Misery

Written by Stephen King

Immobilized from the pain of two shattered legs and a crushed knee, Sheldon is at Annie's mercy.

Unfortunately for Sheldon, Annie is mad; mad that he killed off her favorite character, Misery Chastain, in his latest book; mad that he wants to escape; and of course, mad in the most extreme clinical sense of the word.

To set the world straight, Annie buys Sheldon a typewriter and some paper, drugs him, locks him in a room, and forces him to bring Misery back to life in a novel dedicated to her. Fear of physical torture is Sheldon's greatest motivation. One wrong sentence and she is likely to smash his legs with a sledgehammer, cut his thumbs off with a hacksaw, or much, much worse. But writers have weapons too. . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: HighBridge Audio
• Release date: Jan 12, 2009
• ISBN: 9781598878820

Stephen King

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. 

Reviews for Misery

[askelmore · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So this was awesome. I’d seen the movie (or at least parts of it) many years ago. There’s one scene that I recall being especially brutal; in the book it’s worse. I was walking while reading it (it’s a thing I do), and when I got to one part in the book I actually stopped and physically had to stifle a gag. I can’t recall the last time that happened. And I’ve seen all the Saw films.

The premise of the book is that Paul is a writer who has been in a very serious car accident. He happens to be rescued by Annie Wilkes, who is his “number one fan.” She also happens to be super mentally unhinged. Stephen King does an interesting job in trying to make Annie more than just a horrifying evil person. I mean, she is. She’s awful. She’s brutal. But she’s also clearly very ill. I don’t ever feel sorry for her, but from my perspective she isn’t just a cartoon character.

One challenge of reading a book after I’ve seen a movie is that I cannot unsee the actors chosen to play the parts. So for better or worse, Paul was James Caan and Annie was Kathy Bates. And that was pretty great casting.

There were times when I felt that the book should have been close to the end, but it kept going. It worked, but I do think it also could have ended sooner. I’m obviously not in a position to question the writing choices of Mr. King, but these 340 pages maybe could have been like 275. But whatever, it was still a great read and a book I had a hard time putting down to do things like sleep and eat.

[kylekatz · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is specifically a writer's nightmare. It's about a writer who kills off a character after several books and a whacko fan who holds him hostage to get him to bring the character back to life somehow. It was very tense and at times harrowing. Enjoyed it.

[jess_reads_books · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Paul Sheldon is a bestselling writer known for his Misery series, which focuses on a woman named Misery and her many adventures. Annie Wilkes is Paul’s number one fan, but she’s also much more. Paul has just been in a terrible car crash near Annie’s home. She was the first person to find Paul, but instead of taking him to the local hospital, she is bringing back her days as a nurse and taking care of Paul in her home. It seems like a plausible plan given that a massive snowstorm was headed to town the day of the accident, but things quickly become clear that Annie has no intentions of taking Paul to receive care anywhere else.Paul has become Annie’s prisoner in her isolated home. Her good fortune in finding Paul has sparked an idea. You see, Paul recently killed off Misery in his books, and Annie isn’t too happy about it. She has ordered Paul to write her a new book and bring Misery back to life. Each time Paul does something Annie doesn’t like, be it in the new book or in real life, she finds a new and horrible way to punish Paul. Annie’s moods change with the wind and Paul has to be on his toes in order to avoid bodily harm. Will Paul ever escape Annie’s grip?MISERY is a compulsive, intense, and downright gory journey into Annie Wilkes kidnaping of Paul Sheldon. Annie is a character who fits the mold of a psychopath and serial killer. The situation with Paul is not entirely new to Annie. While she’s never kept someone captive before, Annie has certainly inflicted pain and ultimately taken the lives of many others. Annie is more than a rapid fan. One of my biggest issues with this book is that there isn’t more backstory on Annie. I loved what King described about her, but I wanted a bit more context on what drove her to become the person she turned out to be. Paul Sheldon is an equally complex character who at first comes off as a bit one-dimensional. Paul is a writer who hates his most popular works and wants to branch out, but in his captive state he must dive back into the life of the characters he that has come to loathe. Ultimately Annie’s torture is not just physical for Paul, but also hold a mental aspect beyond what the physical pain has brought him, as he forces himself to create a new Misery book for Annie.This book also contains an element of a book within a book, as King also includes snippets of the new Misery novel that Paul is writing. At first I enjoyed my look into this book, but the later sections didn’t add anything to the novel for me. I don’t think it’s a series I would read in real life, so perhaps that’s why I ended up drawing away from enjoying those blurbs. The initial dive into the book, however, I thought was brilliant because it gave me a chance to see what Annie was so obsessed with. At the end of the day, despite the minor flaws, MISERY has been a wild ride of reading! I would never want to meet Annie Wilkes in a dark alley or have her find me after a car crash. There are so many memorable scenes from this book, which will stick with me for a long time. I’m looking at you axe scene! I’ll also never get phrases like “dirty birdie” or “cockadoodie” out of my head!

[addison_books · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I, in fact, was shocked that I didn't enjoy reading this famous Stephen King "thriller". I thought it was a very dull beginning and the parts that were more -enjoyable to read were at the very end.

[msaucier818 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Stephen King is one of my favorite authors and I enjoyed this book. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had not seen the movie a handful of times before reading the book. While the novel was certainly different - and got inside the heads of the character in a way that no movie very could - I could not feel the usual suspense that I feel reading a King book. However, still a great read and recommended for King fans.

[theeclecticreview · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Horror fiction that high profile people don't want to read. If you have fans, watch out! Another great King novel.

[skippybuck · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Completely absorbing page-turner, could not put this down despite my then future-ex-husband's insistence that I turn off the light and come to bed!!The movie casting of Kathy Bates was AMAZING and really surpassed my high expectations. This story permanently altered the way I feel when folks say "I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN!" Yes, I now NEVER forget that the term "FAN" is short for "FANATIC" thanks to Mr. King and then when Kathy Bates made Misery her own on the big screen. LOVE this tale and YEARN to add a hardcover to my permanent select Library... as well as to Re-read again, of course!!Mr. King set the bar of suspense , horror and terror to all time new heights with MISERY!! Yes love CAN kill you... but what DOESN'T kill you makes you so much stronger!! James Caan was even sexier with the cane & limp ;)

[rsplenda477 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Stephen King never disappoints. Misery is, of course, a horrifying tale of a writer trapped and tortured by a lunatic. But, it is also much more...it is a semi-autobiographical tale about King himself. The struggles he faces as a writer, including crazy fans, the pressures of producing more novels, and the battles of drug addiction are all alluded to in this crazy tale. He is one of the true masters of horror, and this also includes discussing his own personal horrors with us as well.

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first of Stephen King's suspense/horror books that I have read. This book is haunting and psychologically demanding (creepy) in much the same fashion as The Collector by John Fowles. A very accessible read with great characters.

[pepperwings · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It took a little while for me to get into this one, but the pacing wasn't that slow, I think the personalities just took a while to grab my interest. It definitely had some gory moments, and some suspense, some fast-pacing and then drawn-out, and intriguing. I think Dean Koontz usually keeps the pace up, and King likes to shift gears now and then, so I'm a little on the fence about his style. Overall I liked it, it was a creepy story, but a definite humanity to it.

[thetwods · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Stephen King returns to the genre he created, the writer as conduit for a tale of terror. Novelist Paul Sheldon, who struggles to sell his "serious" works while his trashy romance series outsells everything else in print, is rescued from a serious car accident in the mountains of Colorado by his self-proclaimed Number One Fan, Annie Wilkes. Annie is a former nurse with a dark past who soon convinces Paul to write a new romance novel just for her. Annie's methods of persuasion are unconventional and not taught at creative writing programs - kidnapping, drugs, needles, an axe, an electric knife, lawnmower, chainsaw, etc.With Misery, King returns to ground he last tread in 1977's The Shining, the classic novel of a writer going mad in an isolated Colorado hotel during the winter months. However, this time the action is played out between the already insane captor and her prisoner whom she is mentally, emotionally and physically torturing. The different points in King's career at which these two books were written reveals itself in the ability of the writer to cope with his situation.Misery is more of a psychological suspense novel with gruesome elements than an out and out horror story, but King's fans no doubt love it. The film version, starring Kathy Bates (who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Annie) and James Caan, is equally as good though a pivotal scene was changed in its detail but not its impact.

[kraysaulis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant.

[psykat-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent.

[lorettar-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This brings back great memories from many years ago when I first read the book. I could not stop reading it! It grabbed me and would not let go, what a page turner! I read it so fast the first time I went back to read it again and again and enjoyed it every single time. This is most definitely my favourite King book.

[clq_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow.Misery... a thrilling, dark, claustrophobic, occasionally gross, far-fetched yet believable, page-turner which seems to make a game out of pushing all the right buttons at exactly the right time.Without wanting to spoil anything, Misery is about a writer, Paul Sheldon, who ends up in what turns out to be a pretty bad spot. Think you know what will happen? You don't. Think it can't get any worse for the main character? It does.I get the impression that Stephen King could probably write about anything at all in a way which would make millions want to read it. Though, the guy can certainly construct a plot as well. Misery is more of a situation-drama than anything else, but every drop of juice has been squeezed out of the premise, in a good way. The story is in many ways driven forward by the main character's state of mind. The way his mind develops, and the way in which this is described, is fascinating and scary in equal measure.No, this book hasn't had a profound impact on me, and no, I probably won't be thinking about it a week from now, but wow, it was a great ride. It is the perfect read-in-the-dark-in-the-middle-of-the-night book, and is genuinely one you won't want to put down.

[datrappert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is much, much better than the movie version. By opening up the story, the movie loses the pervasive sense of claustrophobia that makes the novel so successful. As an example, consider the scene when the writer is trying to escape from his room in a wheelchair while the madwoman holding him hostage is out of the house. Because the story is so tightly focused, in my mind is much more successful than a sprawling novel such as "The Stand".

[edward.lorn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Misery was the second Stephen King book I ever read. This was very shortly after Dolores Claiborne. I came across Misery much the same way I did Dolores Claiborne - through my mother's subscription to the Stephen King Book Club. The big difference here was, my mother knew about me reading Misery. She had already read the novel (her buddy Andrita had loaned her the book when it first came out in 1987), and figured I was of an age (fourteen) where I wouldn't be too terribly scarred by the events of the book. There's nothing sexual about Misery, and for the most part, very little foul language. The violence is rather extreme, but we all know that bad words and intercourse are much worse than chopping people up, right? Anyway, back in the days before the interwebs, the Stephen King Book Club worked like this. They would start your membership by sending you King's newest novel. After that, they'd start sending you his old books in order of publication until a new book came out, and then they would send you the new one. After that, back to the old books. By the time Dolores Claiborne came out, Mom was all the way up to Misery. (By the way, I'm chronicling this nonsense because I will probably forget all this shit in a few years. I don't plan on rereading this man's entire library again before I shuffle off this mortal coil, and I would like to have these reviews to look back upon later in life. My apologies if I'm boring you to death. Where was I...)

Misery is one of my favorite King novels because it deals with writing and the writing process. And, next to The Shining, it's one of the best denouements he's ever written. I read the book long before I ever saw the movie, and, truth be told, I hated the movie for a long time. Kathy Bates's performance is exceptional, but the differences in the book and the film pissed me off. I didn't like the old sheriff character, and I missed the Lawnboy scene.

Now here's where shit gets interesting. The book takes place in Sidewinder, Colorado, which is the town nearest the site of the fire-gutted Overlook Hotel. Obvious connection is obvious, right? Well what about the mention of the Beam? Anyone catch that? Here's the exact quote: "And unless his assessment of Annie Wilkes was totally off the beam, that meant she had something even worse in store." Well, there you have it, sports fans. Even Misery comes back to the Dark Tower.

In summation: I've come to appreciate the movie for the well-made film that it is, but the book, as per usual, is still leagues better. It's a darker, bloodier creature than its cinematic sister, and that's probably the reason I like it more. No denying it, I'm a gorehound at heart. That hobbling scene, friends and neighbors... *shivers*

[bookworm_naida · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Misery is the story of a writer named Paul Sheldon whose car upturned in the middle of a blizzard in the remote Colorado mountains and who has been rescued by an ex-nurse named Annie Wilkes. Annie insists she is Paul's biggest fan. Paul is famous for his historical romance novels featuring a heroine named Misery Chastain. His legs are shattered in the car crash and Annie is nursing her favorite author back to health. Soon after his accident and in between a narcotic induced haze, Paul begins to realize that Annie has him hooked on the pain killers and that she is insane. He also realizes they are in the middle of nowhere and that nobody knows where he is.The house becomes a prison for Paul and he soon realizes that Annie is not planning on letting him leave until he writes a new Misery book just for her. I have plenty of unread King books sitting on my bookshelves since I have slight OCD when it comes to his books and I must collect them, even if it will take me a lifetime to read them all, especially the Dark Tower series. So what made me re-read a King book? I loved it so much the first time around. Plain and simple. I found that the second time around was better. I must also mention that the movie version of Misery is one of my favorite King book to film adaptations. I think Paul and Annie were cast perfectly. The film does differ a bit from the novel, but it was well done nonetheless. The novel really showcases Annie's lack of sanity as well as Paul's fear of her. She often 'zones out' while speaking, leaving Paul terrified and waiting for her to come back to reality. "Everything she said was a little strange, a little offbeat. Listening to Annie was like listening to a song played in the wrong key." p.11, MiseryHere you have classic King at his best, this is a great scary story and I found myself unable to put this book down. Misery has been referred to as King's love letter to his fans.There's plenty of horror and nail biting suspense within these pages but there are also glimpses of hope for Paul. I cheered him on as he devised plans on freeing himself from Annie's clutches. The writing in the story is wonderfully descriptive and I felt like I was in the same room with Paul as I read. I wanted him to escape so badly, but I knew the odds were against him. Annie is a psychopath and you see that very early on in the book. King wastes no time beating around the bush here. I think she is one of his best villains. He does a great job at giving this wicked nurse a background story. She's also quirky, using bizarre old fashioned language, words like 'dirty birdie' and 'Mr. Man' when she's angry. There's plenty of OMG and cringe worthy moments in Misery and that is just what I have come to expect from a scary King novel. What made this book even scarier for me is that there's no supernatural forces at work here, no dark magic being used, this is plain and simply realistically terrifying. Technically speaking, in real life a crazy lunatic can hold a person hostage and torture them. I think that's what makes Annie so scary, it seems like someone could really do what she does to Paul.If you are in the mood for a scary suspenseful story that will get under your skin and have you jumping at the slightest sound, look no further than Misery. When I was done reading this book, I wanted to turn to the first page and read it all over again.

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Cockadoodie", "dirty birdie", and "oogy" - words you definitely don't want to hear if you are author Paul Sheldon! But he is hearing them, and his number one fan has him all to herself, poor fellow. Annie Wilkes is one of the craziest, scariest captors in literature, in my opinion, and she's got ahold of Paul, and won't let go. I really enjoyed this read, though I was not a fan of the excerpts from "Misery's Return", and would skip them if/when I reread this book. But I encourage everyone to be a good Do-Bee, and read this book!

[sebastianhagelstein · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story is never slow but there are moments where King is so good at building suspense that it makes other parts almost feel slow. Annie Wilkes is an interesting antagonist because of the way she encourages her captor to write and seems friendly, but does some really insane and awful things.

[bearlyr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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!

[lukerik-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is how I got hooked on King. It's a tight novel, no wasted words. It's frankly horrific, his situation and what she does to him. If you are claustrophobic or squeamish then this is the book for you. Almost as good as The Shining... almost.

[csweder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Easily one of King's finest books.

I remember being completely engrossed. I think that I read it after I saw the movie, which was completely fine, because imagining Kathy Bates in this book made it all the more terrifying.

[jenladuca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I originally read this book back in High school, my first experience reading King. I loved this book when I first read it & it's remained one of my favorites these past 20 years. Recently I've gotten into reading all the classic and newer King books that I hadn't read before. I had forgotten how much I loved his books, he's such an amazing storyteller! I was curious to see if Misery would still hold up as my all time favorite King after recently reading so many so I decided to re-read it. Surprisingly, it still scared the cheap out of me even though I knew what was coming LOL gotta say, it's still my favorite although now The Shining is a close second ;)

[kr_patterson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stephen King and I have a tradition to spend every Halloween together. Okay, maybe that's just on my half.

After: Nail-biting scary but I couldn't put it down. As Annie Wilkes herself might have said: Well, Steve, I've got to hand it to you--it was cockadoodie good.

[kale.dyer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first of Stephen King's suspense/horror books that I have read. This book is haunting and psychologically demanding (creepy) in much the same fashion as The Collector by John Fowles. A very accessible read with great characters.

[mamashepp · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

and another half star. A bit too gory for me but a book that will keep you tense throughout and it has a perfect ending.

[jessbass87 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I lost the book for almost a week about 3/4 of the way through it and it about killed me. I found it today and finally got to finish it. I'm so glad. It was awesome as always of Stephen King's stuff is.

[kphotowrtr2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book had me glued to the pages for 3 nights in a row ... Something I do not usually do ... The best part is that keys on the typewriter that the main character is using has missing keys - and it is written that way - Just pulls you in more! Great, spellbinding book!

[addunn3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I will have to read more of King's writing, but don't read this one before having a stay at a hospital.