Holly Gibney

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Holly Gibney
Holly Gibney.jpg
Cynthia Erivo as Holly Gibney in The Outsider (2020) and Justine Lupe as Holly Gibney in Mr. Mercedes (2017)
First appearance
Last appearance
Created by Stephen King
Portrayed by Justine Lupe (2017–19)
Cynthia Erivo (2020)
In-universe information
GenderFemale
Occupation Private investigator
RelativesCharlotte Gibney (mother)
Janelle "Janey" Patterson (cousin)
Olivia Trelawney (cousin)

Holly Rachel Gibney is a fictional character created by American author Stephen King. Originally appearing in the Bill Hodges trilogy of novels ( Mr. Mercedes , Finders Keepers and End of Watch ), she later appears as a major supporting character in The Outsider and as the main character in If It Bleeds , a novella included in the collection of the same name, and the novel Holly .

Contents

Character biography

King has characterized Gibney as "an obsessive compulsive with a huge inferiority complex". [1] She has been described as "very observant, refreshingly unfiltered and unaware of her innocence" [2] with "savant-like memory, razor sharp observation skills", as well as "a computer whiz". [3] She first appeared in Mr. Mercedes , where she is first shown as a shy (but brave and ethical) recluse with many emotional issues and social awkwardness. By the end of Mr. Mercedes her intelligence and courage play a major role in assisting main protagonist, Bill Hodges, to bring down the villain. [4] In Finders Keepers she has evolved into a private detective in partnership with Hodges. [5] [3] In Holly , Gibney returns as a solo private detective. [6]

Television adaptations

Holly has been portrayed onscreen by Justine Lupe in Mr. Mercedes (which dramatised the three Bill Hodges novels), and by Cynthia Erivo in the miniseries adaptation of The Outsider.

Richard Price, the developer and showrunner of The Outsider reworked the character to some extent, without keeping the continuity with the Mr. Mercedes TV series or Bill Hodges novels (Price did not watch the series or read the novels), and asked King to rename the character, but he insisted on keeping the name Holly Gibney. [7]

A third series is in development, which will adapt the novel Holly. [8]

Reception

King has gone on record as loving the character, saying in a 2020 NPR interview: "I just love Holly, and I wish she were a real person. [...] She just walked on in the first book she was in, Mr. Mercedes, and she more or less stole the book, and she stole my heart." [1] [9] King himself has described Gibney character as an idealized fictional woman. In his book If It Bleeds, he went on to praise the character even further. [10]

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<i>Finders Keepers</i> (King novel) Novel by Stephen King

Finders Keepers is a crime novel by American writer Stephen King, published on June 2, 2015. It is the second volume in a trilogy focusing on Detective Bill Hodges, following Mr. Mercedes. The book is about the murder of reclusive writer John Rothstein, his missing notebooks, and the release of his killer from prison after 35 years. The book's cover was revealed on King's official site on January 30, 2015. An excerpt was published in the May 15, 2015 issue of Entertainment Weekly.

<i>End of Watch</i> (novel) 2016 novel by Stephen King

End of Watch is a crime novel by American writer Stephen King, the third volume of a trilogy focusing on Detective Bill Hodges, following Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers. The book was first announced at an event at St. Francis College on April 21, 2015, under the title The Suicide Prince. On June 10, the new title End of Watch was announced. At the 2015 Edgar Awards, while accepting the award for Best Novel for Mr. Mercedes, King announced that the novel's antagonist, Brady Hartsfield, would be making a return in this book.

<i>Mr. Mercedes</i> (TV series) 2017 American crime drama television series

Mr. Mercedes is an American crime drama television series based on the Bill Hodges novel trilogy by Stephen King, which consists of Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, and End of Watch. The series premiered on Audience on August 9, 2017. It was developed by David E. Kelley, and stars Brendan Gleeson and Harry Treadaway. In November 2018, it was announced that Audience had renewed the series for a ten-episode third season, which premiered on September 10, 2019. In May 2020, the show was discontinued, with no indication of whether the show had been officially canceled or that it would return for a fourth season. Its existing three seasons were later picked up in September 2020 by streaming service Peacock.

<i>The Outsider</i> (King novel) 2018 horror novel by Stephen King

The Outsider (2018) is a horror novel by the American author Stephen King. The novel was published by Scribner.

<i>The Outsider</i> (miniseries) 2020 American television series

The Outsider is an American psychological thriller-horror crime drama television series based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Stephen King, adapted for television by Richard Price. It was ordered to series on December 3, 2018, after being optioned as a miniseries by MRC in June 2018. It premiered on HBO on January 12, 2020. It stars Ben Mendelsohn, Cynthia Erivo, Bill Camp, Paddy Considine, Julianne Nicholson, and Jason Bateman.

<i>If It Bleeds</i> 2020 collection of four novellas by Stephen King

If It Bleeds is a collection of four previously unpublished novellas by American writer Stephen King. The stories in the collection are titled "Mr. Harrigan's Phone", "The Life of Chuck", "If It Bleeds", and "Rat". It was released on April 28, 2020.

<i>Holly</i> (novel) 2023 novel by Stephen King

Holly is a 2023 crime novel by American author Stephen King. It was published on September 5, 2023, by Scribner. The novel follows Holly Gibney, who made her first appearance in Mr. Mercedes (2014). She also appeared in Finders Keepers (2015) and End of Watch (2016), and later was a major supporting character in The Outsider. She was also the central character in If It Bleeds, a novella in the 2020 collection of the same name. An excerpt from Holly was published in Entertainment Weekly on January 23, 2023. King has confirmed plans for another novel featuring Holly Gibney, titled We Think Not.

References

  1. 1 2 Gross, Terry (8 April 2020). "Stephen King is Sorry You Feel Like You're Stuck in a Stephen King Novel". NPR.org.
  2. Hamman, Cody (March 3, 2022). "Stephen King just finished writing a novel about Holly Gibney from Mr. Mercedes and The Outsider".
  3. 1 2 "Holly Gibney". The Thrilling Detective Web Site. May 19, 2019.
  4. Ruszin, Ricky (May 27, 2022). "Why Holly Gibney Is One of TV's Best Protagonists". Collider.
  5. Collis, Clark (January 23, 2023). "Read an exclusive excerpt from Stephen King's new novel 'Holly'". EW.com.
  6. King, Stephen (5 September 2023). Holly. ISBN   978-1-6680-1613-8 via www.simonandschuster.com.
  7. Maglio, Tony (January 15, 2020). "Here's the One Thing Stephen King Put His Foot Down About for HBO's 'The Outsider'". TheWrap . Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  8. Evangelista, Chris (February 8, 2024). "Stephen King's Newest Novel Is Becoming A TV Series – And You May Know The Lead Character". /Film . Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  9. Wright, Catherine (April 24, 2020). "Stephen King Really Loves His Own Character From 'The Outsider', Holly Gibney: 'I'm So Crazy About Her'". Cheatsheet.com. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  10. King, Stephen (April 21, 2020). If It Bleeds. Scribner. ISBN   978-1-9821-5029-7.