Misery: A Novel

Stephen King did a fanastic job with this novel. I suppose I have read novels from cover to cover in one sitting before, but I don't remember doing so with a novel this large before. This novel is that good. I remember thinking, I will just see how this part plays out and then go to bed, I went to sleep four hours later. This novel has so many plot twists it scared me. I was sure Paul was managing fine, then she revealed everything she knew, and wham, Paul lost some appendages. Then I thought I had figured Annie out, and wham, she does the total opposite of what I anticipated. This novel did something only one other novel has ever done, it allowed me to feel Paul's terror, hope, and arrogance as my own terror, hope(lessness), and arrogance. I think I even trembled with fear during passages of the book. Aside from the Dark Tower Series, I feel this is the best King novel I have read.
What happened. Paul broke both his legs in a car crash. Annie Wilkes rescues him. Maybe rescue is the wrong word, she prolonges his life. She nurses his recovery using her secret stash of drugs, iv's, and splints. However, she forgets to notify authorities of Paul's stay with her. Paul initially has the strength to resist her and fight for his freedom, over the next months, he loses that strength. The main problem is that Annie is mentally ill. She sees only what she wants and ignores other possibilities. This is bad for Paul. Paul's first punishment for angering her is a two day stretch without painkillers, water or food. When she thinks he lied to her, she amputates his foot. When he complains about the typewriter she makes him use, he loses a thumb. When he gets the attention of a possible rescuer, she runs over the policeman with a lawnmower.
However, Annie is now fighting a lost battle, the police begin to investigate, and Paul plans his revenge. His revenge is sweet, and his rescue secured, but he will always remain her prisoner. A chilling novel that I highly recommend.

The most impressive thing about this novel, is it's capabilitie to show how someone wishes to tell something to someone in words, and the agonizing process that it might be. This book is my therapy book, because it's not a pretty book, not a happy end book, but a lesson on hope beyond all dificulties and real sorrows of the soul. How critics can say this is a bad peace of writting, is beyond by understanding. because beeing good or bad, will become a controverseal discussion about what's subjectivity, but it is honest without raving despair as the consolidated way for mankind to accept all artistic and human manifestations. for me, it it a treaty of hope. of honesty and especially, a reasonable manifestation of anger against people who destroy in a half-an-hour critic, one, two or more years of work. Paul Sheldon is the demostration of that resistance. Annie Wilkes is a fear, and the exorcism, all in one package. Steven King wrote books which I didn't like. As all writters do, for all the diferent sensibilities and tastes. But this one is,for me, beyond the criticism regarding honesty, even if not the one considering personal taste. Reading is an act of freedom. As well as developing a taste.

I couldn’t imagine being trapped inside that house with that crazed fan. She was a total psycho in every sense of the word. The general gist of the story is that a successful writer, Paul Sheldon, gets into a bad car accident and is rescued by his biggest fan. Taking the opportunity to spend time with her favorite author, Annie begins nurturing Paul back to health. Then, once healthy enough, she takes advantage of the situation by forcing him against his will to write his next novel. She is just dying to find out what happens next and will do anything in her power to make sure that happens…

A great book that any new or old King fans should check out. I fully recommend it.

A co-worker a long time ago begged me to read the book. She was a big mystery novel fan and was crazy about Stephen King. I said, "why bother" the movie was great, suspenful and Kathy Bates was Annie Wilkes as far as I was concern and besides, I didn't really like reading mystery novels. I found them boring and overly meticulous with the details. Then I saw the movie again on television and remembered how that co-worker said that after reading the book, you'll be dissapointed with the movie. So, I made the monumental effort to read this book. I couldn't put it down. And yes, the movie adaptation paled in comparisson. So much detail was left out from the book. And although Kathy Bates, was great in the movie, King's Annie Wilkes is a hell-of-a-lot scarier. And the way she died in the movie is sooo sanitized. How very dissappointing that the movie makers bowed out and chose a more cleaner, neater death for this "number one fan." King is very skillful in bringing out the fears and weaknesses of the main character Paul Sheldon. In the movie, James Caan portrayed a bravier character, but the book clearly shows that Paul Sheldon all but lost hope in seeing another day, except for who he is, a writer, and a writer must see the book to its fruitition, just like just readers must find out what happens at the end. I love this analogy and it makes the story more palpable, more real. I have to admit that the book is so much better than the movie. I have gained a lot of appreciation for Stephen King. I can see why he has so much appeal to the masses. He knows how to tell a story. You feel like a kid sitting around a campfire, while a skillful grown-up spins a really scary story. To that co-worker, yes you're right, the book is better.

I will say this first; I am not an avid Stephen King reader. In fact this is the first Stephen King novel I have ever read. I've never found books to be scary and thus found myself turned off to the idea of horror fiction. I know that King has been lauded as the master of horror and so I guess I figured if I ever were to find myself frightened by a novel it would surely come from him, but since I'm not really interested in tales of the paranormal kind I've avoided his books up until now. Now I've loved the film `Misery' for some time now and with the recent release of the special edition DVD I've been thinking a lot more of it so I decided to search out the novel and give it a go. What I found was far more disturbing and haunting then I had initially anticipated. The movie in all respects it horrific and brilliantly done, but this novel is leagues above it, even more terrifying and will surely bring chills to the very depths of your soul.

There are scenes within this novel that will outright horrify you.

Paul Sheldon is a famous writer who has been made famous by his character Misery, a young girl who has stolen the hearts of Sheldon's devoted readers. Misery has also stolen the life right out from Paul. He loathes her and longs to be free of her hold on him and so he kills her. This decision could not have come at a worse time.

The novel opens with Paul in the care of his number one fan Annie Wilkes. She's eccentric, neurotic and quite frankly, insane. Paul had been in a car wreck while driving home from finishing his latest novel, a departure, drastic departure from his Misery series. Annie happened to find him trapped beneath his car on the side of the road and took it upon herself to rescue him. Upon realizing who he was, her all time favorite writer in the world, she took it upon herself to hold him hostage. When crazy Annie finds out what Paul has done to her beloved Misery she takes matters into her own hands to resurrect her from the dead. What follows is one of the most bone chilling accounts ever put to paper.

Some have claimed that Annie Wilkes is King's most terrifying villain and while I have not read any of his other novels to compare I can honestly say that she scared me to death. While reading this novel (purposely at night while my wife and child slept in order to get the optimum scare capacity) I found myself checking the hallways, staring at my bedroom door as if to find someone standing there, shaking as I read and many other symptoms of fear that I'm not too used to.

When you think about the concept surrounding `Misery' and the situation that is presented it truly is one of the scariest situations one could find themselves. Your legs are shattered, your body is in excruciating pain, you're addicted to pain killers that only Annie can supply, you're bed ridden and completely dependant on a woman who locks you in your room and withholds medicine you need and resorts to removing you're limbs as punishment for making her angry. Quite honestly you know you have no hope of survival. She is going to kill you and there is really nothing you can do about it. She's crazy and she loves you and she'll never let you go.

If you are a fan of the film (who isn't) then you must read this novel for it will push you further than the film had and take you somewhere (as demented as it is) every fan of this genre needs to go. I for one will definitely read more from this master of horror for his writing style is addictive and his descriptive manner so effective the reader will easily find the hole within the paper and fall right in.

If you want to get scared then this is the novel for you.

Throughout this book I drug my feet (oh so thankful they were both still hanging on my ankles), cringing, in what was to me the ultimate in horror, not only in the physical entrapment of being incapacitated, in horrendous pain, and at the mercy of the most insidious psychopath who could implement any type of torture she could conjure, any time of day or night as her victim, the reader as author, lies helpless in her guest bed.

The gradual but relentlessly growing awareness that Annie Wilkes was not a caring, sane woman, that she was a very very Evil Samaritan, that she was indeed psychologically challenged to the bottom of her putrid soul ... the gradation of that insidiously seeping, flickering awareness of Annie Wilkes's twisted ebony heart was true horror. I don't recall ever reading the development of psychosis in a character being accomplished so clearly, so chillingly realistically.

This may be King's most symbolic, significant novel.

Throughout the book I wondered, is this what it would feel like to be a famous author, a creative soul trapped by the tastes of fans? One of the worst spiritual imprisonments would be to become known, loved, and sought after for a certain quality in a product, then be held hostage to that quality, to be compelled to continue to recreate, regurgitate that quality forever and forever with no hope for an amen, with no hope to ever take a tangent or get a new lease on writing.

"I'm your Number One Fan." Each time Annie Wilkes said this, my hair would have stood on end if it weren't so thin, limp, and lacking, if I hadn't already pulled it all out in the first couple chapters of the book.

If anyone understands the very essence of misery, it's Stephen King. If anyone can impart the ultimate in that feeling in a novel, it's King. Man, oh man, he did it. Her put misery on the bookshelves for keeps.

I'll bet he thanks God 24/7 that he didn't EVER write a Romance novel! Or did he, somewhere in his deep, dark past? Ashes to Ashes!

Speaking of a man who writes love stories being held accountable by fans who've come to seek a certain type of plot from him, is that what's happening to Nicholas Sparks and his novel TRUE BELIEVER?

The symbolism noted above seems to be prophetically in play.

Has MISERY manifested?

Is King a prophet as well as a master storyteller and major figure in the literary world? Well, yes, most of his readers know he is.

Some of Nicholas Sparks's fans seem to be compelled by genuine disappointment to leach the appeal out of his latest hardback, mostly feeling a lack of anticipated depth and intensity since TB didn't make them cry, as Sparks's other books have religiously done.

I had been dragging feet about picking up TRUE BELIEVER as my first novel in Sparks's collection of romances. The nearly daily repetition of comments about how disappointing the book was had made me believe it was not worth reading. A few honest raves, though, kept the pilot lit for my desire to read TRUE BELIEVER (see my review) and draw my own conclusions.

Maybe the ending to this story will be that Sparks agrees with Donald Trump's belief that any publicity helps his cause, even bad publicity. Likely the regular rips of TRUE BELIEVER, balanced with the raves, will increase Sparks's sales, and he'll continue writing with new leases on themes as his evolving talent demands.

I have a question, though. Why is criticism so mesmerizing that I swallow it whole, yet praise always feels too sweet to be real? Is there something in that dichotomy which explains why horror usually feels honest and somehow true, while romance sometimes feels like a renewing wellspring of wishful thinking?

Maybe we're dust to dust, with life and a few book preferences separating the entry/exit sandstorm.

With Admiration For Craft and Shivers Forever,
Linda G. Shelnutt

Paul Sheldon,a very good writer famous for his books in the "Misery" series.A popular character in his book is someone named Misery.In his final book he kills the character off,therby ending the series.Paul's number one fan is Annie Wilkes,a retired nurse.(I would like to say,retarded).

One day Paul gets into an accident and gets both of his legs severely damaged.Coincidently,Guess who finds him?
Annie.Yes,she finds him and starts to nurse him back to good health.But when she soon finds out that Paul has killed the character "Misery",Annie is pissed...She makes it her business to get Paul to write another novel in which "Misery" is not killed.It sounds simple,I know.But when Paul refuses to write the novel,Annie uses force,and she tortures him so much that he just gives in and begins to write a new novel.
Meanwhile thinking of a way to escape,Paul writes the novel and suffers at the same time.He lost one of his foot,because she burnt it off!Yes,this Annie Wilkes is a lunatic.While Paul is under Annie's capture,he learns alot about things he took for granted.The ending of this book is a happy one,you won't be disappointed.I recommend this book as any other SK novel.It is a great Suspense,drama novel...enjoy...Nigel

Here is another version of the plot.(taken from wikipedia)...

"The story begins with Paul Sheldon slowly waking out of a coma. Gradually, his memory returns to him: he is a wildly popular romance novelist of the Misery series of novels (the main character of which is named Misery Chastain) who has crashed his car in a winter storm outside of Silver Creek in Grand County, Colorado, and has been badly injured. His rescuer, Annie Wilkes, is a former registered nurse and has taken him to her secluded country home to personally care for him.

As luck would have it, Annie is Paul's "number one fan" and eagerly awaited all his publications. Almost immediately however, Paul realizes that there is a flip side to this coin: Annie is mentally ill, she has not told anyone where he is, and she has a violent past that includes a successful career as a serial killer.

Annie begins to physically and psychologically abuse Paul when she finishes reading his latest published work, in which the heroine Misery dies. Annie later forces him to burn an unpublished manuscript of his new novel, "Fast Cars" he was carrying at the time of his accident, disgusted at its radical departure from the Misery series. Eventually, Annie forces Paul to write a new Misery novel "just for her" and bring the character back from the dead. Paul works on the book as Annie's violent mood swings and her psychosis deepens. Her insanity escalates as Paul tries to escape; she eventually chops off one of Paul's feet, one of his thumbs, and murders a police officer investigating his disappearance. As the authorities begin to close in on Annie, Paul's plight--both in his writing and his attempt to save his life--becomes more desperate.

Paul eventually defeats Annie by smashing her over the head with the second hand typewriter she had given him to write "her" novel. After he escapes, he publishes the new Misery novel to great critical acclaim."...enjoy...Nigel

Few writers intertwine humor with horror quite so effectively as Stephen King, and off-hand I can't think of another of his books in which that element of dark wit is so keenly sharpened.

This is the story of Paul Sheldon (the one character who most reminds me of King himself) a best-selling writer of the heaving-bosom school of romance novels, all starring a voluptuous and vacuous pre-modern heroine called Misery Chastain. One day Sheldon is driving through that section of rural Colorado in which The Shining was set, upbeat (and tipsy) after finishing his final Misery novel, when he is involved in an auto accident. Waking up in the home and clutches of his "Number One Fan!" a Valkyrie-bodied woman named Annie Wilkes, the injured Paul soon comes to find that the exuberant Annie is, among other things, insane in a highly idiosyncratic way. (Just the way she talks is creepy and nuts.)

Misery, the actual King book, contorts through its three-hundred pages as Paul is "cared for" by Annie, while he pens a very special Misery (the character) novel just for her. Sometimes Paul wants to write, and other times Annie feels the need to motivate him to wrap up the book. Exactly how Annie undertakes these acts of inspiration---needles, blowtorches, axes---make for read-with-your-teeth-clenched moments. Realizing that his life depends on keeping Annie happy, Paul plods Scherazade-like through his manuscript, trying to buy time to make his recovery, and possibly be found by outsiders.

As I said starting off, Misery is indeed a book with comedy in it, but overall Paul Sheldon's claustrophobic hell is no laughing matter, and this King page-turner from the `80's still readily holds its own two decades later. And oh, yeah, the ending-that-isn't-an-ending actually got me for a second. A nice touch!

I enjoyed this book soooo much i read it three times in a row. Stephen King has really outdone himself with this book by using some of the most creative imagery i could have ever thought of. I thought the movie was great, but the book is even more detailed and gives a better sense of what is going on eachtime the psychotic nurse(Annie Wilkes) and captured author(Paul Sheldon), meet. I like how King symbolized Paul's feelings as those of a bird from Africa he saw as a child in the zoo. He knew that the bird didn't belong there, and that it was going to die there, as he himself, didn't belong in Annie's house, and knows if he doesn't get out of there, he will die like the bird eventually did. The way King shows the hardships of being an author, made me respect the intelligence of all authors around the world, that publish books only to be read and perhaps forgotten by most. It is well worth anybody's time, but they need to make sure they have time to get into it, because once you get into it, it's hard to get out until you finish reading the fine print on the last page.

I saw this movie a while ago and saw the book in the bargain bin, so I decided to see if Stephen King was a good author. I assumed he was since so many great movies have been made from his books, but now I have confirmation. Misery is a tense, scary and grippingly written novel. My one and only complaint of this book is that I think it rambles a little, and King has the bad habit of doing this. He does it in Dreamcatcher, but in that book he does it for many more pages than Misery. Other than the occasional rambling this book is fantastic. I'll say that I do enjoy the movie a little bit more b/c of what it takes out. Same goes for Dreamcatcher, but Misery is better on all accounts. Btw the only reason I'm comparing this book and Dreamcatcher is b/c Dreamcatcher is the last King book I read. But yeah, this book is very much recommended by this reader.

I would like this review to be taken seriously regardless of my age. This book is absolutely superb. A terrifying thriller about how Paul Sheldon, a famous author, is nursed back to health and kept captive by the psychotic nurse, Annie Wilkes who while being his #1 fan also feels the need to punish him as gruesomely as possible whenever he does something she doesn't find to her liking. This book is so wonderfully written. King describes every last detail so everything is crystal clear. I would suggest this book to anyone with the exception of those with weaker stomaches. This book is not for people who cannot stand some violence. It is so frightening you are pretty much forced to turn the pages. It took me little more than one day to finish it. It is made even more scary because of King's technique of taking realistic characters and a realistic plot go more and more sinister as the book goes on so you think "this could really happen." This is a spectacular Stephen King book. I ate it all up and I hope this review encourages more people to do the same.

King's story about a writer held hostage by his self-proclaimed "number-one fan" has a bizarre backstory. Written in 1987 it loosely foreshadows the real accident in 1999 that saw the author similarly injured. In June of that year, Bryan Smith's blue Dodge caravan crashed into King, who was out for a walk, with such force that the author's head smashed the windscreen.

The impact threw the King up and over the van, propelling him into a ditch fourteen feet away. Donald Baker, who witnessed the crash from his pick-up truck said, 'He was in a tangled-up mess, lying crooked, and had a heck of gash in his head. He kept asking what had happened.' Smith thought he'd hit a deer until he noticed King's bloody glasses on his front seat.

A year later Smith was dead. He was a troubled fellow physically and emotionally with a terrible driving record. He had eleven convictions in ten years. King underwent treatment and gruelling therapy and he was angry wanting Smith to pay. Smith contended it was an innocent accident and that King's celebrity prejudiced and influenced everything. Eventually, King called Smith's plea bargain - resulting in a driving ban and a six-month suspended jail sentence - 'irresponsible public business'.

Smith seemed to move on but his death, attributed to an overdose of fentanyl, suggest he may have been experiencing more from the incident. It gets stranger. Smith died on King's birthday and they share the middle name, Edwin. I always thought Misery must have been King's most cathartic yet personally terrifying books to write. After all the main character is an avatar for King. He must have thought of Misery often as he recuperated.

The book is full of writing advice as well as suspense and terror. Consider this bit, "Writers remember everything...especially the hurts. Strip a writer to the buff, point to the scars, and he'll tell you the story of each small one. From the big ones you get novels. A little talent is a nice thing to have if you want to be a writer, but the only real requirement is the ability to remember the story of every scar. Art consists of the persistence of memory.” Perhaps his tragic accident provided fodder for the books that came after. The scars would be both visible and hidden.

In Misery, Paul Sheldon, the fictional writer of historical romances, is in a car accident and is rescued by Annie Wilkes. She keeps him prisoner to write a satisfactory outcome to his book series that she enjoys. Cue the emotional and physical suffering! Both are intense but unless you are a writer (I am trying to be one) you may not know that Paul's physical torment at the hands of Annie is nothing compared to him being forced to write and compromise his integrity.

What kept me totally engaged beyond the plot and writing advice was the complex relationship between the two. It is much deep than tormentor and captive. There is a co-dependency...author and an audience of one. They need each other. Annie is a nurse and her caring though perverse is her role. Paul is a storyteller wrestling with his legacy but still needing positive feedback and adulation. It is creepy to see play out.

In many of King's early novels the black and the white are clear. With Misery we see him shift to grey and that ambiguity in psychology, human nature and his supernatural imaginings have been the major theme in all books since.

This was the first book I had ever read by Stephen King and I loved it! The book followed an author, Paul Sheldon who gets in a car accident, knocking himself out as well as shattering his pelvis and legs. When he wakes up, he finds that he’s being cared for by his psychotic ‘number one fan’ Annie Wilkes. He’s incapable of movement and in immense pain, thus making have to do whatever Annie tells him, including burning his only copy of his newest story and writing a new book to a series he wants to forget, to be able to get food, water, and the wonderful medication that makes the pain go away for a little time. The question is, how much is Annie willing to put Paul through to get what she wants?
This book has so many things that I love. The characters begin seeming fairly simple, but as the book goes on, you get to see so many sides of them that you can barely keep track of them all. They feel like friends that you everything about, not just characters in a book. Because of all the complexity, you can never be quite sure what’s going to happen next. The two characters are always causing some sort of disagreement and you always have several theories as to how it will all play out. Sometimes one of the theories are right and others, something completely unexpected happens and the depth of the character continues.
I would not suggest reading this book unless you are prepared to be 100% focused. The book jumps between what is happening, Paul's thoughts about a situation, Paul’s flashbacks and the story that Paul is being forced to write, so it can get pretty confusing if you aren't paying attention. If you are willing to put that effort into the book, you will not regret it. It is one of the best books that I have ever read and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a complex and beautifully written, horror novel.

One of King's BEST books, I have read many of his books, though I AM only 12, but I think that's the right time to start reading his works. The story is about Paul Sheldon, a writer of many famous books, called Misery, who is also the main character.Well, he is involved in an almost fatal car accident and gets picked up by Annie Wilkes, a crazy madwoman that is a retired nurse, and who killed most of her paitients. She gets him hooked on Novril, a kind of asprin. When she finds out her "Misery" was killed in the last novel, she goes into an outrage, and starts attempting to kill Paul. After choping off his foot with an axe, (Paul's in bed and can't get up) She saws off his thumb and puts it in a birthday cake. She kills many police officers, and finally ends up getting killed herself, which I will not reveal in case you've never read it. If you have not read it, and are a fan of King's this is a MUST! If you are a fast reader, read it twice, you will have missed things (believe me, I am). After you have read it, watch the movie!!!

You know what makes Misery scary as is the case with all of his horror books is that by reading his material whether you like it or not you empathize with the characters. Let's take Misery for example. Just by reading the book you became Paul Sheldon stranded in that crazy woman's house after that terrible automobile accident. You felt his physical pain after he had awaken from that concussion, broken legs dislocated pelvis etc. and you felt his fear and anguish being trapped in that woman's house while she was going crazy, forcing him to write another novel while in all that intense pain.
You suffered his drug addiction as he was getting stoned on Novril. I will never forget that scene when he was in Annie's bathroom getting high on dope when he was not supposed to be out of his room when all of a sudden Annie drove back up. You felt Paul's intense fear. Think about it, as a kid have you ever done something that you were not supposed to be doing when your parents all of a sudden showed up? What could be more terrifying?

I'm suffering through this. It's torture. Throughout the book Paul is a victim. When he does something smart, she finds out and punishes him (like cutting off body parts). Too many atrocious acts. Too much helplessness. Paul learns that she killed many people and got away with it. She tells Paul of her plans to kill others and how she will get away with that. He believes her. This adds to Paul's feeling of helplessness. She is strong, cunning, and crazy.

I prefer stories where the protagonist takes action to influence his future. I want entertainment or some kind of feel good. Technically there was a good ending for the good guy, but it did not feel good. I was depressed.

It's told in third person, but only Paul's point of view, never Annie's.

THE POSITIVES:
I have a favorite part (believe it or not) due to the author's clever wording. Annie leaves Paul locked in a room for 51 hours with no food, water, or pain medication. Paul's thoughts: " Around 4 o'clock of the second day "Pretty Thirsty" made it's move" (a few thoughts later) "thinking unconsciousness would come and relieve him, but unconsciousness declined. Instead hour thirty came and hour forty. Now "King of Pain" and "Pretty Thirsty" merged into one single horse. "I Got the Hungries" had been left in the dust long since, and he began to feel like nothing more than a slice of living tissue on a microscope slide or a worm on a hook, something anyway, twisting endlessly and waiting only to die."

Annie forces Paul to write a romance novel "Misery's Return" while he is captive. The main reason Annie keeps Paul alive is to see what will happen in the novel. The heroine Misery died in the previous published book. Annie forces Paul to come up with a believable way to have her alive in this book. I liked what he came up with. A handful of other scenes from "Misery's Return" are shown. They were not interesting to me and could have been shortened. But I liked seeing the author's thought process as he came up with ideas to put into the novel. He talked about "the guys in the sweatshop" (giving him ideas) and seeing a hole in the paper (to begin writing).

The narrator Lindsay Crouse was good.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook reading time: 12 hrs and 11 mins. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words.. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day mostly Colorado. Book copyright: 1987. Genre: horror suspense thriller. Ending: good but not good enough for the good guy, bad for the bad guy.

OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Stephen King books, see my 5 star review of Carrie posted 5-11-12.

Probably the greatest piece of work Stephen King ever did, "Misery" tells the story of how a famous writer, named Paul Sheldon, drives his car off a road in the middle of a snowstorm in Colorado. He is rescued by nurse Annie Wilkes who brings Paul into her home where she nurses him back to health. She confides in Paul that she is his #1 fan as she loves his "Misery" novels, a series of books that Paul is most famous for. However, once Annie realizes that Paul has killed off Misery in his latest book, Annie displays signs that she is totally unhinged and Paul is swept into absolute horror. It is then up to Paul's writing skills to escape the hell that Annie has put him in. "Misery" would be turned into an excellent motion picture in 1990 directed by Rob Reiner, and it would garner Kathy Bates the Oscar for Best Actress for her mesmerizing performance of Annie Wilkes. The book, like the film, is a must-own.

How would you react to watching, screaming, as a woman, who to you is unbreakable, forces an axe down onto the lower shin- and then as she removes the axe from your splintered bone, lifts it again, brings it down into the gaping wound left behind from the last blow- effectively severing your foot at the ankle?
My my, that's an ooby lot of pain.
Call me sick, but I loved this book. Misery is a King classic- psychotic, violent, complex, symbolic and affecting.
In some parts, the sheer weight of Annie's insanity renders this book also very humourous, in a macabre sort of way.
Misery is also claustrophobic. We are witness to the goings-on inside the mind of a captive man- write Paul Sheldon, who must write his way out of his own misery. He must resurrect Misery, the heroine whom he despises as a 'lessor' star of a 'lessor' series of books. Paul does not want to bring her back, but he must, if he wants to escape Annie's depressive/schizophrenic whirly-wind.
Buy this. Borrow it too. Read it, and you'll know what goes through King's mind everytime he sits down to write. Poor man. Lucky us.

I enjoyed this book soooo much i read it three times in a row. Stephen King has really outdone himself with this book by using some of the most creative imagery i could have ever thought of. I thought the movie was great, but the book is even more detailed and gives a better sense of what is going on eachtime the psychotic nurse(Annie Wilkes) and captured author(Paul Sheldon), meet. I like how King symbolized Paul's feelings as those of a bird from Africa he saw as a child in the zoo. He knew that the bird didn't belong there, and that it was going to die there, as he himself, didn't belong in Annie's house, and knows if he doesn't get out of there, he will die like the bird eventually did. The way King shows the hardships of being an author, made me respect the intelligence of all authors around the world, that publish books only to be read and perhaps forgotten by most. It is well worth anybody's time, but they need to make sure they have time to get into it, because once you get into it, it's hard to get out until you finish reading the fine print on the last page.

Paul Sheldon is a writer of the famously popular Misery novels. They seem to be old romance (old gothic) or the such. Everyone wants more and more and that's the opposite of what he wants. So he kills of the lead character Misery Chastain, to end the books so he can write something new. He writes a manuscript and heads back to the city in a snowstorm, but he never makes it. He's involved in a one man car accident and finds himself in some woman's house in a bed with broken legs and all tore up. He;s in the home of Annie Wilkes his "#1 Fan."

This is when all hell breaks loose. She's obsessive and insane. She looses it when she reads the new Misery book and finds out he killed off her favourite book. She forces him to right a new one, or die and she has him destroy his new manuscript.

During this time he is subjected to various tortures: fingers cut off for complaining about broken typerwriter keys. Feet cut off for trying to escape. And she wants to kill him and then herself once the story is finally finished, in a weird suicide love pact. She loves him. He hates her. I won't reveal the ending, but it is pretty satisfying.

The movie was extremely good as well. Gos read this and then watch the movie. Very good stuff.

"umber whunnnn

yerrrnnn umber whunnnn

fayunnnn

These sounds: even in the haze."

This is the mysterious first "chapter" of Stephen King's amazing bestseller, Misery. It tells the tale of a man named Paul Sheldon, creator of Misery, a four-book clichéd Harlequin series. He is a very successful writer who, ironically, hates his best-selling Misery series. So, he decides to kill off Misery Chastain, the main character of the Misery novels.

After this, he decides to start writing other things. His most recent manuscript after Misery is called Fast Cars. But one night, right after finishing the first draft of Fast Cars, he breaks both his legs in an automobile accident. The next thing he knows, he is lying in a bed in a woman named Annie Wilkes's house. It comes into his knowledge that she is his "number one fan". This isn't anything out of the ordinary; a lot of people sign their letters to him as his "number one fan". But when Wilkes goes ballistic after she finds out that Misery has been killed off, he finds out that this is no ordinary woman.

This is the story of Paul Sheldon, as told by Stephen King. In this tale dubbed by the Boston Globe as "full of twists and turns and mounting suspense", strange things occur in this little nowhere house in the Middle of Nowhere, Colorado. Annie Wilkes takes advantage of his crippled state, threatening him with all sorts of different awful implements of torture, that she will use on him if she doesn't write a new Misery novel, just for her. This novel is to be named "Misery's Return", and must bring Misery back to life, but in Wilkes's words, without cheating.

This is definitely one of King's better works, which I was able to finish in essentially less than a day. I was completely hooked on this book, only being able to set it down for an hour at a time at most. Among the many unforgettable things in this book is the "Annie Wilkes Lexicon", which is what Sheldon dubs her often hilarious way of "swearing", such as calling "bad" people "dirty birdies", as well as calling objects "cockadoodie" and "oogy". Misery shows you exactly the strain and struggle Sheldon goes through to write the new Misery's Return, without invoking the wrath of Annie.

Of course, sometimes this doesn't work too well. Annie has plenty of methods of bringing inspiration to him. First it's burning his one and only manuscript of Fast Cars, next, a hypodermic needle, and even a gruesome scene in which she attacks him with an axe. As much as I loved this book, it is definitely not for the people who cannot take King's... err...rather more colorful than average descriptions.

Be forewarned that the plot involves a lot of emotional and physical trauma, as Sheldon recuperates from the car accident, plus the many beatings he must sustain from Annie Wilkes. It also involves a lot of swearing, although not as much as most King stories, and an Annie-inflicted dope addiction that drives Sheldon to sometimes-insane lengths. And the gruesome descriptions of the bloody tortures that Annie inflicts on anybody who makes her mad, because, as she puts it, she is not herself when she's angry.

I may not like most stories with only one main character, a few examples of this kind of writing would be "Hatchet", by Gary Paulsen, or even the Horror Master himself's very own "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon", which I hated. This, somehow, was different. He was not being tormented by something unseen, although you could definitely say that. He was being tormented by something REAL. The whole thing was REAL. The book was REAL. That's what I liked about Misery. This book compared to even The Stand (although I have yet to read a novel that surpasses THAT, even Misery wasn't that good).

This novel was critically acclaimed by such papers and newsgroups as the Boston Globe, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Seattle Times, the Houston Chronicle, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly, as one of the best King books ever to be written. I honestly couldn't put it down. The analogies in the book are excellent, as Sheldon starts thinking of himself as a modern-day Scheherazade, story-telling (excuse me, story-WRITING) for his life. Five stars (and if it was out of 10, I would give it a 10 out of 10). Highly, highly, highly recommended.

I read MISERY in one sitting in one day. It is very good. We are drawn into the psychotic universe of ex-nurse Annie Wilkes, Stephen King's most monstrous and most human villain. Paul Sheldon has killed off his bestselling star of his bestselling MISERY book series, and has written a non-Misery book that he loves. Then Paul is in a car accident and his legs are crushed, then he's rescued by Annie Wilkes. Annie gets him addicted to pain medication and soon Paul realizes that his is her prisoner. Annie forces Paul to write a new MISERY novel bringing her heroine back from the grave. During this the dangerously insane Annie does horrible things to Paul. She crushes his knees, chops off one of his feet, and other various mental atrocities. Yet Paul needs Annie to survive. Despite her wicked deeds, you almost pity Annie Wilkes and her suffering. The reader in subjected to incredable amounts of suspense, wondering wheter Paul will ever escape his deranged warden. This is one of King's best books ever, the action flows so crisply that the reader feels right on the scene. A darkly comic scene has Annie disposing of a nosy police officer by running over him with a lawnmower. Once you start reading MISERY, you won't be able to stop until you've finished. Astonishing achievement by the master of the macabre, a sick love letter to all his number one fans.

Misery was the first Stephen King book I ever read, and I read it quite a while ago, so I may be a bit rusty on the deatails, but ever since I read Misery, I have been reading Stephen King books. At the moment I am reading IT. I find the story of Misery so good, as it is somthing that could possibly happen. All the other horror writers seem to think that if you write an experience that is totally untrue to life and would be scary if it did happen to you, then you will be scared, but Stephen King recognises that the only way to write a novel that if scary and people will want to read, is to write one with events which may well be similar to what has happened to you in your life.

I found that Misery was not only an interesting and compelling read, but it also was scary, and in some places true to life.

An excellent read, and Stephen if you are reading this, you have now got yourself a full time reader.

I AM YOUR NUMBER ONE FAN!

This book is amazing! From the first pages in which Paul's life in almost ended by a car accident, to the very last pages with Annie Wilkes haunting Paul's life from beyond the grave, you are captivated by this remarkable piece of work in which Stephen King delivers one of his best performances in his whole career. King describes so delicately what exactly is going on in Paul Sheldon's life during the time he is kept prisoner by his "#1 fan", Annie Wilkes. You really understand the different emotions going through Paul's mind: Paranoia, fear, anger, depression, and of course, pain. The way Annie's part is written just amazes. It almost seems like King would have had to be around someone like Annie because of the way Annie Wilkes acts. She has several personalities. She has the #1 fan, the brutally-mean when agitated, and the normal (though not really) part. I really don't know what else to say besides what I have already said about this book. It's quite a remarkable book because it's just so amazing. You must read this and definitely see the movie which won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Kathy Bates who plays of course, Annie Wilkes.

I've seen the film "Misery" several times, but I didn't get around to reading the novel till recently and I was far from dissapointed. The book is better than the movie, by far, with a better ending and more gore. The story is about Paul Sheldon, a writer of a series of popular romance novels about a woman named Misery who wants to venture into different more mature writing. After finishing a manuscript, he crashes his car and is "saved" by Annie Wilkes. Annie tells Paul once he awakens that she is his "number one fan" and that she can hardly await for his most recent "Misery" novel to be released in paperback. Things are well for a while, besides her sudden outbursts of anger, but when she reads the new novel and finds that he killed off his main character she flies into an all out rage and demands that he write a new Misery novel just for her. Paul hates Annie and wants to kill her, but he also needs her to supply the medicine that keeps his pain tolerable. As for the gore of this novel, it's a lot more gorier than the movie.

In the movie, she used a large hammer to keep him in line. In the book, she uses an axe. I could not put this novel down, it is massively entertaining. A+

that was better than the movie in every way. I first read this book in 1989 and it was an absolute page-turner from the very beginning. As the story unfolded we found out about a writer in serious pain after crashing his car somewhere in Colorado, a nurse who took him in who seemed quite competent except for one thing-it soon became very obvious that she was absolutely crazy. So good was King's description of his wounded writer-held-prisoner that I as a reader almost began to feel what he was feeling. I had to keep putting the book down and reminding myself that this was "just a story."
This one is terror and suspense all the way and the many detours the story takes en-route to its dramatic conclusion only add to the already richly engossing tale it is. Buy this one and be ready for one heck of a ride! A word of warning: you will never view chainsaws, lawnmowers, and birthday cakes in the same way.

Before I so my review let me give you a little tip...ok so if you just want to read this book and your not sure if it's good or not and you don't want to wast money on it I suggest for you to go look in your local librery and check it out it is free!!!

Now let's get started.

If your new to king or a long time fan and your looking for a good read then go on ahead and read this.its a nice solid king book with just the right amount of everything.go ahead give it a try.

When I first started reading this book it started a little slow but then once it really got in depth it got interesting. The thriller in this book is terrific and makes you wanna just keep reading. The details he puts into the characters just make the story more and more interesting. Once you get into the climax of this book you’ll be hooked and wanna finish the rest of the book. Stephen King does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat. Then when you finish this book you get more interested with the ending they give you.

Due to King's skill in charater development, this novel is a work of art. The reader feels as if he or she is in the story! I felt trapped in that room with Paul Sheldon. You feel his anguish and his profound desire to be free!! On the other hand, ambivalance arises and makes you love, hate and loath Annie. Annie is insane, but you just love it when she talks, and you look forward to reading her in the scenes. She is the star. I really did not feel anything for Paul except,"Pieta" or pitty.

This book is so worth the money. I love hardcovers so I buy the used hardcovers here; they only cost $.01. Well, the shipping and hadeling is like $5, you can go from there. However, you still get a great deal because hardcovers cost almost $30 in the stores! I paid only $7 for King's CELL, the hardcover, and in the stores it costs $30!!!! Cell came in perfect condition and looks NEW! READ THE SELLERS DESCRIPTION BEFORE BUYING THE USED BOOKS, TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING.

This book is one of the scariest books I have read by King. Scary because it is something that could happen in real life. A famous writer (Paul) of women's romance novels is injured in a car accident and kidnapped by a crazed fan (Annie). Annie will let Paul go on the condition that he resurrerect a popular character (Misery) that he killed off in one of his novels.
Sounds easy, except that Paul must make it totally convincing (not just a dream like Bobby Ewing) or he will suffer excrutiating consequences. Annie makes for one of the most horrifying jailers. Someone that is very demanding and will go off the deep end for any little thing.
Loved this book through and through. One possible drawback to some readers may be that King presents many pages from the Misery transcript that Paul was prepares. If you are not a romance novel fan you could find those parts boring. I rather liked them.

Stephan King is one of the world's best, if not the best, writers. His characters seem real, and his plots are engaging. Misery is a masterpiece.
In this novel, the main character is romance novelist, Paul Sheldon, who after a car accident finds himself in the home of his number one fan, Annie Wilkes. But Annie hasn't finished Paul's latest book, and when she does and finds that he has killed her favorite character, she decideds to hold him prisoner until he brings Misery back to life. As you can see the title is ambiguous. She has many ways to keep Paul writting, but I won't go into that now.
Anyone who says King isn't a good writer, just take a look at the metahor of the red bird. C'mon, loosen up, that's pretty good right there.
Read this book as soon as you can, but if you have a weak stomach skip the axe part. You might make a cookadoodie mess trying not to vomit on the floor.

I was looking so forward to reading Misery by Stephen King. Having heard that it was one of his better novels, I anticipated the novel to rank high on my list of all time great King books. Boy was I surprised. The novel doesn't really take off at any point, and kind of drags on and on and on. Paul Sheldon is nothing compared to the writer heriones King created in most of his novels. For example, Jack Torrance in The Shining and Mike Noonan in Bag of Bones, are great characters, while Paul just meanders aroun (not literally of course)and doesn't interest us at all. Therfore, when Annie begins to torture him, we could really care less. The end of the novel is very scary, I will give King that, I did indeed have goosebumps on my flesh with the final encounter, or the second final encounter I guess you could say. Overall though, Misery falls short, and when you're done reading it, you realize the only misery you've experienced, is your feelings about this book. Oh well, one bad book out of thirty, not to shabby.

MISERY is a book created by Stephen King that terrified me. Misery is about a famous author named Paul Sheldon who has made many series of books that were all bestsellers, but his most popular series of books is the MISERY series. Paul was angry because he wants all his other books to be more popular than his insipid unrealistic series Misery. Paul finished his new novel FAST CARS one icy December day. Paul believed this book would be able to surpass (in popularity) MISERY. On Paul's way to New York to get his book published he crashes and shatters his 2 legs. Luckily he survived. Unluckily the person who saved him is a mentally insane sociopath (Annie Wilkes) who claims to be his "number one fan." Paul learned that she was insane when she made him burn his book FAST CARS. Soon after, Annie finished reading the final MISERY book. Misery the main character of the novel is killed. Annie goes on a rampage leaving Paul without food and painkillers. Paul sneaks out of his room by picking the lock and steals a knife and painkillers. Annie had a book lying on the fireplace. It was a huge book with newspaper cuttings in it. Paul read it and found out Annie has killed thousands of people. Paul went back to his room and locked the door. Annie some how knew this would happen so she taped a string of hair to the book. The hair broke. The next morning she cut off Paul's foot then burnt his wound until it fused so he wouldn't die. Annie then picked up his foot and pulled out the knife he stole. She laughed hysterically then left. The next day Annie bought Paul a typewriter and then made him type a new novel of MISERY called MISERY'S RETURN. Paul gets a couple great ideas and decides to make the book then kill Annie. Paul Sheldon is typing for something more valuable than fame, than money, than popularity. PAUL IS TYPING FOR HIS LIFE.

My favorite part in this book is that the typewriter he wrote the final book on had no N. So Paul slowly went insane because he had to rewrite each N on every word. What I really enjoy about the book is that the scariest thing isn't Paul getting tortured or Annie killing people, it's the physical entrapment that Paul has because he can't walk and how you never know if Annie will come back to give Paul his food or painkillers.

If you want a book that can make your stomach drop, a book that can make you not sleep at night, a book that can make you keep a light on in every room, then you should read this book.

Between the brutal and the hysterical, King manages to capture the madness of not only writing, but every day life, as seen thru the eyes of both the insane and the slowly going insane. More disturbing and graphic than the fine film version, the violent scenes here are more repellent, altho the riding lawn mower encounter had me laughing with over the top delight. Did King go too far here? probably, but you can't fault his imagination or his wicked ability to create real characters out of the most extreme circumstances. Despite his penchant for the cheesey pop culture reference, this is still a delicious little treat that will leave you a bit drained in the end. Where else can you go after a blow torch and an electric knife? How about a romance heroine covered by killer bees? (If these are possible spoilers, I apologize. if you've read the book already, you'll know what they mean).

When reading "Misery" you can't help but think "Vintage King" and why not for the matter Misery is a great read that well have you reading well into the night, but i hope you have a night light

Misery is about a man named Paul Sheldon, Sheldon is an author of a series of books with the main charcters name being Misery Chapman this is sort of were the name comes from but thats not the whole reason Why "Misery" is called "Misery" you see after years of writing the Misery Novels Sheldon desides to call it quits and ends the series A while after that he decides to write a new novel by the name of "Fast Cars." After finishing the novel Sheldon dose his normal finishing a book rituals, Having a Cigarete things like that he then leaves back to new york from were he was. Little dose he know that a snow storm is coming. Sheldon crashes his car and is saved by "His biggest fan" A women named Annie Wilks.

A while later sheldon wakes up thinking that he's in the hospital, but little dose he know he's in "His biggest fan ever's" house but Annie dose not want him to leave and she'll do anything to make him weather using her "tools" things like an Axe or a Syringe or even something worse.

All in all Misery is a very good novel by the master of terror that i would higly recomend to almost anyone 5/5

The Master of Suspense must have earned his nickname after writing this book. Although the master himself, Stephen King has surely had his ups and downs during long run on the horror genre, Misery (although not as widely known as his other books) is the peak of the mountain. The book starts off innocently enough but before you know it you will have descended into Stephen King's realm of horror. One of the most frightening, bizzare, and disturbingly realistic books ever written, you won't want to miss it. If you are one of the sceptics who believes that "horror is too unrealistic" consider yourself dared to read Misery. It is a guaranteed thriller. As cliche as it may sound, without a doubt this one book you won't be able to put down! Join Annie and Sheldon in the madness of Misery and you will understand how Mr. King became the "Master Of Suspense"!

I have never read anything written by Stephen King as I don't particularly like that genre. But a friend insisted that I read Misery, and I was astounded by King's talents. I was hooked from the very first page, and Misery is a book that will haunt yours days and nights long after you've finished.

Paul Sheldon is a popular writer celebrating the completion of a new book, when his car goes off a mountain road in a snowstorm. He finds himself with shattered legs, being held captive by a former nurse, Annie Wilkes. Ironically, Wilkes just happens to be his number one fan. While she's nursing him back from near death, Wilkes reads his latest book, where he kills off his popular character, Misery Chastain (a sappy, high-drama character whom Sheldon has come to loathe). She decides that Sheldon will write a new novel (just for her), in which he brings Misery back from the dead. And believe me-Wilkes has her methods to keep Sheldon writing! Sheldon soon discovers that he's like Scheherazade, and the best way to stay alive is to keep the stories coming. Wilkes is a true psychopath, and the mind games that Sheldon plays will have you riveted. His ultimate goal is to escape, but Wilkes is one shrewd character, and his getting out alive is slim at best.

Misery succeeds on so many different levels. The characters are so very well developed. In trying to figure out how to deal with Hurricane Annie, Paul also learns much about himself while he is trying to survive. Misery is filled with lots of symbolism-especially in the writing of his new book, Misery Returns. King also gives us a good look at the art of writing. He talks about the difference between a hack, a popular writer and a literary writer. While King is certainly a popular writer who is sometimes accused of being a hack, Misery reads more like a work of literature. We see what sometimes motivates a writer to write, and we can only imagine the rabid, crazed fans that any popular figure must contend with. It's also interesting to see how readers take ownership of fictional characters, and how distraught they can become over their demise. Also, as gruesome as much of this book is, Sheldon still can see much humor and irony in his situation which lightens the load just a bit.

I never expected to enjoy Misery (or any Stephen King for that matter) as much as I did. It certainly won't be my last.

If you like to read suspend stories, I think you should try "Misery" by Stephen King. It is almost 400 pages, and the first time I saw this book, I didn't really interested in it because it is long. But after I read a couple of chapters, I started to like it, specially in the middle of the book when the main character tried to escape from the house before the phycho woman came back. If she caught him trying to escape, she would punished him. Her punishment is unlike parents punishing their kids. She would make him feel pain. She could even cut off his leg. This woman has her own reason for doing this, but I don't understand her reason, but who can understand a psychotic's motives? I don't think so unless you are phycho, too. Anyway, I recommend this book for those of you who are looking for new books to read. It is good. Try it!!!!

This is a disturbing book- disturbing in a good way, if you like suspense and tormented characters. Paul is a writer who crashes his car in the middle of a snowstorm in the middle of nowhere, and has the misfortune of being "rescued" by a psychotically devoted fan (Annie) who imprisons him in her house. It's pretty amusing to see what King has to say about Paul, and I got the impression that King was poking a little fun at writers, but the reader will have to judge for herself. The plot is simple- sort of an extended siege in Annie's house- which turns out to be pretty exciting in the end. Annie has something coming, and the reader will have to see if she gets it! Overall, a very entertaining read, and I'm glad King didn't drag it out to 700+ pages like some of his other books. Avery Z. Conner, author of "Fevers of the Mind".

This one is my favorite of King's, with the Long Walk and Running man in second and third. This book travels inward to inside Paul Sheldon's little world once he gets stuck in his "#1 fan's" house after an accident. Rich with irony, some easily apparent, some you have to dig to see, it is an intriguing book. King makes it seem as though Paul were a real-life author (helped by the fact that the book Misery appears to be actually "written" by him in lieu of the burned manuscript for the next misery novel Annie makes him write) and a normal man, who happens to fall into the hands of the dangerously touchy Annie Wilkes. Her fascinating character is enough to more than make up for the lack of real action (because it almost all takes place in the bedroom where Paul is stuck); she is-- ironically all at once-- romantic, passionate, CRAZY, scary, friendly, caring, wierd, hard to figure out and seemingly simple...and, trust me, READ IT TWICE. You'll see why.

You know a book is really good when it leaves something very deep inside you. This book has that kind of magic. It's unbelievably dark in some parts and incredibly hilarious in others. Mr. King is right far away from us, one of the bests to describe and make one feels truly frightened, because the darkness he can display in his writing comes from the very core of our nature.

I believe this to be Stephen King's best book. This book represents a benchmark between King's earlier campy, almost horror movie-like style books (Carrie, etc) and the more psychological, almost surreal thriller type books that characterize his later writing years.

Without giving too much away: the story revolves around two characters. A world-famous writer, physically incapacitated by a car accident, and an insane ex-nurse who loves his books, and has had the strange coincidence of rescuing him from the wreck. The writer is holed up in the nurse's house, and is witness to/victim of her descent into complete insanity.

I am a fan of most Stephen King books but found this one to be most "effective", because it was actually a pretty quick read. Stephen King is a phenomenal story teller but at times his books can get a little slow. I always stick with them because I get a kick out of the bites of factual info that he inevitably inserts in his ramblings. I can see how a reader could get bothered by that though. Misery however is not like that. It has no slow or dull spots at all.

The characters are intense, really strong, and will stay with you for years. The plot is suspenseful and perfectly paced.

Read this one! It is well worth it.

It had been many years before I reaqainted myself with Mr. King. I had been a fan of the movie and thought I may as well read the book too. Needlessly to say, I was shocked and completely mesmerized by Paul Sheldon's plight as he finds himself the unwilling "Patient" of a murderous ex-nurse who also happens to be his "number-one" fan. A warning to fans of the movie---you will be shocked. The movie leaves out many details. Grusome and horrifying details. The death of the young state trooper who is investigating Paul's disappearance is one of the most shocking and horrifying scenes I have ever read in a book. Shocking because even though you know Annie isn't playing with a full deck..you either don't believe she could kill someone with such blatant disregard for human life, or that you knew and just didn't want to fess up to the reality. Not to give anything away to those who haven't read it..Paul doesn't have his ankles broken..rather one is the victim of a impromtu "operation'. Still, this novel was compelling in its insights into the mind of the manic-depressive and completely insane. The excerpts of Paul's novel made me wonder if Mr. King wasn't skewering the Romance novel niche...anyone else note that these were obvious parodies of the popular novels? Still...King is a masterful writer and his use of vocabulary is astounding....great read...

I divorced Mr. King in 1990 or 1991. About 100 pages into his doorstop du jour, The Dark Half, I concluded that his critics are right: life's too short and many King novels ('salami,' he called them) are much too long. Breaking up was hard to do because his short & almost flawless novel Misery had seduced me.

Misery is Shaherazade with an eponymous hog and a butane torch. Misery is a number-one fanclub and the Annie Wilkes Travelers' Aide Society. Misery, above all, is Annie Wilkes with the butane torch and an axe.

It was said, before Misery, that the most horrifying element of King's horror novels was the portrait of Stephen King on the dustjackets of the novels. Annie Wilkes changed that. Neither a killer Plymouth nor a Tommyknocking telekinetic prom queen, Nurse Wilkes is ultimate horror: she's someone like someone we might know. Although she wears a vampire cross in the ridiculous Kathy Bates movie, King's Annie Wilkes is human and utterly helpful, joined in mysterious union with someone like someone we might become, someone almost utterly helpless. Helplessness, not vampires or Micmac monsters or killer cars, is our deepest secret fear. Although he doesn't understand Colorado winters, Stephen King understands the horror of helplessness, a heart of darkness darker than death.

Our divorce is final, but I still go back sometimes to the creative destruction of Mr. King's Blowtorch Annie or to the Apt Pupil, just to remember what might have been, two decades ago, before Salami was King.

Among King's most chilling novels, Misery is an attention-grabbing read almost from beginning to end. I found the parts about Misery Chastain a little slow. Those parts also detracted from the tension between Paul and crazed fan Annie Wilks. Other than that, however, Misery is about as perfect as a Horror novel can be. It will scare and revolt you. King must be congratulated. Not many authors could write a story about a man confined to a bed and make it so spellbinding.

This book is about Paul Sheldon, a best-selling novelist (from his Misery Chastain romance series novels) whom unfortunately gets in a car-accident in a nasty Colorado blizzard. Annie Wilkes, a fat woman who lives alone in her isolated cottage in the middle of nowwhere, comes to Paul's aid and rescues him from the rubble. And oh, I forgot to mention: Annie Wilkes is an ex nurse...and is Paul Sheldon's number one fan.
At first, Annie takes care of Paul in her cottage, feeding him, giving him pain-killers, tending to his shattered body, being all nice and gentle...but that soon changes drastically, with Pauls latest and last Misery Chastain novel: "Misery's Child" where Misery gets killed off at the end of the book. Once Annie finishes reading the book, and realizes that Misery gets killed off and that this is the last Misery Chastain romance novel and that there will be no more Misery Chastain, she goes absolutely gorilla sh*t. She savagely forces Paul to bring Misery back to life, buying him a typewriter, sheets of paper, and setting up his own 'writers' desk in his room, beside the window looking over the Colorado mountains.
Paul really doesn't have a choice at all but to follow Annie's orders...besides, who's the one with the shattered body rendering to be transported around in a wheelchair? And it's not only Pauls disablity that leaves him no choice but to follow Annie's orders...there is of course, the prospect of Annie being very dangerously psychotic. Very violently psychotic...and she's not going to let Paul go until he has finished the new Misery novel and it is to her complete satisfication. If not, she will make him write it over and over again until it is to perfection. But once Paul does actually finish the novel and it is to her liking, Annie will still not let him go, for she is his number one fan.....even if it means killing both Paul and herself...
Paul Sheldon is in one 'hell of a jam' and if he wants to make it out alive and in one piece, he's going to need to use his mind, need to use his cunningness, but most of all he will need to use all of his courage.

"Paul Sheldon used to write for a living. Now he's writing to stay alive."

This is one of King's shorter novels coming up a little over 300 pages. But in the end, those 300 pages will have seemed so short, and you will be begging for it to be longer. This was my third King novel that I have read and finished, and probably my very favorite of his(aside The Stand). I haven't read many King novels but I plan on reading his whole collection eventually...someday. I have only read of his: "The Tommyknockers", "The Stand", "Misery", "IT", and "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft." The best of those are "The Stand", "Misery", and "On Writing" which I highly recommend not only if you want great novels of Stephen King's but just great novels in general. Though, I still recommend "The Tommyknockers" and "IT"; those are really good too, even if it's not as good as the latter three.
If I were to recommend you just one book of King's out of the whole 5 of his that I have read so far, I would definetly recommend, "Misery", the most. I'll tell you why. "IT", "The Stand", and "The Tommyknockers" are too long. The first 2 tip over 1000 pages. The third one is almost 1000 pages. But they are still amazing, even though they are long. Sometimes you want it to be even longer just because it's so good and gripping and you can't stop reading it. Those 3 are like that, especially "The Stand"(which would be my 2nd highest recommendation out of the whole 5.).
"On Writing" is a part autobiography, and a part writer's manual, and I only recommend it highly if you are an aspirating writer of fiction for that is the only type of writing this book scans upon...or if you want some good chuckles, for this book is full of those.
I recommend "Misery" the most for it's shorterness, therefore it's more quicker, thrilling, blood-gushing pace, for it's lively, real, memorable characters, for it's sense of humor(cockadoodie brat!), for it is very well-written, for it's realistic situation(meaning that it could happen), but most of all for the great, horrific, compassionate, and memorable story it tells of "the price of fame" of "obsessiveness and psychoticness and the dsyfunction of the human brain" of "twisted love and admiration" of "a writer's struggles and trials and attempts of escaping the harsh circumstances" of "helplessness and the long gone end of free-will and how one will cope with such formidable climates" and of "the dark, sarcastic rendevouz of one twisted, obsessed, lonely and insane mind and another 'supposed literary genius mind' as they tangle with each other to reveal the darker, more unpleasant sides of human nature."
If you don't know where to start with Stephen King books(for he has many-and at that, many great ones as well)than I highly recommend starting with "Misery." "It's classic, vintage King; one of his very best."

" Misery" is the story of an author who is in an accident and as a result is bed-ridden. As a result, he needs the full time services of a nurse to care for him. Unfortunately, his nurse has a certain sadistic streak in her and our hero is trapped in his home with the nurse.

"Misery" is about the horrific actions that a nurse takes in relationship to a bed-ridden author. This is a classic King horror story and as such the book is extremely enjoyable to read. "Misery" is a relatively short novel given Kings propensity to write tomes. Because of this, unlike many of Kings works, this is a pretty quick read.

I like that, because I find some of Kings works, like "Insomnia, and "It" are too long and too slowly paced. However, just because this novel is a little bit short for a work by King, it is its brevity that makes it so enjoyable to read. As with most of Kings books, the novel, has an excellent plot, quirky characters and excellent writing.

As usual, it is hard to go wrong with a Stephen King novel.

This is my second King novel and it was a much better experience than my first one. While there wasn't much suspense, the fear factor was real and the gore was high. I've never seen the movie, so I can't compare that, but this is definitely a horror story. I really appreciated the characterization of Paul as he descends into madness. Did not really like listening to the story within a story.

In this book you will find out about this man named Paul Sheldon. He is the author of the Misery books. one day he goes out for a ride. then he ends up in a house whose owner's name is Annie Wilkes. Shes the number one fan of the athor of the book misery. she finds out about the story Paul has stsrted to write. Annie wants Paul to burn the manuscript. That's the only copy that Paul has and he does not want to burn it, but then she stops giving him the Novril capsules. Later on in the story Annie leaves the house because she's mad at Paul. When she comes back she has two supises for him. One was a typewriter and the other is a wheelchair. She wants him to write a stoy about Misery's Return.well this book is getting good, well then read this book and find out.

Stephen King has produced here what can only be desribed as pure brilliance. This is such a clever novel. Within the book we see the intriguing process of trying to begin to write, and also of the authors struggle to stave off his pain and frustration at being imprisoned. King's creation of Annie is fantastic;we have a character who is both dangerous and 'kind'( in a nursey way!). In this, the reader is, at times, not sure whether to fear her or trust her at any one time. Annie's split personality lends the novel an aura of constant change. This is what makes the pain and suffering so real.
I strongly recommend this book. Even if you do become put off by the trauma that Paul suffers, you will be blown away by King's talent for making the heart beat just that little bit faster.

It's not a bad book at all but my interest in it faded through out. The pacing was kind of slow at times and dedicating an entire section to the Misery Returns book was such a waste. The book ends on a high note but the whole middle section of it was a massive bore.

Misery by Stephen King is a psychological horror novel about a distraught author, Paul Sheldon, who is gravely injured in a car accident and taken in by woman named Annie Wilkes. Paul wakes up after several days being unconscious, constantly being given pain killers to keep him under. It just do happens that Annie is Paul Sheldon's number one fan of his romance series called "Misery". However Annie is disappointed about how he ended the last edition to the series. She is also disgusted with the vulgarity of his new novel "Fast Cars". As a result she tortures and forces him to write another edition of the book "Misery" that satisfies her in order to be freed from her grasp.
There are several things about this book that i enjoyed, for instance the authors vivid yet metaphorical descriptions of Paul Sheldon's turmoil whenever he had to make a hard decision or felt the pain from his shattered legs. The book is also very good at immersing the reader in its content by keeping the chapters concise yet descriptive and meaning to the plot as a whole. However there are things about this book that I disliked, for instance when Annie leaves the cabin there are a few dull chapters of Paul thinking to himself about his hunger and thirst, which becomes daunting and causes the reader to want to skip the pages and jump right back in to the juicy parts of the book. And the parts that recollected Annie's childhood, although important to her character development, seemed short and poorly written.
However despite the very short lived dull moments in this book and the cliche twisted childhood of the psychopath, I highly recommend "Misery" to any adolescent to adult who is interest in psychological horror. The book is a short yet vivid read which engulfs the reader in gruesome detail which kept me turning the pages.

... and I've read a lot of them. A good 500% better than the movie, and the movie was great. Be warned, however. This is a frightening book, not for the faint of heart. It's relentless in its horror, offering considerably less comic relief than is usually found in King's novels. This was supposed to be a Bachman book, and it really shows. I'm not going to get into the story because a) you probably already know what it's about, and b) if you don't, that's all the better. If you haven't read this book yet, I envy you in many ways. How I'd so love to discover this amazing story all over again. Anyway, I could say more, but what's the point? Grab a copy and hold on to something sturdy.

This book is breath-taking..On page 1 the action begins. We start with a man (Paul Sheldon) in a bed trying to think how he got in this situation.After a car reck women named Annie picks him up and gives him shelter.We see that she is Paul's biggest fan.Poor Pauly because this women is crazy.Paul writes these books and the main character is Misery.Annie is a fan for Misery and lives for her.Paul kills off Misery in the last book and this is the worst mistake of his life.This is where we see Annie go crazy.She wants paul to bring her back to life.Paul doesn't want to.But Annie has ways of getting him too.Like a needle and an axe and if that sounds bad she can really get nasty.I really recomened this book.It is a suspen es novel and get you caught up in it.

This is Stephen King at full-tilt boogie! This is Stephen King kicking out the jams! This is Stephen King at one of his finest hours (for he's had more than one, unlike many, many authors who peaked and died quickly and quietly).

Paul Sheldon is a sappy goth-romance novelist trying to turn over a new leaf by hitting the serious side of literature. His creation, Misery Chastain has made him famous and fairly well-off, but he had to knock her off in order to make a clean break back to the town of Self Respect. So he goes up into the mountains to finish the touches on his first real novel in a long, long while and low and behold, ends up at the bottom of a ravine when his car wrecks during a snowstorm.

Enter Annie Wilkes, Paul sheldon's #1 Fan. She pulls him from the wreckage and brings him home to nurse him back to health. Only one slight problem. She's as crazy as a sh*thouse bug! And when she finds out what Paul Sheldon has done to Misery Chastain, boy is she gonna be pissed...

If you have never read Stephen King, this is a great place to start. A fabled page-turner is there ever was one. This is shocking and brutal and funny and sad all rolled into one suspense novel. Great writing. Prime King.

Misery.

Dig it!

As a recent reviewer said, only two characters??? Yep, and boy do you get to know them. In Misery, there's no need to try and suspend disbelief as the story seems so plausibly horrifying. The difference between the way Annie sees herself and the way the rest of us (and Paul Sheldon) see her is as wide as the Grand Canyon, and that's what makes this story so scary. Annie can (and does) do anything to Paul while he's held prisoner in her bedroom.

Brilliantly written, truly scary. I only wish I would have written it! Poisoned Soil

All I can say about this book is wow! It's really good. The two main characters are very well developed and Paul seems relatable in his thought process. Annie's demented state of mind is something else. At times, its almost uncomfortable to read the way she tortures him, but the show must go on. The novel is very powerful and intriguing. It's hard to put it down from start to finish. King does a great job of really bringing the reader into the pan Paul feels while being bored daily. It's a very quick read, and I can see why this novel is listed as one of Stephen King's best!

Sheldon is forced to write during his stay with Annie and becomes convinced that he will be killed, not simply tortured, if he does not perform this action exactly to Annie's specifications. These specifications are symbolic of what Sheldon believes the majority of readers wish from his works, the main difference is that Annie is in complete control to enforce her will on Paul. This will forces the writing in a direction not completely agreeable to the author. This may be symbolic of how readers can enforce their will upon a popular writer as the author's novels depend upon this reception. The unpublished novel that Paul brings with him to Annie's house is Fast Cars, a story that he believes is of Pulitzer Prize quality. He also believes that while this work is of this quality, its popular reception will be lukewarm. This work is poorly received by its first reviewer, Annie, who responds by burning it. Instead Annie forces Paul to revive his Misery series to produce Misery's Return. The Misery series is essentially written for mass entertainment as King's works are and Annie is extremely appreciative of the return of Misery. This is an extreme but easily understood example of how an author who has gained the title of "popular" has difficulties in shedding this stigma. The value of an extremely loyal fan base is difficult to compromise. The reader gains an insight into why and how a writer of King's type is able to write his novels. Paul makes it quite clear that his writing gifts were in no way a result of his doings. He repeatedly points out that from a very young age he had a very "strong imagination." As in King and Paul's case this gift may not have been matched with the best possible public figure. The creation of Annie's novel also illustrates how even with their gifts novelists struggle with the problems of satisfying the needs of logic and reality, even in a world where supernatural forces exist. Through these issues the public can gain an insight to the thoughts of King on writing. In Misery a writer is forced into an extreme relationship with one of his readers. While it is unlikely that any writer will ever have to experience an ordeal like Paul's, it is symbolic of how writers may become reliant on their readers, even if it is not a life or death matter, but instead a question of successfulness. Misery also gives explanations to why King is so immensely popular and a view of the man behind the books. Ultimately, Paul decides not to actually burn his book that Annie forced him to create. This demonstrates that writers like Paul and King must and do accept their popular writings despite their critical shortcomings. Being the king of contemporary writing is, after all, far from misery. It is a great position to obtain even if inescapable typecasting and expectations accompany it.

...Paul Sheldon, author of the bestselling "Misery" novels, crashes his car in the countryside, but that is only the start of his horrors. His legs are almost paralyzed due to the car crash, and he will be unable to walk for a long time. An avid reader of his books, Annie Wilkes, takes responsibility as the writer's caretaker. He is stuck in Annie's house miles away from civilization. Why does she decide to keep Paul captive? Annie is an immense, tough figure, who Paul could not wound even in his best shape. She decides to have him make the best Misery novel, just for her in return for her "hospitality". Paul decides to take a trip around the house and he finds something that explains to him why she is keeping him captive. Soon after the exploring, Paul finds out Annie knows about him wondering around, but it is too late. She appears in his room with an axe and leaves Paul with a stump for a leg. This crazy woman has gone too far, but knowing Annie, she will go farther. How will Paul get rid of Annie with his handicap? Will the police find his car and try to search him? Will Annie overpower them if they visit this insane woman? Find all of this out and more in "Misery".
I liked this book because I love horror books and it is a mesmerizing page-turner. You always had something that you were dying to find out. Stephen King often just threw surprises at you that made you want to jump out of your skin or pull your covers up over your head at night with the shivers. In Misery, you are always in touch with what Paul Sheldon is thinking and feeling. I would recommend this book to all readers that can withstand the dismay, the agony, and the consistent curiosity of what is going to happen next to the unlucky victim, Paul Sheldon.

this is a thriller. and a very good one. an author abandons his popular fictinal figure. then writes a new book. then there's an accident. he is however not taken to a hospital, but to the home of an old nurse, by this nurse. there he is treated, but the nurse is his number one fan, and as she reads abouth the death of the fictonal figure, she demands that he writes another book. a "game" begins. he has to write. he has to escape the maniac nurse. he has to outsmart her. the psychology and the setting is made beautifully. the plot is great, with particularly many lovely details. carried out nicely. a LOT of suspence. gripping. one of SK's finest, and the perhaps most acceptable to the lot who demands novels built by "classical" rules.

Annie Wilkes is Paul Sheldon's #1 Fan, a devoted reader of his best-selling "Misery" romance series. So, when Paul suffers an auto accident in the wilderness and Annie saves him, she is ecstatic, and rightly so! Not only does Nurse Annie get to restore her writing idol to health, but she also entices him to bring back Misery, a character he killed off in a previous book, much to Annie's disdain.
Or that's how Annie sees it. From Paul's point of view, he is being held captive by a crazy woman all-too-capable of murder, and his only chance at self-preservation is to write what Annie wants to read. This novel is hard to put down, even as your heart begins to miss beats and your mouth becomes sere.
One of King's best!

I thought that Misery would be a really boring book, becuase the whole story takes place in one setting (think 12 Angry Men) and there are only two characters. Well, Stephen King's writing and insight makes the book interesting. Stephen King is probably the only author who can make a story of a man lying in bed for months on end be interesting. Paul Sheldon, a writer, has a bad accident and his car skitters off the road in a snowstorm. He is saved by Annie Wilkes, who just so happens to be his #1 fan. Annie is not a normal person, however. She is a manic depressant and takes alot of her anger out on the helpless Paul. By the end of the book, Paul's body is nearly mutilated by Annies horrific acts of violence. It's a pretty gruesome book at times, but overall it's a good read at about 350 pages.

Paul Sheldon is a best-selling author who just finished writing his new book in a hotel. He makes a random decision to drive to LA instead of NYC (his home) because he is drunk and his thought process was hindered. On the way to LA, he is overcome by a snowstorm and drives off of a cliff. Saved by a woman named Annie Wilkes, he is nursed to slightly better health. She claims to be his number one fan. On the hearing that Sheldon is ending his Misery book series, she gets very angry and leaves the house for days, causing him to have a lot of pain without painkillers. She comes back, forces him to burn his new manuscript that was supposed to be the start of his post-Misery career, and at this point he realizes that she is crazy. Sheldon will have to figure out how to get away from the woman before she puts him through a world of misery.

Misery was a very well written book. Like most of King's novels, the characters develop very well and the reader can connect with them. This book has a lot of suspenseful moments, is a very fun read, and is probably one of Stephen King's best novels to date.

Stephen King really outdid himself with this piece of fictional literature. This novel is unbelievably frightening, and will leave the reader thrilled with the sudden plot twists. Nobody but Stephen King can capture a very frightening yet exceptionally real concept.
King easily depicts how possible these events are. His novel Misery is about a successful author, Paul Sheldon, who is famous for writing the positively acclaimed "Misery Chastain" series. However, when he falls off of a hill in an automobile accident, he is left on his death bed.
Knocked unconscious, he wakes up roughly two weeks later in a completely new scenery. A house that seems to be completely secluded from the rest of civilization. It's near silent, save the breathing from himself and an ex-nurse. This woman's name is Annie, and she is anything but safe and normal. Stephen King surprised me with his excellent use of vocabulary to describe how insane Annie really was. Annie will transform from a sweet, kind woman to a raging monster with the drop of a hat, and will be leaving you with nightmares for days.
Misery is one of the best novels that I have ever read, and Stephen King perfectly portrayed the horrors of being with a deranged lunatic. I felt all the emotions and pain that Paul felt, and no other book has left me as worried and shocked for the protagonist. This story is a must read.

In the book Misery there is a lady who has a depression disorder. She is a retired nurse. She got into a lot of trouble with the law. She would go around the hospitals and kill older people and newborn babies. In the beginning of this book Annie finds Paul Sheldon's car on the side of the road in Sidewinder Colorado, on her way home. Paul Sheldon is a famous author. She takes him to her house where she holds him hostage for several months.
As Paul wakes up from being in a coma for several weeks, Annie tells him about the wreck he had and she explains how his legs are broken in many different spots. Before Paul had the wreck he had wrote another book to the series of the Misery books he had killed of the main character. Annie told him that he had to bring her back to life. Annie threatens Paul several times through out the book. After Annie finds out that Paul got out of the bed room she chops his foot off with an axe.
This book was pretty gruesome but I really enjoyed it.

I've read many of King's books, but Misery has really stuck with me and become one of my favorites. Misery has the right balance of suspense, tension and shock; it is a bit atypical to many other Stephen King novels in that it is less horror and gore, but more psychological thriller about obsession and being held hostage. In this case, Paul Sheldon, a famous writer, has decided to pull the plug on Misery Chastain, protagonist for his popular romance series. Celebrating liberation from this series, and the chance to write other types of novels, Paul heads out in the snow but loses control and crashes. Saved miraculously by his "number one fan", Annie Wilkes, Paul awakens to terror. Paul quickly reasons that Annie is a bit "off"; his situation is made worse by the fact that he is basically immobilized from the accident, having to depend on Annie for survival. However, when Annie finds out that her favorite character, Misery Chastain, has been bumped off, then Paul is really in for it. Annie's psychotic behavior surfaces and Paul feels the horror and unnerving aspect of being stranded out in the middle of nowhere with her. Annie has a bit of a past, it seems...

What I really enjoyed about King's Misery is the level of characterization. He takes Paul Sheldon and makes him a deeper level of character. Held prisoner, and forced to bring the Misery series back to live, he begins to question everything about writing and life in general, good choices he's made and what he'd done differently. There's a claustrophobic feeling we experience during his imprisonment with him; he must find a way to physically survive, but also mentally outwit Annie if he plans to make it back. With no one in close contact, and the expectation in the small community that the famous writer Paul Sheldon has met his demise in the snow storm, only he is left to figure out his mess. Annie Wilkes is also a masterful villain, one that is hard to figure out; under a façade of caring and nurturing, there is a bit of viciousness that makes you squirm. She gets under your skin.

Misery has some effective atmosphere, chilling tension and well-timed suspense, especially as Paul boldly ventures out to explore Annie's house. Misery is one of King's best efforts, and it is always a thrill to read.

The story is great! One of my favorite works by Stephen King. It starts a little slow, but let it build and you won't be able to put it down.

I do have a word of warning concerning the audiobook version narrated by Lindsay Crouse. I almost stopped listening because of it. Its just not good. The inflections are off, her British accent is beyond corny, and she doesn't pronounce Hezekiah correctly.

This book contains all of the key elements that makes a noval great but also opens new doors for the writer. This is the first time that Stephen King introduces an aspect to his work that was not present in his previous novals:Simplicity. This is not to say that this noval is not worth reading in fact quite the opposite. This new factor does not take away from this noval in the slightest,in fact it adds to the directness of the characters and the plot. This noval makes it easy to relate to the characters and what they are going through,where as in previous novals the characters seemed distant and inhuman. Altoghther a great read,as well as a perfect first time reader's first introduction to King's world.

Kathy Bates and James Caan might've made the movie famous, but Stephen King's book is ultimately better. It's one of his few thrillers without any supernatural elements in the mix. It's also one of the best novels he's ever written. Better than "The Stand" and infinately better than "The Shining", this novel draws intimate and unforgettable portraits of its two main characters. Some scenes really are harrowing; they'll have you putting your hand over your mouth in shock. Fantastic book. In "Danse Macabre" Stephen King said his definition of art was when the audience received more from the product than they contributed. If that's true, then this is definately fine art.

This book is probably the most haunting novel I have ever read. It feels so real, you feel how trapped Paul is and how terrifying Annie is. By far one of my favorite Stephen King novel, Annie is truly scary, and will sure to give you nightmares. I don’t get scared easily, but this freaked me out and haunted my dreams. 100/10 amazing story.

I remember reading this book 8 years ago in a staff house rumored to be haunted. Of course, that only contributed more to a wilder imagination! Like all other SK novels, Misery carries an element of supernatural. I couldn't consider the story as horror since there were no ghosts,apparitions nor exorcism --- but still paranormal in the sense that Annie Wilkes was acting abnormally. She was sort of a lunatic too obsessed with "Misery" & its writer. I also admire SK for being able to capture the readers' attention considering that the story was too tight-spaced ---- limited to 2 characters trapped in one house, with nothing to do but talk, write & axe each other :-)

This book was very different from a lot of other books that I have read. It was the first SK book that I read also. I don't particularly like a few things about it, but more importantly I love a lot about it. The things I dislike are the fact that he put in chapters of a book within a book. During the novel, Paul Sheldon is forced to write a new book called, "Misery's Return" and we are given some of those chapters. I found them boring as all hell. I'm sure SK had his own reasons to put them in the book. Also, I didn't like that SK went too much into Paul Sheldon's thoughts. I mean, there is a limit to how much we can take in while reading a good book. I found myself wishing that Paul Sheldon would shut up so that I can see what the next scene held. However, I LOVED this book. With those two things aside, it was amazing. Good story and both the main characters, Paul Sheldon and Annie Wilkes are like-able. Paul because we are rooting for him and Annie because she's just such a sad story and could have avoided a lot of mistakes she made in her life with some proper medicine and therapy. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story. Just don't give up when you get to the "Misery" chapters.

Paul Sheldon finishes a book he's proud of, unlike the bestselling Misery series he's been churning out. On his way home, he crashes and is "saved" by his number one fan. Annie Wilkes turnes out to be horrifyingly insane, torturous, homicidal and more than a bit suicidal.

The book centers on two characters isolated in the Colorado high country. Still the book is deep and gripping. Sheldon struggles mightily to get free and it seems the novel is a bit autobiographical as King reveals the character's ideas about popular fiction and its merits.

A must for writers. It hits home hard and has an engaging, intimate perspective that demands you to connect with Paul Sheldon's plight.

CJ West
Author, Taking Stock

After watching this movie, I found the book to be much more detailed and gruesome. King is the master at freaking people out! The reader really feels what Paul is going through...poor guy just wanted to celebrate finishing his first non-Misery novel and what does he get? Several months in Annie Wilkes State Mental Ward. She has to be the craziest character I've ever met in a book. I love how King makes her go from completely normal to all-out loon in 5 seconds flat. What a temper! I had to put the book down a few times because I kept cringing at what she does to Paul...the blow torch sent me over the edge!! Although I knew what was going to happen, I found myself still anxiously awaiting for Annie to get what she deserved, and the book really made it vivid. I kept hoping Paul would have his moment, and King did not disappoint. Definitely worth the read if you're into suspense and horror. The only thing that I didn't care for were the excerpts from the Misery novel...you can skip them and it won't affect the actual story line.

This is the first Stephen King book I've ever read in my entire reading history, after hearing his name everyday and seeing his name everywhere. When I decided to read this, I thought, Hey, this better not be a disappointment! And, man, it was absolutely FAR from it!! This book is GREAT! It captures my attention and interest on the very first page, pulls me deeper and deeper into the actions, emotions, and suspense of the plot and characters, it's just amazing how a book can catch a reader and refuse to let go!!! This is the most irresistable adventure I've ever have the honor to experience since Ender's Game. Even now I've read some other King's book, such as Cujo, Carrie, Thinner, and The Langoliers, Misery is still the best. Even though it's kinda gross, sometimes.Read it, I assure you, it's GOOD! After all, it's STEPHEN KING!

Another great book by the living legend stephen king! For some reason i have a strange feeling that writeing this book was easy work for king. I only feel this way with misery specifically. It's a simple plot about a writer who wrecks in a snowstorm only to be rescued and taken care of by a maniac loner who insists he write a story just for her..............And won't let him leave. Misery has all the suspense and king hallmarks to hold the readers attention the whole way. Also, the book itself (by king standards) is short and can be finished in a day. Ranks with his best and should be read by every king fan. You'll love every page.

Unlike many books which are difficult to begin, difficult to read, and an utter struggle to finish, King brings fiction new legs to run on. While I was enduring a drought of reading, I picked up Misery, and I wasn't able to put it down until I found out what happened to Paul Sheldon.
King's writing abilities are under-rated, and his adept ability to weave a story should not go unrecognized. Misery is no exception; the novel provides an interesting story and interesting characters that are real. Unlike many stories, novels, and books, the reader can relate to both protagonist and antagonist - a skill only a few have mastered. King knows what scares people, and insane radicals like Annie Wilkes are definitely frightening when you find yourself in their care.

I was surprised how much the tone and atmosphere of this story kept changing. It was all because of one incredibly smart, strange, character... Annie Wilkes. The beginning pulls you in, the middle frightens you, and the end gets more and more intense. Stephen King's way of creating such a dreadful situation for author Paul Sheldon is brilliant, giving the story continuous suspense. To be honest, I was not expecting Misery to be that scathe. I had just read Pet Sematary which was a very frightening book, and wanted something a little less strong than that. I had already thought getting it before, and when I finally did get it I thought it wouldn't be that scathe, the fact that it was about a crazy lady. Crazy people don't scare me. Dead people, ghosts, and satanic creatures do. But Annie Wilkes was no ordinary crazy person, she was a genius too. She somehow seems to be all knowing, making her a VERY difficult person to outsmart. Her development couldn't have been any better. She too, has now made the list of people who keep me up at night. I'd say 6 out of 5 stars goes to this character. I have not read that many Stephen King books so far (this being my third), but I will say he's already become my favorote writer and this is the best one I have read so far. I will be reading many more.

Words cannot describe this book, but I will try. To fully appreciate the horror, you must read the book. In it, Paul Sheldon, an author who writes romance novels, crashes in his car and is found and nursed back to health by Annie Wilks, who claims to be his number one fan (She fails to tell anyone that she has found him). Now, the back of the book says she goes fanatic after he kills off her favorite character. This is only part of the story. Annie Wilks is Psychotically and Paranoiacally (SP?) insane in a way that only King could bring her to life. She is pleasant on the skin, but underneath she is a time bomb. She can go from happy to insane with rage. She does some horrible things to Paul. I won't say what, as it would spoil the suspense. But the Scenario is terrifying. Noone knows that you are here.You are all alone with a psychotic madwoman who would torture you if she becomes angry. You are completely dehabilitated. If you are faint of heart, STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THIS BOOK!!!!

I think the quote that best sums up is the quote by Frederick Niche at the beginning of the book:

"When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you."

I've read of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, the devillish Leland Gaunt, the spirits that haunted Pet Sematary and the voices in Jessie's head after the end of Gerald's Game. But no King villain scared me more than Annie Wilkes...
This book proved insanity can be more dangerous than evil itself. Evil can be reasonable, but when combined with insanity, produces a lethal cocktail...
By now you know what the story is about... Let me just say that this is one that will get your heart pounding. As Paul begins to become more daring, and Annie turns more and more psychotic, you can feel the tension rising from the pages of Misery. After the lengths that you see Annie go to, you begin to believe nothing is beyond her - and nothing is.

Love Misery, the book that is, not the feeling, of course.
Misery, the novel is far more graphic and better than the movie version.
Once you open up the book and start reading the story, you just can't quit until it is finished.

This is by far, one of the best books on the world's market. The way Stephen King writes his novels brings the reader into an emotional bond with the character. Whatever challenge the character comes to, the reader will feel the same pain and thoughts. Another way Stephen King wrote this book was to include dialogue which keeps the reader interested and makes the book more interesting by knowing the emotions of the characters. Another one of the best aspects of the book is the extreme plot. The plot is designed to make the reader always wonder what the next conflict will be. The only flaw in the book, depending on how the reader feels, is the harsh language. This book contains some extreme language which will offend readers who find this unnecessary. Every person who is looking for an interesting and good novel should look no further and read this book. The rating of the book is a defiant five stars out of five stars.

MISERY----5 STARS

When reading this book, I could not put it down.....i LOVED every single page of this book, I really enjoyed it....it was INTENSE, SAD, and FUNNY....What this poor guy Paul Sheldon goes thru is absolutely unimaginable. I cannot believe it......I feel so bad for this guy....how he adapts to living the way he was forced to, by this psycho crazy [...] by the name of, Annie Wilkes....UNREAL.....go out and pick this one up....like I said before, I couldn't put it down. It took me 2 days to finish it, and I did not speed read it, I TRULY enjoyed it, and was very disappointed when it was over. I am currently reading "IT" and I will review that one when I have finished....GO PICK UP MISERY!!!!!

In a solid but unspectacular horror outing, Stephen King again has caused nationwide outbreaks of insomnia and bed-wetting. This time, it is the isolated Colorado mountain home of one Annie Wilkes. Wilkes is one of Stephen King's most terrifying villains, from her edgy depression to her desperate attempts at conformity. After keeping the reader biting his nails to shreds for the first 2/3 of the book, King loses his touch. The final portions of the book, while still scary, are not up to King's standards. Still, Misery will terrify and entertain King fans. It is an excellent "first book" for someone new to King.

With the other "King/Bates combo" Dolores Claiborne, I don't have enough words to describe how lousy the screenplay adaptation was relative to the book.

In Misery, not only did the story benefit greatly from a stellar performance by Kathy Bates, but the subtle changes made in the characters and sequence of events for the film serve the story well. Paul Sheldon and Annie Wilkes are both more sympathetic in the film.

In the movie, while Sheldon goes gradually from grateful to fearful, here he despises Annie from the outset.

The book is still very good, but like Red Dragon or Silence of the Lambs or Jaws, the film took it a half step further.

The particular version of the paperback I have is also worth grabbing for the inner cover that features an idealized Stephen King on a romance novel cover.

This is definitely one of my favorite books.

So if you don't know the plot already I'll give you a brief description (the store and Signets descriptions pretty bad). After getting a bit drunk author Paul Sheldon, who has just finished his new novel 'Fast Cars' with the only manuscript in his possession, decides to head away from where he was planning on going. After getting into an accident in which his car flies off a cliff, he is 'rescued' by ex-nurse Annie Wilkes, his number-one fan. She is a big fan of his series entitled 'Misery' and after discovering that the main character (who goes by the same name as the series) has died during birth get's really angry and leaves him alone in the house. She later returns, and eventually gets hims two things, a wheelchair and a Royal 10 typewriter. She has already made him burn 'Fast Cars' and now wants him to write a new novel titled 'Misery's Return'. And if he doesn't do what she wants she can get really crazy, not only at him, but also the police.

This book has probably one of the best climax's I've recently read, my heart was literally beating when it happened. I read around the first half slowly in about two weeks, then it got so good I finished it in a day... Annie Wilkes is just pure crazy. I definitely recommend reading the book before watching the movie, the movie was one of the better adaptions of King, but failed and changed allot. This is definitely worth a read if you have the time.

The story is great, I love Stephen King, but this digital copy is horrible. Its covered in typos end to end! Its unacceptable, if all these typos were in print, someone would be fired quick over it, why is it okay to have all these typos in the e version? If I had known the poor quality of this ebook I wouldn't have bought it, I wouldn't have even taken it for free.

Misery is a peak in King's ability to write amazing thrillers, much like The Dead Zone, there is not a lot of horror here, going for the psychological frights, scores in aces with this #1 fan gone on the rampage via the form of Anne the wrestling nurse who drugs up the missing writer Paul Sheldon after finding him a car crash, very few characters, mostly just the two, suspend this book till the final shell-shocked writer flashback syndrome, Misery just shows how crazy good King is at his craft. It is also one of the better movie remakes from the same director who filmed the other good one - Stand By Me. Read it!

Right from the beginning of the book, readers already know that Paul Sheldon is in grave danger. King does a fantastic job of creating this sense of danger. He gives Annie (Paul's "nurse") a very odd personality - one minute she is talking calmly to Paul, the next minute she is cutting his ankle off. So how do we know that Annie is not right in the mind? Since Paul is a best selling novelist, he has done extensive research on the human mind and its behavior. From that, he deduced that Annie was very deeply disturbed. Annie happens to be Paul's number one fan (which he realized after seeing her carrying numerous books written by him), and is extremely angered by the fact that he killed off the main character in the final book of the series. Then, Annie forces him to write a new novel, bringing her back from the dead (she can be very persuasive, seeing that she keeps an axe and a needle in her house). The irony of the situation is that the person who saved Paul's life will eventually try and end it. Another clever part of this book is its title. Misery could refer to Paul's emotion, where he does not enjoy his predicament. Alternatively, it could be about the book he is writing. The book was not so much horrific as it was suspenseful - such as when Annie was going to amputate his limbs, or when the reader and Paul simultaneously realize that Annie found out about Misery's death. It is because of this book's carefully crafted and balanced suspense and writing, I recommend this book to others and have become an avid reader of novels by Stephen King.

I absolutely loved the cat and mouse aspect of this novel, and the frights and gore, and the suspense. But getting through this book was an enormous chore due to the fact that the author insisted on including many, many excerpts of the romance novel that character Paul Sheldon is typing while confined in Annie's home.

Unfortunately, Stephen King made a colossal mistake in this book which, had he not done so, would have probably made this novel one of the greatest horror books ever. He includes many portions of another story, one that Paul is being forced to write. And to add to the distraction, Paul's typewriter doesn't provide the letter n, or drops letters sometimes, and you, Dear Reader, are stuck with having to figure out certain words that are missing letters. This concept also distracts horribly from the world of Annie Wilkes because you must now give your attention to a romance novel in progress (in a different and annoying font than the rest of the book). King shifts back and forth endlessly between the gripping, dire horror story taking place, and the godawful typewritten romance. It all becomes incredibly tedious so quickly. You may find yourself skipping entire paragraphs or pages to avoid this nonsense and to get on with the story of Paul versus Annie.

Even if King supposedly had some good reason for this trick, the technique is so jarring and annoying that it ruins the flow of the story, and the reading experience, entirely. You would think his publishers or wife or someone would have suggested to leave out the romance parts.

I'd have loved "Misery" so much more without all that stuff strewn throughout it. And when I reread it again, I will be ignoring those typewritten segments.

I read this book a few years ago, when I was in High School, and I still can't get it out of my mind. It is so much better than the movie. It literally gave me the chills!
I was freaking out while reading, I was constanly worried for our good guy, that he will get caught by Annie, while he was out trying ot escape out of her house. When he doesn't want to do what she says, she finds wuite horrible ways to make him listen.
Total page turner, and impossible to put down. For those who find King to be a bit hard to get into, this book is smooth as butter, and reads like a dream.
Scary but good!!!

I am an avid reader of Mr. King. He has an outstanding ablility to find a good story in a situation where it wouldn't seem possible. The character of Annie Wilkes is a masterpiece.....she is clearly mentally ill, yet she is terrifying at the same time; She is a character that only King could breathe life into. The movie was a splendid reenactment of the book, but it is missing some of the greater moments of the book (the scene with the lawnboy, for instance, would have added a VERY nice touch to the movie). I would recommend this book to King fans and non-King fans alike.....it is a true winner!

When Paul Sheldon gets in a car crash this insane ex-nurse fishes him out and takes him home and stuffs him full of dope. She tells no one about him and takes care of him by herself. When Paul wakes up he finds his legs are shattered! To get pain medicine he has to drink rinse water, burn his brand new book, "Fast Cars", and even drink his own urine!

I recommend this book for anyone over 10 with a big vocabulary and a very intelligent mind. I also recommend it for anyone not afraid of a long book. This book jumps around a lot and has some of the longest words I gave ever seen

Wow, what a twisted psychopath, that Annie! This story does not disappoint, what a ride! It's engrossing and enticing, a page-turner for sure, a marvelous thriller! I am just a few books into Stephen King and find myself being unable to pull away once I start reading. I highly recommend this one if you like other Stephen King books and if you haven't read any of his books, what are you waiting for, start with Misery!

If you're a fan of Stephen King, this isn't his best, but it is a fairly good read. I tend to enjoy books with a lot of different scenery, and this book mostly takes place in one location. King does mix it up by writing a "book within a book", thus making it more interesting.

From a suspense standpoint, I felt it lacked the fear factor, but I think this is because of the setting and situation. I think King did a good job making this situation suspenseful, but it just wasn't a "can't put it down" thriller. I often read at night, and other books like Frank Peretti's Monster would keep me wide-eyed until 4am, but I fell asleep every night while reading this. Again, that doesn't mean it is bad. In fact, if you're a little hesitant to read any of Stephen King's novels because you're afraid you will not be able to sleep with the light off for a month, this is a good one to start with.

I'm glad I started reading this book on a Friday night. I had planned on reading one or two chapters before bed . . . when I finally finished the book four hours later, my heart raced for another hour before I could get to sleep.
Despite its static setting, Misery is electric, a shot of pure adrenaline. King's in no mood to spread out, "The Stand" style, he's out for blood. If many of his books are three-hour epics, this one's a 90-minute psychological thriller.
Clear some space on your social calendar and pick up this book for a fast, engrossing read.

I love Stephen King, but that's not to say I don't find faults in his books. As many complain, some of his books suffer from literary bloat, massive buildup to disappointing payoffs, and too much suspension of disbelief. Misery avoids all of these. It is by far the most realistic novel King has written, stemming from his own personal experience and fears of obsessive fans. A great "what-if" scenario for any writer. Annie Wilkes is truly one of his most terrifying villains. This story is classic King from start to finish, and the situation becomes more and more horrible as the story progresses. If you've seen the movie, I recommend the novel as they toned down some scenes and left out a lot of interesting dialogue/scenes for time. The "you-know-what" scene is different in the novel, but every bit as disturbing even without the visuals. If there's one complaint I do have about King, it's that his stories are very long, but end extremely abruptly (The Shining, Duma Key), and Misery has this happen as well. Some more backstory about how the aftermath unfolds would have been nice, but the ending is still great and the story is riveting. It's hard not to picture Kathy Bates as Annie as you read, a rare Stephen King movie that's as good as its source material. The story is much more detailed though. Worth reading if you're a king fan, or want to dip your toe in his work.

One of the things that I have always enjoyed about Stephen King's work, and something that I think he has a strangle hold on in the better part of his repertoire, is the dread that is found in the every day. With few exceptions, Stephen King has not resorted to building fantastic and horrible creatures to scare his readers. Even when he does resort to "monsters" they're not typical but rather they can be seen as a combination of terrors that take the form of something more concrete. In "Misery" King is truly at his best by presenting the every day life of a woman named Annie Wilkes whose psychotic tendencies are enflamed by the man she is caretaker to as he recovers from a nearly fatal car accident in the mountains of Colorado. This man happens to be Paul Sheldon, Annie's favorite writer and creator of her favorite heroine of all time, Misery Chastain. The catch is that Paul just killed Misery off, and Annie wants her back. There are no monsters that don't exist in the minds of the characters which are both masterfully drawn and brought to life in their struggle to maintain control over one another- one through manipulation, the other through subterfuge.

This is- and I admit a bias, here- one of my favorite Stephen King books. It was also the first book I ever read from him almost fifteen years ago. That said, he draws you into the world of Paul Sheldon through the only thing that Paul knows he has- that thing which begins to slip in the face of almost certain death at the hands of Annie Wilkes- his own sanity. He draws you in through allowing the reader into Paul's thoughts and the play-by-play he keeps on the situation, and then he draws you into the experience again by including excerpts of the book that he is writing to appease Annie.

There are some who are annoyed at King's inclusion of "Misery's Return" in this book, and to a degree I understand the irritation. But my initial response to it when I read it the first time was that it was just another way to show the insanity of living in Annie Wilkes' world. Any writer will tell you that no matter how you may try to exclude yourself from the story pool where ideas find their footing, eventually your life becomes reflected in the pages of whatever you are working on- not your whole life but key points which are important at that time- and so every book is semi auto-biographical if only to the writer himself. Viewed as an extension of Paul Sheldon's mind under the circumstances, the excerpts which some feel so meaningless take on a great meaning and add depth rather than simply pages.

With "Misery" I have always believed that Stephen King wrote one of his best stories, but he fleshed out truly brilliant characters as well, and he brought to his readers one of his most bizarre villains. In the litany of Stephen King "bad guys" I think that Annie Wilkes often gets overlooked because she's just crazy. But she's not just crazy. She's terrifying and she's also remarkably human. She makes this book one hell of a ride. Enjoy it...

It is a very good book. King is leaving his regular style of dealing with para-normal phenomenon, and start dealing with the most normal, and yet most para-normal thing: the Human soul. More than it is a horror book, it is a thriller, and a very good one. You feel the sweat dripping down your neck and your breathe getting faster when the hero is in tension and fear (and there are many moments like this.). This is a story about a situation that we wouldn't like to find ourselves in, and that's why I personally symphatyzed the hero, it is the story of the human soul in its struggle to survive and in the depthes of madness.

Stephen King's Misery is a terrifying thriller sure to make you look over your shoulder when you walk alone. We join Paul Sheldon, a famous yet bull-headed author, who recently finished his newest novel, Fast Cars. He wakes up in an unfamiliar house, to faintly recall that he was in a disastrous car crash, and learn his legs have been utterly demolished. Luckily, a driver saw his camero overturned off the side of the road and took him to their home. It also just so happens that this chance driver is a retired nurse, and has a good idea of how to bring him back to health. This chance driver, however is Annie Wilkes, a hermit, a recluse, and a bit on the crazy side. Paul is rendered immobile in the snowy mountains of Colorado, miles away from home. This story captures the heart of the reader by connecting with Paul and tapping into his thoughts and feelings. King asserts himself into the top percentile of horror writers yet again. This novel will stand its ground when compared King's greats, such as The Shining, Cujio, and It. 4/5 stars.

This is one of my favorite King novels, one with which he dishes out an incredible horror story without any supernatural trappings. The sense of isolation and fear is almost tangible. The bad thing about this audio version is Lindsay Crouse's unimpressive narration. A lot of audio books have this flaw, a reader who isn't really capable of putting any variation into the voices and moods of the characters and Crouse is guilty of this and that is the reason I'm giving this only 4 stars instead of 5 (the paper version of Misery is definitely a 5). It would have been fantastic if Stephen King would have read this himself or perhaps a great reader like Frank Muller (who did a lot of other King stories) or perhaps Stephen Lang or Kathy Bates (who, after the film, we all think of as Annie Wilkes).

I just love Stephen Kng's style - It has a way of pulling you into the story, making you feel as if you were inside it. Although most of this book takes place in one house, it NEVER gets boring. You just sit there, reading, all nervous about how it will turn out... The fact that such a story might really happen also adds to this effect. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS!!
A brief summary: A successfull autor has a car accident and is rescued by his biggest fan... Who isnt's pleased at all by the fact that he has "killed" the main figure in his latest book. Even worse: She's crazy and makes him write a new episod, just for her. The story is about him doing that and trying to escape. I particulary liked the extracts of this "book in a book".
This may not sound very interesting, but it is phenomenal nevertheless!! Especially the psychological sides of the caracters are so perfectly worked out... You'll just love it.

This was the first real book I ever read outside of school, back when I was ten, and it blew me away. It scared the hell out of me, especially the part where Annie "hobbles" Paul. It was so good, I would read it for hours and hours and never realize how much time had passed. It took three days to read this outstanding book, and since reading it I have bought and read about fifteen other Stephen King books. There are only three that I can think of that can compare to this book:The Stand, It, and The Tommyknockers, in that order. If you like King, or just really good books, read this. It will change your life.

I loved it! It kept me on the edge of my seat. I feel that Stephen King has a true talent for bringing horror to life. I felt like I knew the characters, like I was reading a local news paper rather than a novel. It was so real. I still get goosebumps. I would definitly recomend this or any other of King's books to anyone who loves horror novels the way that I do. Even if they don't like horror, after reading this book, they won't be able to help but love it. Stephen King truely lives up to his name because he IS the KING of horror.

This is a great book, but it scared me to death the first time I read it.
"Misery" is about a novelist, Paul Sheldon, who is famous for his books about Misery Chastain, a bubbleheaded, melodramatic girl from the 19th century.
One night, Paul is driving to another city to work on a new book of his "fast cars", which is about a car thief. He has killed off Misery in the final book "Misery's child." While driving, he ends up in a car accident, but by coicidence, he is rescued by his #1 fan, Annie Wilkes, a former nurse. She takes him to her house, splints his mangled legs, and slowly nurses him back to health.
However, when she finishes reading "Misery's child", only to find out that he has killed Misery off, he discovers that he is trapped with a madwoman who is more dangerous than Jack the Ripper and Son of Sam combined.
Soon, Annie comes up with an idea. Paul is going to write one last Misery book, just for her. Paul has no choice, because when he doesn't do what he is told, Annie's dangerous side comes out, and she does things that can make scream and beg for his life...

I think perhaps what makes Misery one of the best books that I have read is its potential for happening. In an age where so many people are concerned about stalking and laws are being implemented in states across the nation, the thought of a woman like Annie is both frightening and eerie. King does himself a bit of justice by finally creating a piece of fiction that examines the consequences of the meeting of two people who should never meet. The book gave me the same feeling that walking down a dark alley a two in the morning gives me. Although the thought of such a meeting seems slightly far-fetched, it is forgivable by the depth of the psychosis that King builds into Annie. This story begs the reader to ask, "What would I do in this situation?" I have followed King's controversial career for many years. I am in agreement with the critics who are now classing him as the greatest writer of horror in this era. Poe is the founder of modern horror, King continues to develop it. Misery is the most frightening of his books. I am not afraid of monsters, clowns, vampires, cars, or dogs. I do not cringe at the thought of sleeplessness or travels through the desert. I am not even afraid of little girls who can burn me alive. BUT, a woman who can tie me up and torture me, a woman certified to know how to treat pain (and thereby how to inflict it), a woman who is all too human.... now that scares the living daylights out of me.

Award winning author, Stephen King, stuns his audience of readers with yet another magnificent display if imagination in his novel Misery. Stephen King had his book published in 1988 and it was, 2 years later, made into an Academy Award Winning movie. Stephen King's stunning and vivid descriptions of Paul Sheldon's `misery' and his psychotic captor, Anne Wilkes, make this book one of his most popular.
The novel begins as Paul Sheldon, a best selling novelist, is involved in a terrible car accident, which leaves him very badly injured. His smashed up car is discovered by a woman by the name of Annie Wilkes. As Sheldon awakes from his unconscious state, he finds himself in the small guest bedroom of Wilkes's house with his legs shattered and badly splinted. He quickly becomes aware that his new caretaker is more than just his "number one fan" but is also a mentally disturbed woman who seeks to keep him prisoner in her home.
Stephen King wrote this novel to grip his audience and throw them into a life different from that of which they live and hand them the experience of being trapped with a person of an unstable mind. His dark and cruel humor leaps off the pages in his horrifying descriptions that can almost be felt. Through his vivid descriptions of Sheldon's mind and disquiet towards Annie, it seems almost as though he himself were experiencing them. Also, unlike many books that I have read, the setting is told descriptively so to create a detailed picture in your mind, but is also not so descriptive and boring as to "put you to sleep".
King's style never ceases to amaze his readers, especially when he combines two stories into one. In the novel, Paul is made to write a new episode in his books, just for Annie, which brings back to life the main character of his series. As Paul begins his new novel, the reader is able to read along as Annie would. King intertwines Paul's novel chapter by chapter while maintaining the original story about Paul and his captor.
Another of the novels major attributes is the tone. The tone is one of suspense and makes it very easy to keep reading. King also incorporates flashbacks and memories from Sheldon's childhood into his thoughts or ideas in the form of metaphors, such as the tide of the ocean covering a "rock piling". This signifies the medication that he is taking washing over and covering the pain that he suffers. This form keeps the book interesting and ties it together, bringing in ideas or thoughts that were originally brought up at the beginning.
Although the ending seemed rather rushed, as though King was trying to finish the book quickly to reach a deadline, Misery is by far one of his best. His brilliant writing brings the characters to life before your eyes making reading the book an experience worth remembering.

Unlike many other famous Stephen King books (like The Stand), this book is tight. Since it's from the first-person POV, King doesn't do things like spend 3 pages describing one object like he is wont to do in many of his other books.

The book speeds by remarkably fast, and I doubt many people take more than 2-3 days to read the entire thing (as opposed to say reading Tommyknockers which I know people who have taken months or more to plow through.)

This is a great book to start for new King fans too, but isn't everyone already a King fan?

I have to say that Steven King's novel, Misery, was the best Steven King novel I have ever read. Usually when I read one of his novels, I'm disappointed with the levels of sex and swearwords that replace the horror associated with the name Steven King.
In Misery, Paul Sheldon, the protagonist, had a passionate fear of Annie Wilkes, the antagonist, and aside from the physical damage she caused him, the psychological damage was far worse, and more captivating for the reader. The mood of seclusion was felt due to the fact that, for most of the story, there were only two characters. Out there in the wilderness, anyone could get away with murder, and no one would know. Although Paul feared for his life, he also burned with a greater passion; to resurrect his romance novel heroine, Misery. Sure, Annie cut off Paul's foot and thumb, but she also reanimated Paul's desire to write. In fact, the need to complete this novel was the only thing keeping him from making an actual attempt at escaping. These conflicts of interest, life and freedom versus once again having creative genius, make the book intriguing and hard to put down; as Paul would say, the gotta.
I definitely recommend this novel because the constant fear of a psychopathic ex-nurse who likes to use an axe, an electric knife, and a riding mower to get her way demanded my full attention. I also like the hallucinated ending Paul makes up for himself. At that point, I did put the book down because it was a little too creepy then. I had become so involved in the lives of these fictional people that I could feel Annie in my room too. The book was a little more realistic for me because I live in Colorado and have lived in Boulder. The story takes place in the mountains right around that area and the factual parts of the book, like names and locations, were familiar to me, which made the book seem more real. Once again, Steven King's Misery is a (horroribly) good book that hooks the reader and never lets go until the end.(I would have given it 6 stars if I could have; it was just that good!)

Misery is a suspenseful novel about a writer, Paul Sheldon, who gets tortured by his number one fan. Every year he always goes to the same place to write his books. He had just finished his newest novel, Fast Cars. As he is driving home the radio says that there is a storm coming. He decides that he's far enough ahead so decides not to stop. The storm catches up with him and he crashes. He cant move. Luckily, a nurse, Annie Wilkes, is driving home and finds his car. She takes him back to her house without telling anyone. She cares for him for a few weeks. His legs are beat up and he's in terrible condition. Paul soon realizes that Annie has mental problems and cant control herself when shes upset. She is also obsessed with his Misery series of books. All she does is talk about them. SHe is more than obsessed. She even named her pig Misery after the books. After awhile Annie finds Paul's new book, Fast Cars, and asks him if she can read it. He says that she can, so she reads it. Afew nights later, she finishes the book and doesnt like it because its not part of the Misery series. Also because there is so much foul language in it. She makes him light a match and burn the novel, if he doesnt than she wont give him any medicine. Annie comes home a few days later with the newest Misery book that just came out. Paul gets nervous about her reading it. She has just finsihed it and she gets really mad at Paul because the main character dies and she realizes that that was the last Misery book. Finally she forgave him and bought him a present. She bought him a typewriter and paper. She wants him to write a new book called Misery's Return. Where the girl comes back to life and its a whole new story. She is making Paul write it. She buys him the most expensive paper that was at the store. Paul tells her he can tuse that paper becaue it smudges. So she tells him that she'll go get some new paper and slams the expensive paper down on his legs. This is basicaly what Misery is about. ~chelsea~

This book is different from the rest. You can totally see how his form of writing has changed over the years in this book, but, maybe because of the lenghth of the chapters or the way he says things, this book has a coforting yet evil sense to it. The sense it so good and stronge that with every page you turn the hairs on your back get higher and higher. This book is undoubtably my favourite King book. Let's see... how many times have I re-read it? Try 13. The worst part of this book is when you get to the last page.

Wow! I watched the movie when I was younger, but the film is no match to the masterful story that King has crafted. Despite taking place in only a couple of rooms, King manages to enthrall readers with his use of interesting characters and looming suspense. With mixed reviews on most of Kings recent contributions, it is nice to have the older stories to remind us what a remarkable "story-writer" he is.

Terror, horror....I could just feel everything that was happening.

You want to stop reading, but can't. You will hate Annie and try to help Paul in your own mind to get out of the situation he is in.

Graphic descriptions might not be suitable for the younger reading crowd.

It keeps your interest even though the tension has you on the edge of your seat...you won't forget this book very quickly.

I wasn't even able to watch the movie. :)

Annie Wilkes, one of the best villains ever written! She is evil incarnate, and the most terrifying hostess ever. Grab a copy and read about one mans biggest fan! One of my favorites by the master himself! You won't regret delving into this twisted tale!

This book is one that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I had trouble putting it down.
Stephen King draws you into the scene, and without even seeing the movie, you can see the barn, and Anne Wilkes herself. When Anne Wilkes, the crazy housekeeper enters the room, there is a tingly feel that went down my spine. Characters like this make the book great. Stephen king made the book have a television screen in my mind's eye.
Stephen King has made this book not really horrifying, but deeply, and emotionally scary, like his other #1 best seller "It." The book just draws you in.
I found this book great because I can always talk about something new, and whoever I talk to who has read the book can always find some sort of fact that the other person had picked up, while reading the book.
This book was my first Stephen king book, and now I read almost all of his pieces, and eventually plan to read them all.

As a fan of King I have read most of his works, and I would label Misery as an enjoyable, exciting read. The plot is well crafted, and the dementia of Annie Wilkes is interesting and frightening in the same breath. The book allows the reader to reconsider the celebrity-fan relationship, but as one reads deeper into the novel, one will realize that the psychotic tendencies of Ms. Wilkes has very little to do with her prisoner being a famous author. Psychologically intense and encompassing, a must read for any fan of psychological literature.

Paul Sheldon's very life is at stake. To write Misery's Return or not is a question such that for a man in his in his position is terribly risky. Confined to a wheelchair and missing a foot and a thumb, Paul Sheldon's not in a good place to bargain. His captor and number one fan, Annie Wilkes, pried his unconscious body out of the wreckage of his car and carried him back to her dilapidated home, where she played nurse to him for months. When he finally woke up, he found himself addicted to Annie's Novril capsules, the only way he survived the excruciating pain of two broken legs and a crushed pelvis. A short time after meeting Annie, she finished reading his latest book, and decided she didn't like his ending. So she forced him to write a sequel and bring Misery back to life. As the months dragged past, he became more and more aware of her insanity, and realized he was slowly becoming that way. She had several particular moments of insanity, where she cut his foot off with a dull axe and later took off his left thumb with the same axe. But in a way, Annie helped him. She got him that typewriter that kept losing keys, and in the end killed her. She made him write that book Misery's Return, which eventually helped him let off steam and remain in a stable condition.

When Paul finally finished Misery's Return, he called her into the room, took out matches, and burned it. She tried desperately to save it, but it ended up giving her a severe full body burn. In her agony, she stumbled over to his desk, tripped, and hit her head on the typewriter. In her final death throes, she climbed out the window and made it to the barn out back, where she later from a traumatic head injury. Paul was found by neighbors who heard both of their screams. He told his story to the police and finally got it off his chest.

All in all, Misery was easily Stephen King's best work yet.

In Misery, Stephen King used his psychotic mind to shape his characters into something never seen before. He creates characters like Annie who readers just flat out want dead. And then he creates characters like Paul whose pain is shared by each and every reader. I personally love Stephen King and his style of writing. He really could lay off the profanities, though.

In speaking of Stephen King, you can never talk about just one of his wonderful horrors. For instance, in speaking of Misery, I sometimes relate it to each of his books in general. And although Misery is my personal favorite of all of his novels, I cannot be too partial to it. I must take into account The Eyes of the Dragon, another of his fine works. As in Eyes, he throws characters into situations where they either get out miraculously or die trying. Unfortunately for readers, the latter usually prevails.

In conclusion, Stephen King's Misery is above and beyond the literary world's call of duty. Mr. King owed his audiences the best horror story in decades. Ladies and gentlemen, we have it!

-C. Edwards

This is Stephen King's complaint book. It basically whines about the pains of being an author, which is quite apparent if you see through the horror story of Annie Wilkes, the maternal yet homocidal woman whose originalized and specific insanity makes the book unforgettably haunting.
But I love it.
It's one of his best and there's nothing like it. If you're an aspiring writer like I am, don't take the whining too seriously. But at least you'll get a bigger picture of the bad points about being an author.
This is a fantastic read and I recommend it to everyone. Except, don't take it too seriously. It's not his most serious novel... it's short and he wrote it in a short time. Also, the plot is simple and its meaning is easily seen. Not that it's not disturbing; it is.

I LOVE this book. The captivity, the plight of being paid to "create", the sheer malevolence of Sheldon's nemesis is fasincating because we see a bit of ourselves in Sheldon's "Number One Fan"... The mocking of the romance genre was really enjoyble and broke the tension. This book captivates you from page one and won't let you go, you will feel you are imprisoned with Paul, at the will of a madwoman.....Kathy Bates is SUPERIOR in the film by the way. don't miss either one.

It is my firm belief that Stephen King has produced thus far in his career four literary masterpieces (and another half-dozen or so which come pretty close): THE SHINING, THE STAND, MISERY, and, most recently, HEARTS IN ATLANTIS. (Of those that come close, I'd include 'SALEM'S LOT, THE DEAD ZONE, DIFFERENT SEASONS, PET SEMATARY, DOLORES CLAIBORNE, and THE GREEN MILE.) MISERY is without a doubt (in my opinion) King's greatest horror novel, an excellent exemplar of what constitutes a good horror/suspense tale, a memorable work indeed. I strongly recommend that anyone who enjoys being fraught with terror read this book.

To be truthful, I wasn't much into Stephen King. Until a friend recommended Carrie to me, I never much cared for his works. But after reading Carrie, I began to realize why people like him.

And after reading Misery I'm willing to admit I like him too.

Misery is more than just your typical novel. The style in which it's written is actually a little different than what I'm used to (some chapters are only ONE WORD LONG), but let's be honest here. It isn't how the story is written, it's the story itself. I can deal with horribly written books (and Misery is NOT horribly written by the way) so long as the story is good for me. Misery is not a horribly written book, just different. It'll take a moment to get used to but you'll manage.

Misery is a story about a man named Paul Sheldon who was in an accident (cause of alchohol) and nursed back to health by his "number one fan" Annie Wilkes. Paul is famous for his "Misery" books, that Annie has taken a real shine to. But when Annie is disappointed with his latest book, it's only convienent that she has the author there. So what does she do? She keeps him hostage and forces him to write a book just for her. She has many ways of convincing Paul to stay. One is with a needle, and the other is with an axe.

Perhaps the most perplexing thing about Misery is that the story takes place in only one setting. That setting is in Annie's home, a barn. But the book still manages to keep you on the edge of your seat.

There's something even more interesting about Misery. The characters. Paul Sheldon, the all around do-gooder begins to learn things about himself by being held hostage. He begins to learn that he really does love to write. And as he clings on to life in his cunning ways, he'll learn he can do more than in his situation than meets the eye.

But the true spirit of Stephen King's "Misery" is Annie Wilkes. She is by far one of the most interesting characters King has ever created. Not just because she's a psycho path, but because King manages to really show us why she is so miserable. He manages to make us feel sorry for Annie WHILE hating her.

The book seems to have a message too. "Misery" seems to be that message. What does the title really mean? Is it to portray Annie's misery throughout her life? Paul's Misery with being stuck with Annie? The book series "Misery" in the book? Or does it have to deal with life itself. The book can be interpreted in many different ways.

This was a riveting read. One of the shorter books I've read, but quite possibly one of the best books I've read. The central message and characters make this one of the most worthwhile works Stephen King has ever produced.

Misery is most certainally King's best book to date. It was actually the first book I ever read from him. I was 11 and my mother handed it to me; I couldn't put it down! From then on, I have been a great fan of his. Although it's been almost 6 years since I read Misery, I still remember the thrill and scare I got from it, and I don't scare easily! It's absolutly not a "dirty bird!" If you want a great, suspesful horror novel from "the King," Misery is defently the one

Biggest fan, or biggest fear? After completing his final novel in a page turning series dubbed Misery Paul got himself into a amazingly awkward situation. Sliding off the icy road in his `67 Ford Mustang landed him in the worst position imaginable. Luckily, in a twisted way, Annie Wilkes Pulled him out of his mangled mess of a car and took him in.
If saving his life weren`t enough, the lady also happened to be a retired nurse. Awaking 3 or 4 days later, happy to be alive, but to the misfortune of two broken legs, Paul started to converse with his life saver. What he found out was Annie Wilkes was a huge fan of his books and a huge fan of himself. Enough so to name her pet pig Misery.
Finding Paul Was the best thing to ever happen to her. Things got even better when he granted her permission to read his newest novel before anyone else. It turned out to be a huge mistake. Finished with the book and in a state of complete disgust Annie marched into his room and had her words with him.

Unfortunately Annie turned out to be a complete psycho. Demanding he wrote a new book, breaking his ankles, tying him to his bed! How would he find a way to escape this Misery???
Misery is a book anybody who enjoys suspense would like. The pain and suffering Annie Inflicts on him will keep you hooked. Misery is a easy to understand and easy to enjoy book that anyone will have a good time reading.
-Andy Muns

There's something about King's delicious reveling in the isolation, struggle, and "misery" of the writer's life that makes this a great psychological study. Whether you read it as a straightforward, intense thriller or perhaps an autobiography of a writer imprisoned by his own demons and success, it stands out as one of King's clearest and truest works. For the #1 fan in all of us.

This is actually the first Stephen King book I've ever read, and I must say that it truly is amazing. It's such a simple and intimate breed of suspense, You literally feel about as detained and helpless as the main character throughout the book, and feel horrified when the Dragon Lady enters the room in all her craziness. There are very few books that make me feel this way. It's a true rarity, a certain gem.

How does he do it?
Take TWO charters; one trapped in bed and drugged up for most of the story, one bat-sheep crazy old woman, add a couple hundred pages and have a novel that scares the living crap out of me?? Stephen king is the KING...This story freaked me out so much I had to keep peeking over the pages to make sure Annie wasn't coming towards me with an axe. Very good, scary read...had to skip a few parts because of blood reasons but jeez this is a classic must-read for anyone on this planet who appropriated books.

I get chills just thinking about how evil this book is.
I enjoyed the simplicity of the story. Man writes, book, man gets in accident then finds himself tied down on a bed by a nut job. She was convincing. I could see myself in the room as Annie, tortured the author.

This is a quick and easy read. If you want an exciting, thrilling story, I'd check it out

I loved this book. It was much scarier than his other books in the fact that it can happen in real life. Most of his other books are about things that can't happen; the supernatural, ghosts, werewolves, etc. Misery started some of his more mature style of writing; writing about the inner demons that really do, sadly and scarily, live inside some people. Misery also started King's writng about things that can happen. The best book. and the best movie go see it too.

ok..on to part 2 of my stephen king reading days at college. misery. hehehe...
it seems that there are two people in this world. The ones who love King 100% and those who don't. After reading reviews of what people have said about this book, i am convinced that my own opinion matters most. This is the best book I have ever read. Taking advantage of a 4 hour break between classes, I have managed to read 2 of his books in little under 2 weeks. I cannot read for the full 4 hours as i have to do homework, but the draw of King lures me away from my studies. Previous to reading Misery, I read Firestarter and thought that that book would never be beaten. In my mind that was the best book. Now that I have read Misery, I am sure that Misery ranks in at number one. For you people who are hesitant..don't be. This book makes you think about our society and the injustices and the ways people have been takin hostage. this is a thinking book.
great
jake

I read Misery and I thought it was OK. The thing I didn't like about it was that SK put Misery's Return in this book. I thought, "Why the hell is this here? The only way it is related is that Paul is writting it for Annie." Another thing I didn't like was that Paul actually published Misery's Return. If I had been through what he had been through, I would destroy that book. All it would do is remind me of the torture I went through. Other than this, the book was good.

I was thirteen when I started reading King. He usually writes a story abour a monster that will come from God knows where, rip your friends to pieces and then (if you're lucky) you get to kill it.
That's what everyone told me.
Misery is a very different kind of horror story. The monster is not twelve feet tall, it does not have two heads and it doesn't eat children. It is a monster we can read about everyday in the newspapers. The deranged fan of a superstar.
She is a nurse who finds a man doomed to die unless she helps him. He is an acclaimed novelist, he is famous, he is rich. And she is his number one fan.
The way King justifies the horrors that she puts him through (isn't it true than when we all watched the film we had our legs tucked safely beneath us or held our ankles to make sure they were still there), with her own eyes, but turns her into a pyscopath in the novelists eyes is pure genius. The horrors are not unbelieveable and not unreal. The horror of this story is that it can happen to anyone.
If anyone has read The Collector, then this is a must. It is the same sort of story, the same skeleton, but the bones are brittle and if you don't treat them with care, they may break.....

This book is a gripping from first page to the very last. It starts with a renowned author getting in a near fatal car crash. Just before he leaves his hotel he finishes the first work of his he has been proud of in a very long time. The book is a break for the series of books he makes his income and bankable name off of the series is named Misery. He is "saved" from the crash from his number 1 fan Annie Wilkes. She nurses him to health by feeding him through an IV and getting hooked on a pain killer Norvil. She then makes it her mission from "God" to have him write Misery books and she has many nasty ways of motivating him taking away his pill, a leg crushing blow, and then she can get real persuasive

Not usually my reading genre of choice, but some older Stephen King novels are on my reading list. This book is very well-written and will have you on the edge of your seat at times, even if you've seen the movie. I can't say I "enjoyed" it, since it is pretty gruesome in spots, but it certainly entertained me!

Misery is one of my favorite SK books. It seemed in this book SK just relaxed and enjoyed himself. The characters of Annie and Paul are so deep and multidimensional that the story is never boring.
Misery is more of a scare thriller more than a horror. The book is very suspensful. The reader is always on pins and needles to see what Annie will think of next or if Paul we get caught sneeking around.
Some scenes are brilliantly gruesome, scenes only SK could create. The reader really gets to know the characters and sympathize with them.
The book goes very quickly and is never boring. I highly reccommend this book.

Paul Sheldon is a famed, best-seller novelist. When he is involved in an accident one night driving to California, he is pulled out of his car by his #1 fan from hell. She is horrifed when she purchases his newest novel, featuring his well-known character, Misery Chastain, in which Misery dies. She demands he write her a novel, just for her, where he brings Misery back to life. Keeping Paul prisoner,he soon is hooked on painkillers. He starts going insane, and doesn't think he will ever escape. As he discovers more and more about his captor, he realizes how bad his situation has become, and he may never make it out alive. This book by Stephen King is very well written and one of my favorites. The parts where hw is telling Misery's Return, the book he is writing for Annie, is a little boring, and I skipped a lot of that. He book is good, and I admire that he could write the entire book with little more than two characters. It is a very exciting story, and I would recommend it to everyone.

This is the very first Stephen King book that I've read, and I was NOT disappointed. Filled with suspense and tension, it keeps you hooked throughout the whole story. The characters are deep and compelling. But I will warn you DO NOT READ THIS AT BEDTIME. It will keep you up! But then, that's just part of the fun, isn't it? My favorite part of the story, I think, was the fact that the main character was a writer, which made it easier for me to identify with him and his situation.

I'm so glad to see how high this book gets on the store, for I looked on it before I started reading, and boy, was this a book to remember!
If this book is for the person who starting out on Stephen King, I should say that I think he uses a little extra swears.
This book is sort of scary, not really though. If you look at the big picture, 'how many times will you come close to a similar situation like in this book?'
The book is about an ex-nurse who ubtains a novlest named Paul Sheldon who has just got in a car crash. The nurses name is Ms. Annie Wilks.
She loves his series he writes. She is his so-called 'Number One Fan.'
But, when she finds out he decided to kill-off Misery(Paul's main character in his book series) in the most recent book, Annie flips, BIG TIME!
She makes him write a new Misery novel, WHITHOUT CHEATING. Cheating as in: Forgetting everything in previouse books, leaving off from were they started, you know, bla bla yada yada yada.
When Paul gets hooked to his pain meds, Norvil, he excapes into the house to get some.
But, when Annie finds out, things get sort of(no, not 'sort of', I mean REALLY!) okay, REALLY nasty...
Some parts in this book are confusing, like in the very very very very begining when there's 'umer wunner' sounds, that remain unmasked forever.
But, my point is it's a really good book.

This book was by far one of the creepiest I ever read in my life!

The setting is spooky to begin with. But once the story really gets going...

I felt that the movie did well too. Normally King movies all but destroy the book.

I've been into King's books since about 1987 and this one has always been one of my favorites. It made me realize that there really are people out there who would be so twisted as to terrorize someone in the public eye. To make it their mission in life to see someone destroyed by their hand.

Annie may have done it out of love, but there are those who would simply do it out of psychotic pleasure.

...anyone you know?

I started off with The Shining, it was good, although I thought the whole supernatural thing could be dropped, then I read Carrie, which was OK , then I read Needful Things, which was a great dissapointment.And now finally, just as i was turned off by Stephen king after Needful Things, came Misery, The best book have ever read!!!! Thankyou Mr. King, for an excellent suspense novel. I t was so realistic unlike Needful things!!!!!!

The internal monologue of Paul Sheldon transcends this book. Though it has scenes that will inspire King-esque terror, it isn't dependent on fear (which arguably makes it all the scarier). I found myself laughing and relating with Paul Sheldon both at the insanity of his novril addiction and Annie in many scenes.

There are already so many reviews out here, so I'd keep mine short.

What's good: It's one of the best among King's psychology-thrilling type of horror books.(That is, no paranormal activity or formidable creatures). The thrill comes from within human psyches, and he has the ability to make readers actually feel how the protagonist feel in the novel.

What's not-good: Still, King's extreme devotion to play word games shows in this book. It's so wordy that you could read through a couple of pages but nothing of the storyline actually goes on. Maybe it's his unique scenario setting but it'd be unquestionably slow-paced. If you've read rather fast-paced novels by writers such as John Saul or Iris Johansen you'd know what I'm talking about.

I've read the book and seen the movie and this book is my over all favorite of all of Stephen King's novels. A superbly written story and I must tell you Kathy Bates was just how I pictured her too. HIS NUMBER ONE FAN! I loved the end of it too, perfect ending for such a perfect story!

I had of course seen the movie and as such imagined Kathy Bates and James Caan playing the characters, which a situation like that is actually addressed in the book which kind of made my jaw drop. I would kind of like them to remake this movie because It was toned down for a 1990 audience but I know a new one wouldn't be. Read it and you'll know what I mean

You may have seen the movie, but you have to read the book! In true Stephen King fashion, Misery will keep you on the edge of your seat, page after bone-chilling page. Annie is the epitome of evil as she plots and keeps her helpless victim, writer Paul Sheldon, trapped in her house of horrors. There is no length she will not go to in order to keep Paul at her side. This is by far one of Stephen King's best work!

In my opinion, and I am sure that many will agree with me, this book was actually much better than the movie. During the book, he (Paul Sheldon) is alot more outspoken about his feelings. There were scenes in the book that were not included in the movie, and probably for good reason too. Like the scene of downing the Novril with the rinse water.
If you have seen the movie, read the book. If you have not seen the movie, read the book. If you like a little crazy in your like, read this book.
I have never read any of Stephen King's work before he can be sure that he will always have at least one fan.

Great book by Stephan King. Unlike a few of his other books, this gets straight to the point right away, and you don't have to read half of the book before you can't put it down. I would recommend it to anyone who is just starting to read his works. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, horrified and may even scare you. Everything you ever wanted. Where does he come up with this stuff anyway? It's Genius!

Once I began reading this book, I was glued to it. This fast-paced, exhilarating story of a man caught in the ultimate nightmare keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time.Paul Sheldon, a famous writer, is kidnapped in a tiny, isolated town. Physically unable to leave the kidnapper's house, Paul is trapped, and it is a race against time to escape the kidnapper's grasp. Stephen King does a terrific job giving tons of details on the characters. You will find out that Annie Wilkes, the kidnapper, is a monster. As I read this book, I got chills up my back when Annie was torturing Paul. The writing is so vivid that you get very detailed pictures in your mind. It is like you are watching a movie. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense. Once you start reading this story, you will not be able to put it down until you read the last sentence. I will not spoil the ending for you by telling you how the story ends, so you will just have to read it. You will not regret it.

This is one of those few books that has made me want to read more and more. I forgot if the beginning was slow or not but believe me, if you give it a chance it will make you want to know what's gonna happen next. I'd read it every night and it would suck so much having to stop due to having to turn off the lights at a certain time. But anyways, you will get hooked and maybe even mad like me and boy did it end how I wanted it to(Or else I would've been so pissed!) So yea it's a good read, an addictive read that you just can't let go of unless you really need to.

Misery is a fantastic Stephen King book and after reading it, its easy to understand why its been parodied millions of times. The writing and characters are interesting and the book is a real page turner. Its a fantastic book and it almost seems to get better the more times you read it. Although I think Misery should have been a Bachman book just to get Bachman more fame.

Stephen King takes what could have been an ordinary idea (a writer who is kidnapped by his biggest fan after being severely injured in a car crash) and makes it a terrifying tale of obsession. Annie is a frighteningly real head case: violent and temperamental but at once vulnerable, without being silly. Only master of horror Stephen King could make such a great scare out of what I thought would be lame.

This novel is amazing. It is written well and keeps moving even through all the vivid detail. The characters feel real and one becomes angry and obsessed with Annie (the villain.) It is the first book I have ever read by King and as soon as I finished went out and got The Shining. I highly recommend this book -everyone says this but you really can't put it down

Stephen King just may be the greatest American writer of the later half of the 20th century. Misery helps prove my hypothesis to the fullest. Misery, (which was orginally going to be written under King's fictional writer Richard Bachman), is perhaps King's most well written novel. Full of terrific twists and grusomely accurate sections, Misery explains itself. Misery loves Company, so read it!

Although Misery has only two main characters and one setting, this book manages to astound you with surprise at every turn. This is a book where King uses suspense very well, and I found this novel almost impossible to put down. I was horrified by Annie, and at one time almost puked at the thought of her (so go out and buy this book right now!) King made us almost feel sorry for her, and as you see into her past, you can start to see her slow decay into madness. Paul's inner strugles to write a good novel instead of the Misery trash is also intriuging, and that part almost seems to come from his own life. Overall, this book is up there with Salems Lot and the Shining, and is a "must have" in any horror collection.

I have read every single book that Stephen King has ever written (yes, including The Wolves of Calla) and out of all of his books, Misery blows all of them away. The way that King implements sheer horror into the novel has me spellbinded. The thing that makes this novel much more horrific than the other novels is that it is set in a real-life situation. Everything that goes on in this book can and probably is happening even as I type this review. The way that King has created Annie Wilkes is unbelievable. She is so strong a character that she could only have been created by King. The way that he actually delved into the mind of a psychotic person and then transferred that personality to Annie Wilkes is un-matched by any other author to this date. The way he shows the utter fear in Paul Sheldon's mind as Annie goes off on one of her psychotic frenzies is remarkable. I have read this book 8 (yes, eight) times. 7 times in English, and once in Spanish. And it never ceases to scare me silly.

The King of modern pulp churned out this short work for a King novel about a writer that meets his #1 fan. This book and the movie are a rare combination where a film does the book justice.

I wonder if King is psychic since he suffered a tramautic injury involving his legs, maybe he viewed his own injury in the aether of time...

This is my first review ever here. This is the first book of Stephen King I have ever read.

Misery. I first saw the movie long ago and thought it was great. I believe that if King writes the way he wrote Misery, I will always prefer the books better. Misery is a great book; fast moving, well written, just overall great... except... for the parts where Paul writes the Misery books and we get to read that. To me, that was kind of uninteresting and at moments, very boring. I read because I thought it was somehow going to be connecting to the actual story, but not really.

This was a great book, and I will sure be reading more of Stephen King in the very near future.

For the slow moving feeling the Misery writings made the book feel, I give this book a 4/5 stars.

This book is SK at his best. The characters in this book have such depth and dimension, they completely take you away from your reality and envelop you in theirs.
This novel was perhaps the most suspenseful I've ever read, and the ending is fantastic. If you've seen the film (also great), buy the book, too, because there are enough differences to make the book better! Go get it!

Even though this was my first Stephen King book, it was the best book that I ever read. I had to do it for some book report. Even though the hardcover that I got had tiny print, I was determined to read this Stephen King book before the book report. I started on a Saturday. It took me a while to get through the small boring part at the beginning. However, once I got through that boring part the rest was non-stop, heart-pounding suspence and action. Some nights I would read the book before I went to bed (since I had no other time during the day). I would then go to bed and lay awake thinking how Stephen King would make the next scene. If you have seen the movie and disliked it, don't not read this book because it is a very interesting book. I highly recommend it to anyone that wants to read Stephen King books or to anyone who doesn't want to read his books. Two words: READ MISERY!

The monster in this book is human, not supernatural. A crazed fan, obsessed with her favorite creator type, decides to keep him all to herself.

This involves imprisonment, physical and psychological abuse, shackles, weapons, and even a little bit more. Not a nice lady. A look at what can happen to famous people when they get an obsessed stalker.

While this book does not provide the edge-of-your seat scares of, say, The Shining, it has a new breed of horror all its own. It is one of the scariest situations a person can be in: trapped by a psychotic fan who never wants to let them go - and to make matters work it is impossible for you to get away because you were just in an accident! A great book. If you like Stephen King you'll love this!

This was the first Stephen King novel I read, and it is one o the best I've read so far (15). The basic storyline for this is a bestselling novelist is saved from a car accident by fan of his "Misery" book series. Her name's Anne Wilkes, and she just finished the latest, and maybe final, installment of the series. And she wants him to make a special sequal, just for her.
And she can be very persuasive...
A needle. A blowtorch. An axe.

Another well planned out Stephen King novel. I really felt the horror of this book and I must say, it was pretty climactic. If you are concidering reading a Stephen King book the first time, make it this one. It really is superb.

This book is so suspenseful, so gripping, and so horrifying that this reviewer was unable to put it down. Once one starts to read about terrible tale that unfolds within the covers of this book one must see the story through to the end with no delay.

I started reading King with some of his worst novels (think Insomnia, The Gunslinger..), so whenever I saw this book in the store, I was relucant to pick it up. I'm glad I did. This novel seems to be more fast paced than a lot of King's other work, and it doesn't drag. It is a very plausible story line, in that it could actually happen. It is one of his best. My five favorite Stephen King novels are listed below.

1. The Stand (Also, my favorite book of all time)

2. Needful Things

3. Misery

4. Pet Semetary

5. Firestarter

Paul Sheldon just can't seem to get on top of things here. Stephen King really did a great job on this one. Anyone even a little famous can imagine their selves in Paul's unlucky shoes. Scary because it could be non=fiction. Great job

This is one of my favorite books i've ever read. I've been a King fan since i was a kid and this is my second favorite of his (the first being The Shining). I had seen the movie prior to reading the book and i was still on edge with the book and constantly surprised. Theres so much in the book that is not in the movie. Also you really get to see the deconstruction of a human being. Paul Sheldon starts out as a normal guy and by the end of it he is reduced to his animal nature. Its a great read from start to finish and trust me you will not be disappointed. The character development is amazing and the suspense is worthy of sitting on the edge of your seat.

The book Misery by Stephen King is a gruesome, yet amazing book. The plot of this book is a very original and unique story about a writer named Paul Sheldon who is kidnapped by a psychotic. The psychological plot of this book is extremely unique. Annie Wilkes, Paul's kidnapper, is beyond crazy. Her unique view of the world that consists of two types of people (Annie, and poor poor things) is unheard of. The characters are just Annie and Paul, and Paul is a very imaginative, successful writer who just wants to get out of his mess. His character is exciting, exhilarating, and it always makes you want to keep reading to find out what will happen next. Annie is psychotic, and oblivious. She just makes you want to kill her. this book is very exciting and always fulfilling. It is also very graphic and gruesome. I think this is a great book and I would suggest it to anyone over the age of eleven who loves exciting gruesome books.

I've read all of King's books and by me this one is his absolute best! It contains everything that you could expect from a good horror story plus a lot more. Annie Wilkes is his scariest wacko ever, (maybe it's because she's a woman, I don't know) and she won't leave you after you've read the last page, she'll haunt you for a long time... This book is awesome...

This is the first Stephen King novel I have read and I have to say I am hooked. I loved how almost believable Annie is. There are crazy fans out there for sure but she takes it way over the top. This book will leave you creeped out for days after reading and you will find yourself thinking about it randomly.

The main problem with this book is that you just don't care about the fates of the characters. Sure, you've got all the wham-bam gruesome action, some well-described scenes of torture, but even during these sequences where your interest should be at it's high-point, the mind tends to drift, to imagine alternate scenerios, to develop a better telling of the story itself. Every dead-end page after every drudging leaf of cheap, sanitized paper it goes on and on and on and who the hell cares in the end? Stephen King has never been a great writer, just a man with a fertile imagination and enough ability to get by with a fully created world. But, when the story lacks depth or incident--like Misery--then all that scamming and lying to conning for prestige is gone and you're left with a hack churning out yet another volume of garbage.

I usually don't read Stephen king book till a friend told me how good they were. When i started the book i couldnt put it down it keeps you hooked from when you start it till the finish.Very well written loaded with suspense.Kind of disturbing in some parts.A MUST READ

Well, personally I am a Stephen King fanatic. I love his works, especially the Shining. But Misery was a real MISERY to read.. I fell asleep countless times.. I stopped counting after a hundred or so. The only good thing about this book is the ending of it, which was only the real SCARY and THRILLING part of the book. Okay book overall, though.

I could not put this down! From the first page to the last, there was never a dull moment. The story was exceptionally well written and I felt as if I were actually there in the room. Each page was spellbinding. And this was one exception where the movie was just as good as the book! I would recommend this book AND movie to everyone.

Not Stephen Kings greatest book but it still was a pretty good read, I skipped over reading the actual misery story by paul sheldon. because it was unneccessary to read and tbh i find those sort of stories boring. overall worth reading for the price, but it is a rather dull story.

Stephen King again delivers to his readers the truely terrifying material we expect. Admittedly I was a little frustrated by the length of the novel and the gaps between momentous occasions, but it is the attention to detail which really brings this novel to life.
The fact that the tension and anticipation to read more arises from the actions of a formidable person as apposed to a supernatural force intensifies the terror we share with Paul Sheldon and his mentally disturbed number one fan, Annie Wilkes.
This book was an excellent read from start to finish (even though some parts dragged a little).
I would say to anyone who hasn't seen the absolutely appalling film adaptation, which doesn't portray the true terror of Annie - don't bother! You MUST read this instead!

The book is definetely one that you will want to read. It has a great plot and you won't want to put it down. You become so involved in the main characters thoughts that you are soon thinking along with him what will happen next. I think anyone who is interested in a book that you will be able to get into and a little scare, read this.

The novel "Misery" is truly one of the greatest books I have ever read. I was skeptical to read it at first but now I am glad I did. King's use of imagery helped me to picture everything that was around Paul and Annie. Everytime Annie said or did something I got the chills through the novel's descirptiveness. I read it over a 3 week period but I never wanted to put it down because I wanted to know what this psycho woman was going to do next. Every time Paul got a hope of escape Annie snatched it from him and I was disappointed as well as Paul. Without ruining the ending, I do not think it could have been better or more unexpected. I like books where I cannot predict the ending and this really satisfied me in terms of surpirse. I have read several of Stephen King's novels but this one is by far my favorite.

Paul Sheldon was a author finishing his most recent novel in Sidewinder,Colorado as he usually did.After driving his car off a cliff during a blizzard he is rescued a a psychotic ex registered nurse {Annie Wilkes}who also happened to be his number one fan.When Paul realizes that nobody knows where he is except for Annie thats when things go from bad to worse.Misery is Stephen King's best novel to date.Misery was masterfully written and makes you feel like your Paul Sheldon trapped in Annie's house.Misery is a book that grabs you and won't let you go.If your a Stephen King fan this is a book you should not miss.If you are new to reading his novels and you want a book that will have you on the edge of your seat with suspense then don't miss Misery!

I have tried to read many different books by Stephen King, but never really got hooked on any of them. Misery was different. I started reading it and could not put it down. The story is moving and you both want to know what is going to happen next and the opposite because your scared for the main character. It is a really page turner and my favorite Stephen King book. This is a good book that I think that everyone should pick up and read some time in their life. If you do end up reading this book and you really like it, you might not want to see the movie because the movie is a real let down compared to the book!

Okay, I read Misery about a year ago and I still can't stand how wonderful it is! Even though it took me like forever to finally get my mom to let me read Stephen King fiction (after all I was only ten at the time.) But still, if your looking for a shorter S.K. book, you better get... over to Borders and by it!!!!

Undeniably in my opinion, another one of King's great triumphs in a long list. This book put me out of my, "Misery," in the search for something to read. It would be horrible to be placed in the same exact situation as Paul Sheldon. The movie is quite excellent and follows the book wonderfully.

I am a quite fan of the King. And I really liked this book and also its brilliant film. The criticisms tell that this book is predictable. But sometimes predictable is good if you are a good storyteller. And S. King is a real one. In my opinion you won't regret it. He is the king of all times.

I always say to read the book before you watch the movie version. This book is the one who started me on that kick! When I read this book ten years ago, I was only a high school student and thought, "Oh my God, that was so gory!" When I watched the movie, I was so disappointed! None of the real violent scenes were kept in. A lot of my friends already saw it but I got them interested by telling them that the really violent stuff wasn't in the movie. Stephen King truly masters the obsessed fan. The lengths Annie Wilkes will go through to hang on to her #1 author are frightening! Read this book and you will NOT be disappointed!

This is the first Stephen King book I read and definitely one of my favorites! I saw the movie before I read the book and the book is MUCH better! I remember reading the book at night before I'd fall asleep and I'd get a little scared that Annie would show up in my room...definitely a book I couldn't put down...it's easy to just keep turning the pages until you get to the end. I highly recommend this book to all Stephen King fans and even to those who have never read any of King's work. Happy reading...

Great book, definitely one of my favorite King novels. A lot more brutal and a lot better then the movie (which was great). The only thing I didn't like were the exerts from "Misery's Return", I hate romance novels even if they are written by Stephen King so I skipped over most of them. But the rest of the book was amazing and even though I'd seen the movie and pretty much knew what was going to happen it still had me in suspense and hooked through the whole thing, I didn't want to put it down and finished it in 2 days (which is fast for me). So if you've never read a King book before this would be a good place to start.

A fast, fun read. I hadn't read it in a long time, and I was very pleased to find I liked it as much as I did when I first read it. This was my first King book many years ago and led me to read most of his others. When his books work, they make for great reading.

Like the title suggests, this is my favorite Stephen King book. I think that both Annie and Paul are both very well described in the book. The violent scenes are very well described too. My favorite part is when she breaks Paul's feet with the sledgehammer. Oh, and the lawnmower part is hilarious!

Like a number of other Stephen King books that I have read, there is an abundance of descriptive writing that conjures up mental images that really make you believe that you are a fly on the wall of the story. The plot of this book is good and the images conjured up are at times gruesome and I could really feel Paul's desperation at not being able to escape or even know if anyone was looking for him. Despite this, however, this book just didn't do it for me. The Annie/Paul parts of the book were good, but the book within the book 'Misery's Return' was just boring - I skipped whole chunks of this to get back to the 'real' book. Overall I would recommend it to a friend if they asked me what I thought of it but I would not sing its praises. I am currently reading 'Rose Madder' and so far it is very good.

This is an excellent novel by Stephen King. Fast-paced, suspenseful, an d chilling all are words that could be used to describe this story. King does a good job in setting the mood of desperation but determination on the part of its protagonist, Paul Sheldon. I love how King puts his characters through their paces without them becoming cartoon-like or boring. Very unpredictable story and thought provoking. This is a good read.

This is my first Stephen King novel and I have to say, I loved it.
SUMMARY: Paul Sheldon, a bestselling novelist gets into a car accident. His NUMBER ONE FAN, Annie Wilkes, takes him into her home and nurses him back to health. In a way. Holding him captive, she makes him write his greatest novel just for her.
UPS: This book has a lot of detail and really makes you feel like you're right there with Sheldon, keeping you on your toes. It is suspensful the whole way through and gets even more spine-chilling towards the end.
DOWNS: About 40 pages of the book is the book that Paul Sheldon is writing. It gets a little boring reading these parts and there doesn't seem to be any importance in reading them.
OVERALL: This book is hard to put down, indeed. Even though I haven't seen the movie, the mental image I had of Annie Wilkes was exactly that of Kathy Bates. It took me only a few days to read and I really enjoyed it. I recommend this book to anyone who's going for a good horror novel.

King really did his craft proud when he put this book together. This book frightened me for weeks, and I loved it! This book is rather traditional for Stephen King compared to some of his more out there books and series, but this is horror writing at its best. If you like horror stories, you will love this book.

When reading this book, I could not put it down.....i LOVED every single page of this book, I really enjoyed it....it was INTENSE, SAD, and FUNNY....What this poor guy Paul Sheldon goes thru is absolutely unimaginable. I cannot believe it......I feel so bad for this guy....how he adapts to living the way he was forced to, by this psycho crazy bitch by the name of, Annie Wilkes....UNREAL.....go out and pick this one up....like I said before, I couldn't put it down. It took me 2 days to finish it, and I did not speed read it, I TRULY enjoyed it, and was very disappointed when it was over. I am currently reading "IT" and I will review that one when I have finished....GO PICK UP MISERY!!!!!

This book had me on the edge every time I turned the page.
It's a dream come true for a fan, helping her most favorite
author when he is hurt. But for the author it is a night-
mare. I couldn't put the book down and consider it one of
Stephen King's best books.

Misery is one of the best Stephen King works of all time. It is a story about a writer named Paul Sheldon, who was injured in an auto wreck during a blizzard, and woke up to find himself the not-so-lucky house guest of an ex-nurse, Annie Wilkes. She is an obsessed fan who uses medication to control him, by withholding it from him when he does something she does not approve of, and by keeping him prisoner in his room. She eventually uses her "power" to force him to write a continuation novel to his popular "Misery" series, so he can bring the main character, Misery Chastain, back to life. This novel is suspenseful and thrilling, and is truly one of the greatest Stephen King Novels of all Time.

Stephen King's novel "Misery" is in my opinion NOT of the Horror Genre. In fact, I consider it perhaps not being of the Fiction genre either. How do we know that instances such as the one told in this work of art could'nt happen? How do we know they all ready hav'nt?

This book will make you want to read it all the time! It was a **** ( Fourstars) movie, but of course, The book has more gory details. On the flap of the book,( borrowed it from the library) It says this is King's love letter to his fans. He's right! Misery will scare you to death

I have read at least a dozen titles by King including some of his best like Salem's Lot, The Stand, It, The Talisman, 11/22/63, and more. This was the only King novel that I couldn't get through. His descriptions of the terrifying attacks on the helpless protagonist (Paul Sheldon) were so thoroughly terrifying, I couldn't go on. All of which isn't to say it's not a great book. It's just that this time...for me...I couldn't finish it. A little TOO real world if you get my take.

This was my very first Stephen King book. I was very lucky to read Misery. It is one of the best books ever written by the best author ever. I can`t explain how amazing Misery is. It`s Just pure perfection. Read it. Please.

Although this book is not the classic vampire/ghost Stephen King, it is a chilling horror story that has realism that most horror novels and horror movies do not have. If you liked this book, the movie is also spectacular. Kathy Bates, as annie Wilkes, does a great job.

This was my first Stephen King book, and I was instantly hooked. It is the first example I've seen of a book consisting of two characters, set in a single room, and made so suspenseful. The chapters are just the right length, too. Annie is a wonderful villain!
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