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A review by emily_m_green
Misery by Stephen King
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you to Stevenson Community Library for bringing the bookmobile to our rural area and for making Stephen King’s Misery available and easily accessible.
Misery tells the story of popular writer Paul Sheldon, who is best known for his character Misery Chastain, and from whom he is currently trying to distance himself. Paul wants to be known for more serious work, and as the book begins, he is drunkenly driving away from his celebration of completing the novel which he thinks will do just that. Unfortunately for Paul, he drives into a snow storm and ends up in a ditch. When he wakes up, he finds himself not in the hospital, but instead in the home of Annie Wilkes, a former nurse and Misery super fan. With two broken legs, Paul is at the mercy of Annie’s good will, which is not guaranteed commodity.
It does not take long before Paul realizes that Annie is not a mentally healthy individual and that she will manipulate Paul’s care, including deciding when to provide the narcotics to which he has become addicted.
Misery might be the only Stephen King book I have read that does not involve a supernatural element. There is still a fight between good and evil and Paul addresses Gd directly at more than one point. So it does abide by King’s ongoing discussion of a Christian understanding of how good and evil manifest on the earth. The evil, instead of being otherworldly, is plain old human cruelty.
Misery is among King’s best books. When I reached the last book of the novel I could not stop reading—I just wanted to power through. A book that engenders that kind of excitement is worth quite a bit.
Would I teach Misery by Stephen King? Yes. The plotting and ruthlessness of the character of Annie Wilkes was so engaging. For the ability to create a suspenseful plot alone without barely leaving a guest bedroom, King is a genius. The discussions of writing are entertaining and made me question my own writing habits. The discussion of zealous fans was also intriguing. For these reasons, as well as for the vivid descriptions, it would be a fun book to teach.
Misery tells the story of popular writer Paul Sheldon, who is best known for his character Misery Chastain, and from whom he is currently trying to distance himself. Paul wants to be known for more serious work, and as the book begins, he is drunkenly driving away from his celebration of completing the novel which he thinks will do just that. Unfortunately for Paul, he drives into a snow storm and ends up in a ditch. When he wakes up, he finds himself not in the hospital, but instead in the home of Annie Wilkes, a former nurse and Misery super fan. With two broken legs, Paul is at the mercy of Annie’s good will, which is not guaranteed commodity.
It does not take long before Paul realizes that Annie is not a mentally healthy individual and that she will manipulate Paul’s care, including deciding when to provide the narcotics to which he has become addicted.
Misery might be the only Stephen King book I have read that does not involve a supernatural element. There is still a fight between good and evil and Paul addresses Gd directly at more than one point. So it does abide by King’s ongoing discussion of a Christian understanding of how good and evil manifest on the earth. The evil, instead of being otherworldly, is plain old human cruelty.
Misery is among King’s best books. When I reached the last book of the novel I could not stop reading—I just wanted to power through. A book that engenders that kind of excitement is worth quite a bit.
Would I teach Misery by Stephen King? Yes. The plotting and ruthlessness of the character of Annie Wilkes was so engaging. For the ability to create a suspenseful plot alone without barely leaving a guest bedroom, King is a genius. The discussions of writing are entertaining and made me question my own writing habits. The discussion of zealous fans was also intriguing. For these reasons, as well as for the vivid descriptions, it would be a fun book to teach.