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A review by shahana_bookquoting
Misery by Stephen King
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book is a banger in the horror genre. There are just 2 characters in 98% of the book but boy does it keep you engaged!
Stephen King is a master storyteller. The way he depicts human emotions & behavior is wonderful to see.
Misery doesn't lounge around slowly building up the pace & plot. It straight away gets into the plot you came for. King builds tension throughout the plot using emotions of fear, survival, longing, loneliness, rejection & obsession to give you an edge-of-your-seat tension filled thriller/horror. The sheer suddeness of events jolt you & it was something that I loved the most in this book. The writing is quite dense, neither very vivid nor very descriptive. King strikes a perfect balance between the two to give you enough information to paint a picture in your head.
Annie Wilkes, the antogonist of the book is brilliantly written. Plot: She is obsessed with our protagonist, Paul Sheldon, who's the author of her favourite book series. She is her #1 fan. But the problem is he has ended the series and she doesn't like it. So she 'rescues' the author who's been in a car accident, I know so nice of her! And then she forces him to write another book in the series & keeps her captive. sksksksk
The 'descent into madness' trope is something King plays well with. Unlike Shining, Annie Wilkes in Misery doesn't slowly progress into madness. She is madness. She is a character your nightmares are made of. She is evil no doubt, but at times you also can't help but feel sad for her.
Highly recommend this book for horror & thriller fans.
Also recommended for people who wanna get into reading Stephen King's books. This is a great place to start.
Stephen King is a master storyteller. The way he depicts human emotions & behavior is wonderful to see.
Misery doesn't lounge around slowly building up the pace & plot. It straight away gets into the plot you came for. King builds tension throughout the plot using emotions of fear, survival, longing, loneliness, rejection & obsession to give you an edge-of-your-seat tension filled thriller/horror. The sheer suddeness of events jolt you & it was something that I loved the most in this book. The writing is quite dense, neither very vivid nor very descriptive. King strikes a perfect balance between the two to give you enough information to paint a picture in your head.
Annie Wilkes, the antogonist of the book is brilliantly written. Plot: She is obsessed with our protagonist, Paul Sheldon, who's the author of her favourite book series. She is her #1 fan. But the problem is he has ended the series and she doesn't like it. So she 'rescues' the author who's been in a car accident, I know so nice of her! And then she forces him to write another book in the series & keeps her captive. sksksksk
The 'descent into madness' trope is something King plays well with. Unlike Shining, Annie Wilkes in Misery doesn't slowly progress into madness. She is madness. She is a character your nightmares are made of. She is evil no doubt, but at times you also can't help but feel sad for her.
Highly recommend this book for horror & thriller fans.
Also recommended for people who wanna get into reading Stephen King's books. This is a great place to start.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Drug abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Confinement, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Mental illness