Reviews

Misery by Stephen King

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bumble_abi's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Paul Sheldon, high off finishing the manuscript of his latest novel, wrecks his car in a snowstorm in rocky Colorado. He is pulled from the wreck by Annie Wilkes, his number one fan, who holds him and his shattered legs hostage and forces him to resurrect Misery, a character he had killed off in the previous installment of his book series. As the novel (and the novel within) progress, it becomes increasingly clear just how dangerous Annie is, and just how clever Paul's going to have to be if he ever wants to escape alive.

Alright Stephen, you win this one - this novel is tense and propulsive, focused and psychological (and also! gory as hell!). It begins in the thick of it and never leaves the thick of it, expertly raising the stakes and plausibly complicating his characters and the relationship between them. He explores themes of fiction and reality, and the mechanisms by which something becomes a good story and I'll admit I was hooked.

There's still some of-its-time misogyny in here, as well as a good chunk of fatphobia and a frankly archaic view of mental illness ("madness" or "craziness"). I think a lot of classic horror falls into this trap - how to write a monstrous character without intimating that they are mentally ill (and by extension, that people with mental illness are therefore monstrous)? I think it's possible to do, certainly, but it requires a reckoning with mental health that King clearly hasn't (or at least hadn't, at this point in his career) done, as well as a care with language that I think King would find restrictive and write an annoying thinkpiece about.

I really enjoyed this though, and I'd be curious to see if attitudes in King's works have evolved with the times - maybe I ought to read something more recent from him?

aameliawoodd's review against another edition

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maybe i’m just a wimp but once she made him wash down the pills with soapy water and i physically gagged i knew i wasn’t gonna make it to the end

rabisha's review

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3.5

I enjoyed this book, although some parts more than others.

The characters, although there was only 2 (for the most part), I did enjoy. I felt like they were real and the thoughts and actions that they did were realistic (at least for the most part), and that just enhanced my reading experience. I was easily able to imagine the whole book like a movie in my mind, throughout, which definitely shows how good it was. The gruesome parts of this book were my absolute favorite as they actually made me cringe and react physically. That was also partially because as I reading this book, my mind was watching it like a movie so that was extremely fun. The part where Annie drank the rats blood was insane. Also her chopping off Pauls' foot was so out of pocket and I could feel Pauls' pain (?). Also the plot twists actually got me because I was thinking of Annie as stupid, and although she was crazy, she definitely was not stupid!

The plot was quite gripping and I was hooked for some parts, although I did find myself getting distracted and getting 'out of the book' a few times throughout. I think the main reason for this was the writing, it just felt weird at times. I understand it was to show how mentally disturbed both characters were, but regardless. If the writing was better, I definitely would have enjoyed it significantly more.

This was my second King book and I definitely still enjoy his writing and am looking forward to reading more of his books.

Saw that there is a movie of this book, so super excited to watch that and see how it compares to this book. The casting is also very good!

jesi_white's review against another edition

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challenging tense slow-paced

3.0

esoreille's review against another edition

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dark tense

3.0

annie wilkes is so kind 🫶🏻

cutenanya's review against another edition

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4.0

In “Misery,” Paul Sheldon, a famous author, is rescued from a car crash by his number one fan, Annie Wilkes. She takes him to her remote cabin and nurses him back to health. However, when she discovers that Paul has killed off her favorite character in his latest book, she becomes enraged and forces him to write a new novel that brings Misery back to life.

The most amazing aspect of this book is the author’s ability to write a whole book set in only one place, Annie’s house, with just two characters, Annie and Paul. This book reminds me of "The Shining" where you have a lunatic in a confined setting. Even though I am not a person with a faint heart, I am still terrified of Annie as she

Spoiler

is an absolute psychopath with no moral at all. She can saw a foot off just to stop Paul from escaping, and she has no qualms about stabbing and running down an officer with a lawn mower.

As for Paul, I quite like his imaginative brain and admire his ability to remain calm and write for his life.

“Misery” is an intense read that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book. The plot is quite simple in this book and all we are reading is how to write for your life (which can be surprisingly motivating for an author). The ending though is a bit blend compared to the beginning, which seems to be a flaw in a few King’s books (the Stand also has a disappointing ending).

I really enjoyed reading “Misery” despite its flaws and I would give “Misery” by Stephen King a 3.5 rating out of 5.