Talk:The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet

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flexible bullet as allegory for imagination

From what I remember of the story is that the bullet itself wasn't insanity, but insanity was one of possible results; any act of imagination fires such flexible bullets into the brain. The 'flexibility' is in reference to the unpredictability of an actual bullet fired point blank to the head; the bullet may become lodged inside, it may pass clean through, and it may spin around the skull and fly off without penetration.

To paraphrase, King had said that within every mind is a card table, and on that card table is a revolver loaded with flexible bullets. His suggestion in the story was that those who explore and exercise their imagination more often, especially creative professionals, tend to fire flexible bullets into their heads as a matter of course, and are therefore more prone to taking a madness-inflicting shot.

His protagonist was a rational man who understood the risks he took by allowing another writer's delusions to enter into his imagination -- rational until, well, he stopped being rational.

Wrong content

If I remember correctly the editor starts writing to the author about the fornits in an effort to get him to work. I believe it was the author's wife who gave the editor this idea. Could somebody please clarify this and rectify the mistake. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.40.130.65 (talk • contribs)