A review by selendrea
Misery by Stephen King

dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I'm a huge King fan for a reason! Misery is an incredible, high-octane psychological horror that gives us a deep look into the psyche of a writer under duress. From the very first page, the action smacks you in the face, and I was immediately on board.

Since this novel mostly takes place in one environment, the characters have to pull their weight, and boy do they pull their weight. Annie is such a captivating and loathsome antagonist. Paul's unraveling over time is hard to stomach, but I just couldn't look away.

I really appreciated King's meta commentary on the writing process, fan culture, addiction, and selling out. These elements were generally well weaved into the plot without sacrificing pacing. However, I didn't enjoy reading any of the Misery's Return excerpts. I understand why King included them, but they're not at all the content I'd normally choose to read, and I felt a few of them dragged on for too long.

Additionally, I felt that descriptions of Annie started to border on misogynistic and fatphobic at times, especially near the beginning of the novel. I often expect this with older novels, though. That being said, Misery was still an impeccably crafted story with an excellent ending, demonstrating why King is the king of horror.
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