Misery

by Stephen King.

Novelist Paul Sheldon has plans to make the difficult transition from writing historical romances featuring heroine Misery Chastain to publishing literary fiction. Annie Wilkes, Sheldon's number one fan, rescues the author from the scene of a car accident. The former nurse takes care of him in her remote house, but becomes irate when she discovers that the author has killed Misery off in his latest book. Annie keeps Sheldon prisoner while forcing him to write a book that brings Misery back to life.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult, Mystery, Classics

Paperback

First published June 8, 1987

About the author

This is a temporary profile for Stephen King

Reviews

[River · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

This is not a properly thought out review, just a few key points that I wanted to write down. Please don't yell at me in the comments if you love this book! You can of course disagree, but please do so respectfully.

First of all, Annie calling a black character the n word and Paul not batting an eye even in his internal monologue is... quite something. I was so confused by it that I honestly thought I'd read it wrong. It was so jarring and unnecessary. And I know I could write so much more on this and the entire Africa plotline of the novel, but I don't know how to put it into words because it just made zero sense.
Secondly, I am a big fan of gore in horror. I adore it, I adore descriptions that make me feel nauseous, I adore beautifully written gore that contrasts so well with the blood and guts of whatever's happening. However, King's writing disappoints not only on a prose level here, but on a craft level as well. The gore had no meaning behind it, it had no shape or reason, it barely impacted anything. At a certain point, it just became, 'Oh, here Annie comes to do something horrible and then knock Paul out once again'. I was never bored exactly, but it became quite predictable and monotonous. I just didn't feel that the gore had any weight behind it or any deeper impact on either of the characters.
Thirdly, the entire book reeks of misogyny. From the constant calling her a bitch (which extends to more than just Annie, the main antagonist), to the descriptions of women all over. It's just dripping in it and left such a sour taste in my mouth all throughout.
But lastly—and I think most importantly, as it is brought up the most—is the incredibly harmful representation of psychosis and mental illness. I know this was written in the 80s, but I don't think that that means it should be free from criticism. (If anything, if you love a piece of media that has harmful elements, you should criticise those elements within it all the more.) I despised, despised, despised the way it was done, and it is this, along with everything else I have mentioned, which sinks this book into a lower and lower rating for me. I found the representation unendingly deceitful and gross in its villainous depiction, and hated all of the harmful rhetoric that came from it. It was baked into Annie as a character and therefore into the very bones of this story, it could not be extracted from it or excused or hidden away, and therefore it was all I could see. It permeated every word and I could not escape from it to a place of enjoyment.

I can understand how others can enjoy this story in spite of all of these elements, and I am by no means attacking anyone for liking it. But these elements were too much at the forefront for me to push them aside for even a moment. (I also found the characters and plot beats quite dull as they never changed and neither did their situation, it was all very stagnant.)
I'm disappointed that I didn't like this more, I really wanted to get the Stephen King hype and the premise sounded brilliant. I'll give him another shot, but this has definitely made me wary. Maybe I should try one of his newer works to hopefully avoid these things, or maybe a more fantastical/supernatural story would be better? I'm not sure.

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Dragoș Mirea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full 5 ⭐ My reaction to the ax scene was like Brad Pitt in Seven: "Ooohh God! Aaaagh"

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always forget how quickly we're trust into the action as Annie is already 'caring' for Paul in the opening chapter.

This is easily one of the scariest King novels as a crazed toxic fans actions are much more plausible that some of his supernatural tales.

I love the fact that he wrote this on the back of fan backlash to his fantasy novel 'The Eyes of the Dragon' which also adds a sense of realism too.

You can't escape the iconography of the movie and I could quite easily hear the voices of both Bates and Cann on this re-read.
But a great movie adaptation is always helped by an ever greater source material.

[Claudia Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow … wow wow wow wow wow

i finished this five minutes ago and my heart is still racing

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Misery by Stephen King

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)

I have now read Misery for the second time and was once again very impressed, even though my perception has changed compared to my first read.

„Paul Sheldon used to write for a living. Now he's writing to stay alive. Misery Chastain is dead. Paul Sheldon has just killed her - with relief, with joy. Misery made him rich; she was the heroine of a string of bestsellers. And now he wants to get on to some real writing. That's when the car accident happens, and he wakes up splinted and in pain, in the remote mountain home of his rescuer, Annie Wilkes. The good news is that Annie was a nurse and has pain-killing drugs. The bad news is that she has long been Paul's Number One Fan. And when she finds out what Paul has done to Misery, she doesn't like it. She doesn't like it at all.“

Impressions from my first read (3 years ago):
The dust jacket claims that Misery is the best book Stephen King ever wrote. Back then I was convinced that it was at least among his top three. It was definitely a banger, a must read. I had seen the movie with Kathy Bates or at least I thought so. Today I am sure that I must have never seen more than the first half. Up to that point I found everything very good but rather "nothing new". From the middle onwards the story gained enormous momentum and turned into a gigantic masterpiece full of terror, subtle cruelty, a hint of humor, a touch of claustrophobia and an incredible atmosphere. The brutality mostly stayed within limits and the focus was mainly on the feeling of captivity and "being at someone elses mercy". Still, there are a few harsh scenes that could shock readers who are not used to horror. Back then I was sure: a must read for horror fans and especially for Stephen King fans.

Impressions from today:
On this reread I still enjoyed Kings writing style and I liked the book overall. However, this time it felt a bit too long in places and Pauls thoughts often drifted in strange or aimless directions. That is probably intentional because it reflects his imprisonment and mental state, but it was not always pleasant to read. The fear, the sense of being trapped and the quiet terror are still the novels greatest strengths. The few action packed scenes are incredibly effective and the ending was brilliant and gave me chills.

Conclusion:
Misery is still a great book and definitely one of Stephen Kings best. The first time it was a clear 5 star read for me, today it is more like 4 stars. Still absolutely worth reading, just not quite the perfection I felt back then.

Want to see more reviews from me or looking for other book-related content, check out my blog: https://sachareads.com 🙂

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruhhh this sh*t was INSANE.

That Annie Wilkes lady is CRAZY.

Every time I read a Stephen King novel I have a similar reaction: 'THIS is why they call him The King'.

The man truly is a master at creating atmosphere.

Plot: Paul Sheldon, writer, is rescued from a car accident by his Number One Fan. She's going to look after him HER way, and being a Stephen King novel you know that way is not going to be a whole lot of fun for Paul Sheldon.

Describing this story to another person just simply doesn't do it justice. The horror is in the small moments and the pauses in between. The storytelling does all the work here and it is GOOD work.

I was captivated from start to finish, visibly cringing in places and even knowing what was coming (I've seen snippets of the film) didn't help soften the blow when it came.

There's not much to say that hasn't already been said so I must just agree that this is one of Stephen King's best, crafted masterfully to evoke spine tingling and bone chilling.

Highly recommend for horror fans, but also to writers wanting to develop their craft.

[GRIS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Primera novela que leo de Stephen y me ha dejado con ganas de más. Había visto la película de este libro, es decir, que más o menos sabía donde me metía, pero una vez dentro me he quedado alucinando. Es muy béstia en algunos momentos, así que si no te gusta el gore, te recomiendo que te lo pienses dos veces antes de leerlo, pero si decides hacerlo, serás capaz de sentir la paranoia de Paul, la manera de pensar de Annie, la impoténcia de la situación y la frustración de no saber como solucionarlo. En definitiva; una pedazo de novela.

“–No volverá a enojarme, ¿verdad?
–No –le susurró.
¿Enojar a la luna que traía la marea? ¡Qué idea tan terrible...!
”

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 5 stars ⭐️

‘You owe me your life, Paul. I hope you’ll remember that. I hope you’ll keep that in mind.’

Okkk, do we have our first five star from the King?!
I honestly don’t even have any notes here. Misery is a classic thriller, with all the right tension and a satisfying ending.

‘You’re going to have to write faster, Paul.’

I can’t even say what about it I liked, but once I started seriously reading, I just couldn’t stop.
It was the gotta . Gotta know how it ends, gotta know what happens.
It wasn’t even particularly twisty, but something about the simplicity of the villain and the straightforward plot made it an enthralling and immersive experience. I was literally on the edge of my seat for most of the book.

‘Either way, it’s almost over, isn’t it?’
‘Yes,’ Paul said. ‘Almost over.’

It was gory, it was anxiety-inducing, and ultimately it was just a fun time. And the way the text changed with the Misery chapters was a really nice touch. I love little details like that.

‘It’s going to be a good one, isn’t it?’
‘Yes.’ Paul smiled. ‘It’s going to be very hot stuff.’

[ivana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I’m going to be seeing Annie in the shadows for a while.

[engy · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was my first stephen king horror book and, let me tell you, this was not scary whatsoever. i've actually been contemplating reading this for like 3 years or so cause i thought it would be too scary for me... lol it was in fact the exact opposite. this was honestly such a bland book until the last 100 pages when things finally started to pick up.

the entire book is set in one house, mainly the room that paul is trapped in, with only two characters, and so, as you can imagine, there wasn't much going on. and paul and annie weren't even interesting enough to make up for the lack of interesting surroundings/characters. in fact, i wish we had delved deeper into annie's character and her psyche because i think that would've made the book a lot more interesting. all i felt during this book was sympathy for paul and that annie was just straight up deranged. the thing is, we never really got to know paul as a character, and even when he's trapped with annie we know only surface-level information about him, so i felt no connection to him whatsoever and didn't even care what his fate would be by the end of the book. i didn't care if he survived, died, was trapped there forever, escaped - i just didn't care.

so, all of that combined with the slow pacing of the book made this a very unsatisfying read. i think it would've been way better as a novella or an even shorter book (maybe 200 pages or so) because there just isn't enough substance to make it a full-length novel. on the bright side, maybe now i'll feel more confident to read more stephen king horror books, but that's not happening anytime soon lol.

[bella · Rating 3 out of 5]

first stephen king book and first book of the year!

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. This was my first Stephen King book that I read in English and it was so so so good! I couldn’t stop reading it and then when I eventually would because I needed to sleep or go to work, I would have nightmares of Annie or I was thinking about how the page count is slowly coming to an end but I still didn’t see how Paul can survive what he was going through.

Paul’s point of view showed the decline in his mental state throughout and it was so terrifying. I loved this book, some scenes kept my own mental on the edge.

Now I need to read more Stephen King books! 🖤

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Misery during finals week was, quite possibly, one of the worst ideas I have ever had (and boy, have I had some terrible ideas in my life). Every time I felt too stressed out by my own very dreadful existence during this time period, I would read a few pages of this book and be even more stressed out afterwards - which is not my ideal result from consuming literature, personally - but I did come up with one positive from all of this: Thank fucking GOD I'm not a fictional character in a Stephen King novel.

The terror that persists during the entirety of Misery only works for one particular reason: As a reader, you start to believe in the characters. King did a remarkable job of writing an unhinged madwoman and an even better job at crafting a vaguely unlikeable lowkey misogynist man that writes for a living... and I wonder why that is!

In all seriousness, the story works because of its restrictive setting and its complex characters, and I found it thoroughly entertaining! To me, it reads more like a (very intense) thriller novel rather than a horror, which is probably why I was able to stomach it. However, if you believe that humans the scariest of all evils (which is a legit take), this might just rob you off a few good nights of sleep! Pretty solid introduction to King and I'm looking forward to reading more by him (next up: The Body, The Institute, and Under the Dome, probably)

[Maggie ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time to rewrite some of my old reviews! This one is still one of my favourite Stephen King books <3

--

Misery is honestly one of the most gruesome and disturbing stories I’ve read by King. It follows Paul, a writer who gets “rescued” (abducted) by his number one fan, Annie; and when she finds out that Misery, her beloved character, dies, she doesn't take it so well.

The plot is fairly simple and revolves almost entirely around these two characters (quality over quantity, Annie might be my favourite villain ever). The real depth comes from following Paul through his pain, fear, and helplessness as he tries to survive. What makes this book so terrifying is how real it feels. We’ve all heard those stories of obsessive fans taking things too far... and who hasn’t had a little too much love for a fictional character? Now mash those two extremes together, and you get Annie Wilkes.

It’s intense, it’s claustrophobic, and it’s just so well done. I really can’t recommend this one enough.

[Gordon Ambos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psychologischer Horror der feinsten Sorte. Fesselnd bis zur letzen Seite. Vielschichtige, abgefuckte Charaktere. Ich hab's geliebt.

CW: Gewalt, Tierleid, Rassismus (Wahrscheinlich noch viiiel mehr)

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Misery is a book that is anxiety-inducing and full of well-crafted suspense but between that are enlightening and inspiring pieces of writing about the process and experience of being a writer and as a writer, that spoke to me.

Stephen King is a brilliant writer. He's written about the very possible thing that is the worst fear of anybody who creates things and puts them out into the public for who knows who to consume. The fact that I've witnessed 'fans' just as obsessive as this woman is quite terrifying, because we know how far people really do go to get things their way.

This book was so well-written and while the story itself may seem quite simple, the horror of it is so much deeper than ghosts or demons, and you will root for the protagonist so much that you'll be the on the edge of your seat watching every moment that he's going through.

I don't really have complaints at all; it's a bit of a simple concept for King compared to some of his works I guess, and it's uncomfortable to be in the situation of this narrator, but it's just so effective at what it does. I can't think of any negative points.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never seen Misery, and knew little about the story aside from writer gets held prisoner by his number one fan. So I found this to be quite the thrilling ride. Say what you will about King, but the man is incredibly skilled if he can make a story that is largely contained within one room of a house and involving only two characters so compelling. And as the drama ramps up, and Annie's true colours come to light my jaw hit the floor more than once. The axe. The knife. The lawnmower. Just horrifying yet so readable.

Add in the obvious parallels with King's own life at this point and his drug addiction in particular and that only makes the story so much more real. I also liked the way writers skills and the art of crafting a story are weaved into the narrative, allowing the reader to then evaluate King's own text through these critical lenses. It was cleverly done, and I can see why this is such a well beloved King novel. It's not my personal favourite of those I've read so far - that still belongs to the atmospheric Pet Semetary, however this one will definitely stay with me a while.

[Maria Naydenova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Страховита книга с много психология и един тънък ужас, който те държи на ръба през цялото време. Определено се гмурнах в дълбокото с нея, но може би леко си надцених поносимостта към определени кървави сцени, а тук имаше някои доста смущаващи. И с прецизността в детайлите и точността, с която Кинг описва всичко, направо плашещо брутални ми се видяха някои моменти. Може би за феновете на хоръра това ще е като разходка в парка, но за начинаещ в жанра, като мен, не бях особено подготвена за някои развръзки.

И все пак книгата беше добра, въпреки личното ми отвращение на някои моменти, или може би точно затова, защото определено ме накара да изпитам някои доста крайни емоции. Които не съм сигурна дали стандартно бих си причинила, но успя да ме държи на нокти целия съспенс и тази тиха лудост в поведението на главната героиня и опитите за бягство на Пол, които се проваляха с гръм и трясък. Тайно му стисках палци и мълчаливо окуражавах всяка налудничава идея за бягство, но от друга страна ми стана интересна и другата история в историята, та и аз исках да пише още 🙈 Като фен на романтичния жанр даже тайно ми се прииска да прочета цялата сага за Мизъри 🤭 (супер двойно име за книгата!) Направо в някои моменти и аз като Ани изгарях от любопитство да знам какво точно се случва в другата история. Така ме погълна целия разказ. И тези препратки в мисловния процес на един автор ми бяха доста интригуващи.

Безспорен майстор на вдигането на адреналина е Кинг, но пак имаше някаква лекота в разказа му. Някак неусетно се четат /в моя случай слушат/ неговите книги. Не разбрах кога стигнах до грандиозния финал, който си беше определено черешката на тортата, макар и доста брутален на места. Наистина с притаен дъх слушах как ще завърши всичко.

Доста емоционална и пълна на усещания книга, с някои смущаващо брутални моменти и все пак не мога да не призная, че ми държа интереса през цялото време.

P.s. После видях трейлъра към филма и се сетих, че май съм гледала някаква част от филма, ама не бих си го причинила целия. Трябва да призная, че образите на главните бяха много добре избрани. Направо като изкарани от главата ми! Сега трябва да прочета нещо захаросано, че да уравновеся везните 🤭

[Damian · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Misery might have just dethroned Salem’s Lot as my favourite Stephen King novel. This is a brilliantly twisted, disturbing story. I love the film, but seeing the horror unfold on the pages with added depth to both Paul Sheldon and the horrific icon that is Annie Wilkes combined with King’s unique narrative voice just gives this story an entirely different perspective and makes for an incredibly horrifying experience. The sports commentator scene in particular is one that will stick with me. I also can’t get the image of Kathy Bates as a genie coming out of a magic lamp riding a magic carpet out of my head.

Misery is a great combination of black humour, psychological horror and outright depravity.

[micha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ although medium-paced and on moments confusing, this is actually a well-written novel with very vivid descriptions that make the story easy to visualize (the axe scene, the cross and lawnmower scene, the ‘I'm gonna rape you, all right, Annie. I'm gonna rape you because all I can do is the worst I can do. So suck my book. Suck my book. Suck on it until you fucking choke’ scene - BRILLIANT!

The last 100 pages kept adrenaline rushing through my body. But the ending did not leave much of an impression.

[Lucia Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was gruesome! For a while I couldn’t feel any hope and it left me feeling anxious. But then there was hope, and somehow it was worse! But in a good way, if you catch my drift. Holy crap, this man can write! And I loved the ending.

—————————

Quote:

He lay back, put his arm over his eyes, and tried to hold onto the anger, because the anger made him feel brave. A brave man could think. A coward couldn't.

[Zara · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Ivana - Diary of Difference · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Sheldon is the writer of the bestselling series that has Misery as the main character. And he’s finally done with the series and kills her off for good. He’s gone out to celebrate this relief. Misery made him money, but he was bored of writing about what fans wanted to read. But then a car accident happens, and he wakes up splintered and in pain, in the remote mountain home of his rescuer, Annie Wilkes.

The great news is that Annie was a nurse and has painkilling drugs. The bad news is that she has been Paul’s number one fan. And when she finds out what Paul has done to misery, she doesn’t like it. Oh, no, she doesn’t like it at all…

I found this story so fascinating and thrilling. It goes without saying that it captivated me instantly. Stephen King has this remarkable ability to take you in some deep waters, where you freak out before you are able to fully admire his work. Because there is so much more to this story than just a psycho fan with a para-social relationship.
How about we start with Paul first?

His relationship with his character, Misery. He hates writing about her and he dreads writing those book series. The relief he felt when he finally finished the series. The excitement that he can now start focusing on another book in a completely different genre. And yet, with Misery he found success. Misery is all the fans want to hear about. And the most incredibly disturbing thing happens. In captivity, in such abuse, with so much pain – writing another Misery novel is something that makes him escape reality. Talk about human psychology, eh?

“But both discovered that good advice was sometimes easier to give than to receive.”

So many aspects of this book captivated me. Annie’s history and Paul slowly discovering everything. His close calls and his punishments. His thoughts about the book and the moment he made a certain decision (at the end of the book). The aftermath of everything and how it was all wrapped up… Stephen King didn’t disappoint again and I cannot wait for the next trauma I’m willingly about to accept by reading another one of his masterpieces.

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[Dre · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 / 5 💫

I can’t wrap my head around how much I enjoyed this book so I’m putting my full thoughts on pause. I will only say as a big fan of the movie - and the movie is a fantastic adaptation - the book is that much better, richer thematically and even more gruesome and disturbing.

This is my favorite read of the year so far.

[Wilma Björk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

[Popcornpages · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read Misery by Stephen King and really enjoyed this psychological thriller! This is a psychological horror tale of a famous author, Paul Sheldon who is rescued from a car crash by his number one fan, Annie Wilkes. However, Annie’s affection becomes obsessive and vengeful very soon. When she finds out that Paul has murdered her favorite character Misery Chastain in his latest novel, the psychotic Annie kidnaps Paul. She blackmails him and tortures him into writing a new novel where Misery, the character, is brought back to life all for her. What emerges instead is a very tense and actually quite frightening cat and mouse game between the trapped writer and his abductor. King effectively turns up the heat in this quiet, person-focused thriller drama. Annie is one of his most memorable and chilling villains – a seemingly normal woman who becomes obsessed and is clearly portrayed as mentally ill. There are some interesting ideas depicted in the novel concerning the authors and the readers, creativity, and obsession. And all of that is crammed in a book that is not very long, but Misery hits hard. This was a really intense piece to read at times because of the gruesome imagery and Paul’s fear and suffering. I was completely absorbed and avidly flipping through the pages to see if Paul could trick the crazy Annie and get out of a terrible situation. As far as hardcore fans of psychological horror and thrillers are concerned, I’d highly suggest you read Misery. It is a tight, well-written book and an exciting read from start to finish.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, what can be said for "Misery" that hasn't already been said?

Annie Wilkes is one of the most bat-shit insane antagonists of all time, and one of King's best villains. Heck, she was far more terrifying than the likes of Randall Flagg...Not since "Pet Semitary" has King made me feel as uneasy as he did in this book. If I hadn't already of known the broad details after watching the film a good decade ago (totally forgot the ending) this would've been truly scary!

This book is a taut, exceptionally well written thriller. It's King at the very top of his game. His commentary on "Stan culture" was prescient before it became as wide spread as it is today. His commentary is scathing and sharp. The interplay between Annie and Paul is so well constructed and believable I could hardly put my copy down. The violence comes in short, nasty, bone-crunching bursts. It creates a truly chilling picture in your brain and there were some pages that almost made me feel a little queasy.

I could go on about this book but simply put; "Misery" is a damn fine novel!

[hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

'It was like a novel so disgusting you just had to finish it.'

[vivya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a couple of years ago and it is still the creepiest & scariest book I've read. Love you King.