Alfred Hitchcock Presents** , yet a Harrigan revenant never makes an actual appearance, the horror of which may have proved too much. Instead, Craig taking advantage of the dead man’s supernatural abilities is stopped before it goes too far, with justice seemingly meted out. Harrigan is allowed to put to rest, if he was not already six feet under. At the same time, Craig considers throwing his phone into the lake… And can’t. Craig is alive, and Harrigan has assured him of a life of comfort with his inheritance. But Craig can’t quite bring himself to quit his own pocket black mirror. The smartphone has delivered on the promise that Harrigan had warned of in life – the first hit is free, but after that you have to pay up: with your time, your money, the lives of those in the factories constantly working to bring out the next phone, maybe, even at the end, your soul. In this way, coupled with the Harlow connection, **Mr Harrigan’s Phone** feels of a piece with **Revival**. Maybe the phones were recharged with Charlie Jacobs’ electricity? Probably not, but it’s fun to consider at least! But at the same time, there is an interesting question from the book. Why does Harrigan hire Craig to read in the first place? He regularly reads the news, he is surely capable of reading a couple of old books for himself. Instead of this being a warning of the dangers of being enslaved to your phone entirely, it is about not isolating yourself but to take the opportunities you can get from reaching out, whether that be to sell some stocks, get some mushrooms identified, send a message to a friend, or simply having your enemies killed in a manner which appears to be suicide. Don’t be come reliant on them, sure – but don’t deny the possibilities either. **Observations and Connections** The story is set in Harlow, which was first mentioned back in **The Body**. However, it’s mostly made appearances or been mentioned in more recent books such as **Bag of Bones** , **Under the Dome** and most prominently in **Revival**. Shawshank and Castle Rock gets a brief mention too, ensuring we are in King County. There is also the briefest of mentions to Dorrance Marstellar’s barn. Dorrance was a character from **Insomnia** , who appears to still be kicking around, at least in 2007. The mysterious messages sent from Mr Harrigan’s phone are not entirely resolved in the story itself, though King has subsequently offered his interpretations. Finally, regarding the joke that Mr Harrigan references about screenwriters; Arthur Miller did all right. **UP NEXT:** Catch the highlights from **The Life of Chuck** ### Share this: * Facebook * Twitter * More * * Reddit * Mastodon * Like Loading... ### _Related_

_It’s for you_ Steve Jobs holding up a first generation iPhone. So small. > _Good Wishes from Mr Harrigan._ > > Stephen King, **Mr Harrigan’s Phone** King opens the novella collection with the surprisingly sedate **Mr Harrigan’s Phone**. It’s a quieter opening than you might expect from Stephen King collection, but similar to other stories like **Willa** from **Just After Sunset** or **The Woman in the Room** from **Night Shift**. But as the first, it sets the tone for the collection. Things are not what the seem, and our expectations are played with. It has elements of a ghost story in the vein of M.R. James, though instead of an ancient cursed relic of a bygone age, it is a first generation iPhone (admittedly, a relic of a bygone age from our perspective now). We live in an age where the smartphone is almost completely ubiquitous (you’re probably reading this on one now), to the point where there is a growing movement to reject the time it consumes with its screen in favour of older style brick phones. I can sympathise with the idea, but the modern age has made it so that these black mirrors are the key to unlock everything around us, leaving those without behind. That there are menus in restaurants that can only be unlocked with a QR code shows the extent to which access with a phone is assumed. This is not new territory for King. It shares some thematic links with **Cell** , and though the execution of those themes are wildly different, it is notable that both stories are set in a similar time period. It’s almost like King is highlighting the point: “here’s when we could have stopped all this.” But unlike **Cell** , which could appear a bit like an Old Man Yells at Cloud at times, this takes on a more nuanced view with how Mr Harrigan approaches the phone. Though Craig is our narrator, it is the titular Mr Harrigan who occupies the space for the first part of the novella. Harrigan is old, a man who has utilised modernity in his business without really embracing it. He is old school, who despite his millions of dollars prefers a more utilitarian, simple existence. At one point, Craig asks him about why he doesn’t get a computer, and Harrigan explains that a computer, or television or radio, would only grow to consume him. It’s almost a Buddhist approach to object ownership, in that he almost completely refuses to let his objects own him. He has books, a garden, a fine house, but even his location of choice is the relatively humble Harlow. Yet Craig introducing the wonders of the first iPhone to him, and the lure of the screen becomes too much. Soon he is using it for photos of mushrooms, the occasional text message and checking the stock market. The horror! The book makes it clear in its comparison to drugs that even in his relatively small way, Harrigan has formed an addiction to the capabilities of the iPhone. The free articles give way to paywalls, something which Harrigan foresees, the seventeen free apps pre-downloaded give way to more apps, ones you pay for with money or your personal information. Though we do not think it consumes him, Harrigan becomes a functional addict in his way to the phone. The horror of the story is how this continues after his death. Craig’s burial of the phone with Harrigan ties the two, man and phone, together in the great beyond. And then, Craig begins the labours of Harrigan beyond death. It’s a hoary story that wouldn’t be out of place in an **Alfred Hitchcock Presents** , yet a Harrigan revenant never makes an actual appearance, the horror of which may have proved too much. Instead, Craig taking advantage of the dead man’s supernatural abilities is stopped before it goes too far, with justice seemingly meted out. Harrigan is allowed to put to rest, if he was not already six feet under. At the same time, Craig considers throwing his phone into the lake… And can’t. Craig is alive, and Harrigan has assured him of a life of comfort with his inheritance. But Craig can’t quite bring himself to quit his own pocket black mirror. The smartphone has delivered on the promise that Harrigan had warned of in life – the first hit is free, but after that you have to pay up: with your time, your money, the lives of those in the factories constantly working to bring out the next phone, maybe, even at the end, your soul. In this way, coupled with the Harlow connection, **Mr Harrigan’s Phone** feels of a piece with **Revival**. Maybe the phones were recharged with Charlie Jacobs’ electricity? Probably not, but it’s fun to consider at least! But at the same time, there is an interesting question from the book. Why does Harrigan hire Craig to read in the first place? He regularly reads the news, he is surely capable of reading a couple of old books for himself. Instead of this being a warning of the dangers of being enslaved to your phone entirely, it is about not isolating yourself but to take the opportunities you can get from reaching out, whether that be to sell some stocks, get some mushrooms identified, send a message to a friend, or simply having your enemies killed in a manner which appears to be suicide. Don’t be come reliant on them, sure – but don’t deny the possibilities either. **Observations and Connections** The story is set in Harlow, which was first mentioned back in **The Body**. However, it’s mostly made appearances or been mentioned in more recent books such as **Bag of Bones** , **Under the Dome** and most prominently in **Revival**. Shawshank and Castle Rock gets a brief mention too, ensuring we are in King County. There is also the briefest of mentions to Dorrance Marstellar’s barn. Dorrance was a character from **Insomnia** , who appears to still be kicking around, at least in 2007. The mysterious messages sent from Mr Harrigan’s phone are not entirely resolved in the story itself, though King has subsequently offered his interpretations. Finally, regarding the joke that Mr Harrigan references about screenwriters; Arthur Miller did all right. **UP NEXT:** Catch the highlights from **The Life of Chuck** ### Share this: * Facebook * Twitter * More * * Reddit * Mastodon * Like Loading... ### _Related_