The first book I read by this gentleman, by this master.

I started with this book because I wanted to play it safe. I knew I was going to like it as it had everything that caught my attention.

At that time, I wasn't such an avid reader. I would read 20 or 30 pages a day. But when this book got into my hands, believe me, I couldn't stop reading. It was the first time I read more than 100 pages in a day. That's why I'm very grateful to this gentleman. It's always a pleasure to read anything he writes.

What can I say about the book that others don't know? Well, I think many of us know the story, or have heard of it, thanks to the movie (which is very well made, by the way).

Annie Wilkes is one of the best characters that could exist. And she is... Ufff, terrifyingly incredible. That woman scares me, disgusts me, makes me sad, fills me with hate, shame, and who knows how many other things. She stole all the spotlight.

I would highly recommend it, whether you're a fan of this genre or not, as it has not a hint of paranormal horror. Here, the villain is human, flesh and blood, of course.

A big fan of Stephen King and his stories.

And a big fan of this character called Annie Wilkes.

I am constantly in search of books from various genres, penned by different authors, and often succeed in uncovering some excellent ones from everyone's collection. With King, I adored the first two books, namely, The Shining and The Green Mile. Nevertheless, this one presented a strikingly different experience. To state that I didn't like it would be evident, but what's more significant is that I was alternately exasperated and bored while perusing the book. It had all the elements in terms of the premise to transform it into a superbly taut and thrilling book, yet unfortunately, it lost both in the execution. In brief, a great premise was ruined by writing that resembled a movie script, and a poor one at that. I am aware that I am disappointing numerous King fans as well as fans of this book by expressing this, but truly, King's proficiency in words and narration doesn't truly shine through in this, which genuinely makes me sad.

Let's commence with the premise - Annie Wilkes is Paul Sheldon's self-proclaimed number one fan. Annie Wilkes is a deranged psychotic for whom reality only exists in relation to her own self. Paul Sheldon is a renowned writer who has authored a series that is quite popular among people, including Annie, who adores that series. Paul遭遇 an accident, and Annie takes care of him, or so it appears. What ensues is a series of horrifyingly gory events that are the stuff of thriller/horror movies. The premise is truly captivating - a former nurse and number one fan keeping her beloved author confined within her home and compelling him to write a book for her. One can almost envision the atrocities that a psychotic individual would inflict on the other, and yet there is that palpable tension of attempting to come to terms with how far Annie would go and what Paul's reactions would be. Insofar as this is concerned, I believe the book managed it beautifully, both in maintaining its thrilling and suspenseful nature, especially in the initial part. However, somewhere in the middle, the story loses its momentum and becomes monotonous and rather predictable to the point of being absurd. You don't need to read a plethora of books or even watch a large number of movies to anticipate what would occur in such a situation and how the author or director would progress it. This was the book's first drawback.

The characters constitute the second reason for my negative review - Annie, when she was introduced, was someone I thought would be a formidable antagonist. She had the cunning of an innocent babe and the terror of a dangerous villain, but like the plot, she devolved from being dangerous to simply ridiculous. Annie's character was largely one-dimensional, or in some cases, there was an additional dimension, but she didn't feel authentic. Her actions are predictable (that word again!) and rather gory, but it lacks the underlying sense of menace that a good antagonist should possess. Her state of mind as well as her actions are too blatant. While the author has made her somewhat crafty, he makes it so obvious that as a reader, you already know what is transpiring in her mind. What bothered me the most was the fact that the author didn't赋予Annie any depth. There was no backstory aside from a few lines, no explanation as to why she was doing or had done what she did, and finally, there was no craftiness or slyness in her scenes, all of which made for a dull read for me.

Similarly, Paul was also depicted in a one-dimensional manner, with his writing and his pain being the only emotions that we witness from him. His character, however, despite being one-dimensional, exhibits a significant range of emotions, encompassing anger, rage, depression, disappointment, hatred, excitement, exhilaration, courage, and also submission. This should ideally render him a well-rounded character, and the truth is that I preferred Paul to Annie in terms of characterization, but the flaw here was that Paul was again too obvious. There was no mystery or thrill that such characters typically possess. It is an unending cycle of hurt and remorse, which culminates in a sort of grand finale that was so predictable that one knew about it even before reading it.

The writing, at least in my opinion, was not really that good either. If this had been the first book I was reading in the thriller genre or if it was my very first book, I might have enjoyed it. However, that is not the case, and unfortunately for me, the writing was too jerky in certain places and lacked tension in the latter half. Having read two other books by King and having loved both, particularly for the writing, I felt that this was a letdown, a major one at that. The writing was perfect for a movie script, and I personally believe that the movie would be far better than the book, a rare instance indeed, yet it had sufficient tension and suspense to make a great movie. However, when it comes to reading a book, it felt completely off, to the point of being ridiculous rather than gory and horrifying.

I am cognizant that a great many King fans and fans of this book will be disappointed by this review, but I have to be true to myself, and the honest truth is that I found this book to be just okay. Somewhere in the middle, I had entertained the idea of awarding it a 3-star rating, but that was again quashed by subsequent events. So this will remain a 2-star book for me. However, I encourage readers not to be swayed by my rating and to experience it for themselves. It could simply be a matter of personal preference and not an indictment of the book!

A Surprising Story... a Nightmare... as if it were written with a sharp, rusty knife, and blood drips from it onto the paper... no, but also onto your heart...

I nervously placed my hand on my heart to make sure that blood did not stick to it... it did not stop there...

As if scary shadows were following you, wrapping their arms around your neck, choking you a little and then choking you again... and so, I was always gasping, trying to catch my breath every time events followed...

She is the number one fan, she read all the author's works, but she is crazy in a dangerous way, and by chance she meets him in his car after a horrible accident, confines him in her house, and even orders him to write a story for her...

But the author does not write for anyone, when he embarks on writing, it is out of a desire to flee from the painful experience he is living and not to please that noble woman...

You will stop in front of a person's desire to hold on to life no matter how harsh, shocking, and painful it may seem...

I wondered if that woman had not been with this madness and brutality... would that author have fallen in love with her? Then the story would not have been called "Despair", or do you think that love is the other despair?!!.....

Every writer dreams of creating a character that can capture the passion and interest of the reader. However, the protagonist of the current work never imagined that the passion of one of them would reach the point of obsession and madness, and that he would pay a high price for that obsession.

The story is wonderful and creative, perhaps one of the best works of Stephen King, which opened the door to his fame, especially with its adaptation into an innovative film that still maintains its place among the lists of the best films. The translation by Ahmed Khaled Tawfiq is good, but he omitted a lot of details, which made the work lose a lot of its charm. He even changed the name of the novel without a strong justification.

I usually reserve my 5***** ratings for books that are so outstanding that I would not hesitate to read them again. However, in this particular case, I have made up my mind to never pick it up again! At page 200, when Paul discovers Annie's scrapbook of memories, my heart starts racing. As the story unfolds, I find myself completely engrossed and unable to put the book down. It is only when I have to that I am left feeling disorientated, trying to transition back to the 'normal' everyday tasks. The suspense in this book is incredibly intense, and the horror feels all too real.

Standout quotes from the book include:

"The pain was somewhere below the sounds. The pain was east of the sun and south of his ears."

"Her body was big but not generous. There was a feeling about her of clots and roadblocks rather than welcoming orifices or even open spaces, areas of hiatus."

"The climate inside her, he had come to discover, was like springtime in the Midwest. She was a woman full of tornadoes waiting to happen."

"Sometimes you get it down or it gets away" - a thought-provoking statement about the importance of writing down one's thoughts and ideas before they disappear.

"Paul thumbed the thickness of the remaining pages in Annie's book and thought Ralph Dugan should have checked his horoscope - whoops make that horrorscope - the day he proposed to Annie."

"He stared at her and felt a sick, soupy horror."

Regarding the typewriter, the author describes it as:

"Sitting here in front of this typewriter with its increasingly bad teeth....."

"the hateful Royal with its gap toothed grin."

The best book I've read by Stephen King. A masterpiece! It disturbs me and I love it.

Most kidnappings in the world are carried out for money, to prostitute the victims, for revenge, or simply due to the criminal's psychopathy. Being kidnapped means living in an unworthy and deplorable condition, and it's something that shouldn't happen in any country in the world. But what if you found a book with this main theme, and instead of feeling compassion for the hostage, a strange sense of morbid curiosity ran through your mind to keep learning more and more atrocities committed by the antagonist of this story? Although it may seem crazy, it's not. That's exactly what I lived and felt after reading this wonderful work by Stephen King. It has such macabre scenes, but at the same time so extraordinary, that it's inevitable not to confuse evil with genius. I'm aware that what I'm about to write is imprudent, considering I still have many very distinguished works of this author to read, like It, The Shining, or the Dark Tower saga, but sincerely, considering the quality of this work, I would dare to say that I just read the best work of Stephen King. Amazing!

It all started a few months ago when I was trying to decide my next reading. My options were The Godfather by Mario Puzo, The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, and precisely, The Shining by Stephen King. Three very famous novels, with a similar number of pages, which I observed carefully and hesitated because I felt a great anxiety to read those stories at that very moment, but I couldn't decide which one to read first. This is something that happens to me frequently, and that's why I try to premeditate my next readings in advance, but on that occasion, I forgot, my brain blocked, and the expected choice never appeared. That night, my courage was so affected by my indecision that I finally decided not to read anything at all. However, life and books always have beautiful surprises at the most unexpected moment. This is because that night when I was putting away those works, my eyes landed on Misery, and then minutes later, my worries disappeared, and all because without realizing it, I would start reading this story with great eagerness. Curiously, at this very moment when I'm writing this review, I remember that I still haven't read those works that I thought I would read first. That's how books are, that's the life of a reader.

It was a story that caught me from the beginning. In these first pages, it tells about the trance state that the protagonist of the story, Paul Sheldon, lives in after suffering a serious car accident. Paul feels that he is dying, and from his delicate state of health, he starts to describe in an incredible way exactly what he is seeing and feeling in those moments. From that preamble, the book completely won my attention because I discovered that this character that Stephen uses, who by the way is a writer, had a life of his own. And yes, I know, Stephen King is a genius at creating characters and making them seem real in all his stories, but this character is very different, it's unique. It's one thing for Stephen to tell you from the character the actions he takes and combine it with his conversations to harmonize his prose and not make it heavy, but it's a very different thing for the character to think for himself, imagine, deduce what is happening, draw his own conclusions, and also transmit in a gloomy way the pain, the suffering, the fear, the anguish, and the love for his work in an incredible way. Paul Sheldon is not a character with epic phrases to remember, but he is one who manages to perfectly interpret the role of a writer, helping the reader to understand all that an author has to strive for and live through to create just one work. As readers, we often ignore and forget that writing is not easy, therefore, books like this serve us to understand those people who dedicate hours, weeks, months, and years trying to create with logic and with a lot of imagination, a story that can please their readers. Yes, the book is horror, but even in the darkness there is light, in poverty there is kindness, and in a kidnapping story there is beauty because of the love for our paper friends.

But do you know what's the best part? That Paul Sheldon is not the most outstanding thing about this book. Although there is so much to highlight about this character, the best thing —without a doubt— is called Annie Wilkes. She is one of the best antagonists I've ever known in my life. She is a crazy, cruel, cold, bloodthirsty, and torturous woman, but despite everything —and as happens with many villains— her behavior and actions have a reason for being. Although it may seem crazy, in Annie's mind, killing is not synonymous with evil, it's helping others to be able to rest from the horrible world we live in. And you know what? Sometimes I can't deny that I sometimes agree with her. Still, it's not the same to kill for a moral code than to physically and mentally torture your captives; therefore, the best phrase that can describe Annie Wilkes is "That该死的狗疯了". I hope I never meet a person like her in my life, how scary it would be just to talk to someone like that!

Now, two excellent characters with such different thoughts, what do they have in common? That answer is called Misery. Misery is a female character from a series of books that Paul Sheldon creates and that are very popular all over the world. The problem is that Paul —like Arthur Conan Doyle with his very famous Sherlock Holmes— is tired of his character and can't stand writing more about her, so he has decided to end his most popular character. His dislike is because the works where Misery doesn't appear are not taken into account, and Paul wants to be recognized for something more than being the creator of that emblematic woman. But Paul has a much bigger problem, and that problem is that after his car accident, he appears in Annie Wilkes' house, who says she is his number one fan, precisely because of creating Misery. How will they get along? That's the interesting part of the book, to discover it. Maybe you can suspect it, but you have no idea the crazy things that happen in that house.

As for the prose, I also liked it very much. Here, Stephen uses short chapters —like in 22/11/63— so it's very attractive for the reader never to stop reading. An hour passes and you don't notice, two pass and you get excited, three pass and you lose control: It's crazy. In addition, writing a story with short chapters usually turns a book that could be dense into a light and very addictive one, so this story is read very quickly despite its 400 pages. Another interesting aspect of the prose are the sections where fragments of Paul Sheldon's novels are presented. These chapters are very special because there Stephen completely changes his literary style, and even those pages don't seem to be written by him, but by Paul Sheldon himself. Doing something like this is very difficult, but here, this author shows his true gift for writing. He is a true genius.

I must admit that in some chapters I thought the story was going from better to worse, and that the work had transformed from a horror book to a mystery one. But once I continued advancing, I understood that they were just transition pages because later, in the last third, everything becomes as impactful and terrifying as in previous chapters. Likewise, I also confess that in the first pages I didn't know if to think that Paul was a visionary, or if that was really his way of analyzing the situation. Initially, I thought that Paul's attitude would be a flaw, but later it became clear to me that it wasn't. These are small details that could be considered as "defects", but they are so insignificant that it's incredible that I haven't been able to find a major flaw in any aspect of this novel. Really, Stephen has done a job of another level, works like this are very difficult to equal or surpass.

Sometimes I think it's more difficult to give a neutral opinion, and without offending, about a book that I didn't like, but then, on occasions like this, I reflect and understand that it's not always the case. I loved this novel, but I suffered a lot, a lot trying to write about this spectacular book, and all because the mere mention of this story —or of any of the characters— makes me feel the need to start giving spoilers without control. Believe me, it's very difficult to control myself, trying to suppress words is a great torture; it's so difficult that two days after finishing reading it, I tried to recommend it to my brother, but without meaning to, I ended up telling him everything: I'm sorry dear brother. I know that Misery is a very famous movie from 1990 and that maybe many people know the story because of that film, but even so, there is no justification for spoiling those who for different reasons never saw the movie and know absolutely nothing about this novel. Therefore, for those people, I want to recommend that they don't watch the movie, not without first reading this book. In my case, I never saw the movie because when I was a child, in my home we only had one TV and we didn't usually watch horror movies for fear of having nightmares. But immediately when I finished this reading, I searched for the movie on the Internet, downloaded it, watched it, and although I can't deny that it's a great adaptation, sincerely it has no comparison with this book: The book is a thousand times better, it's that simple. The other recommendation is for those who have never read Stephen King but feel interested in doing so to get to know the "master of horror". I know that this author has many works, and面对这样一个庞大的目录, it's very difficult to choose which one to read, but if what you're looking for is a story that catches you, impacts you, and is easy and addictive to read, then this book is what you're looking for. You won't regret it, I promise you, you won't regret it for a single second.

I finish completely satisfied, I will reread it无数times in the future, and naturally, I will continue reading many of Stephen King's works. I know that very probably none of his works will make me feel what I've lived with this reading, but there's still a long way to explore, and I know that I'm going to enjoy his other works. Highly recommended book.

Welcome to the fan club of nightmares, where Annie Wilkes reigns supreme.

Author Paul Sheldon's biggest fan, Annie, takes her devotion to a whole new and terrifying level. In this story, King delves deep into the darker recesses of obsessive fandom and the complex human psyche.

It is possibly my favorite Stephen King book that I have read thus far. The movie adaptation is also a worthy one, capturing the essence and intensity of the original work.

The tale of Annie Wilkes and her twisted relationship with Paul Sheldon is a chilling exploration of the extremes that obsession can drive a person to. King's masterful storytelling keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, constantly wondering what Annie will do next.

Whether you prefer the book or the movie, "Misery" is a must-read and must-see for any fan of psychological thrillers. It will leave you with a sense of unease and a newfound appreciation for the power of obsession.

I am in a difficult situation here. This woman is not normal.

Paul Sheldon, the renowned best-selling author of the Misery novels, has a harrowing experience when he is rescued from a car accident by his most devoted fan, Annie Wilkes. As the former nurse takes care of him in her secluded home, she discovers that he has killed off the beloved character Misery in his latest novel. Enraged, Annie decides to hold Paul captive and forces him to write Misery back to life.

I have read numerous Stephen King books long before the era of Bookstagram and Goodreads. Consequently, I have never written a proper review for these books. However, revisiting them through readalongs and listening to audiobooks while running or at the gym has given me the opportunity to do so. Unfortunately, when I revisited Misery in the form of an audiobook, I was not overly impressed. The narrator did an excellent job of bringing the truly deranged character of Annie Wilkes to life, but at times, the story felt monotonous and boring. Nevertheless, I am certain that the actual book is much better.

Similar to Gerald's Game, the events of this book mainly unfold in a single location. Ordinarily, this would bore me to death, but King has an uncanny ability to capture your attention and keep you hooked. That being said, there are still some dull parts in the book, but they are few and far between. It is truly impossible to look away during the intense interactions between Annie and poor Paul Sheldon. Anytime Annie is on the scene, she steals the show. It is only during the parts where it's just Paul's meandering thoughts that I would sometimes zone out. This aspect is much better portrayed in the movie, in my opinion.

Another advantage of the movie is that it cuts out the parts where Paul is writing his new Misery book. To be honest, I have never cared less about anything in my life. I simply do not have the slightest interest. This is fine when reading the book as you can quickly skim over these sections. However, it is much more challenging when listening to the audiobook. I truly believe that this is one of those rare cases where the movie is far superior to the book. It takes the great story that King has crafted and simplifies it into a highly effective movie.

Annie Wilkes is one of King's most iconic characters, and the story is one of his most terrifying. What makes it so scary is that there are no supernatural monsters or creatures. Annie is a completely human and百分之百 crazy. She also adds a touch of humor to the story (at least for me). I can't help but laugh when she goes on rants about various things. And the scene with the axe is one of the most nail-biting, stressful, and cringe-worthy moments I have ever read in a book.

I really like Misery, but I don't seem to hold it in as high regard as many other die-hard King fans. I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly. I just know that it wouldn't make it onto my top 20 list. I guess I never really had a personal connection with it, whereas so many other King books evoke a wide range of emotions in me. So, it just slips down the list a bit. I do think it would be a great starting point for new King fans, as it is not overly scary. It is more of a psychological thriller, a nice introduction to Mr. King's works.

3.5 stars.

Two Sundays ago, our family endured a truly harrowing emergency situation. Fortunately, tragedy was averted, but I'm less than eager to admit that my arm was broken in the process.

A broken arm is a small price to pay for the safety of the whole family, yet it's also an excruciatingly painful experience. And, being the overachiever that I am, I managed to break my arm in the "most painful way possible." Now, I'm relegated to a diet of bone broth, have limited mobility (to avoid the need for surgery), and am reduced to typing with my left hand, one finger at a time (damn it!).

As my convalescence began 10 long days ago, I found myself not only in physical pain and discomfort but also surprisingly more and more weepy. Melancholic, I believe they call it. This is so not my norm. A cheerful friend was quickly flustered by my new, dark voice and demeanor and offered to bring me some "upbeat romantic comedies and light, humorous reads from the library."

"Fuck that," I cheerfully responded. "I'm reading Stephen King's Misery."

Misery, in case you've been living under a rock or were just born, is one of Mr. King's most famous novels. Although I'm a devoted fan of the King (and a total literary snob, by the way), I've always avoided his "horror" novels. I thought I knew what to expect from Misery after watching the movie, but I'm so glad I finally read it. As usual, the book offers an entirely different experience.

The basic premise, without giving away any major plot spoilers, is this: A 42-year-old, twice divorced novelist named Paul Sheldon, who has become famous for a series he created (but loathes) called Misery, finishes a new manuscript (in a hotel just 15 minutes from my house!), and celebrates his original, non-Misery related writing achievement by drinking copious amounts of champagne. He then mistakenly heads out, drunk, into a winter storm and badly crashes his car on a mountain road near the fictional town of Sidewinder, Colorado.

Paul is severely injured. Left on his own in the storm, without immediate medical attention, he would most likely have died. Fortunately for him, a former nurse discovers his recently crashed car, brings him home, and nurses him back to consciousness. When Paul "wakes" to his new reality, he is grateful to the nurse, the indomitable Annie Wilkes, but he is also terrified and confused when he sees his mangled legs. Why hasn't she called for help?

It turns out that Annie is a real psychopath. She's his "number one fan," and no outside help will be needed for Paul's poor legs, which are pointing every which way but loose.

Mr. King introduces us to Annie in a vivid and disturbing way:

She was a big woman who, other than the large but unwelcoming swell of the cardigan sweater she always wore, seemed to have no feminine curves at all—there was no defined roundness of hip or buttock or even calf below the endless succession of wool skirts she wore in the house (she retired to her unseen bedroom to put on jeans before doing outside chores). Her body was big but not generous. There was a feeling about her of clots and roadblocks rather than welcoming orifices or even open spaces, areas of hiatus.

Paul quickly realizes he's in a difficult situation, but he also mistakenly believes himself to be in the worst mental and physical pain of his life: There comes a point when the very discussion of pain becomes redundant. No one knows there is pain the size of this in the world. No one. It is like being possessed by demons. (I can relate, Paul!).

It doesn't take Paul long to understand that the current pain he's in is nothing compared to what's to come. He's barely begun his journey with Annie before he recognizes that she was a woman full of tornadoes waiting to happen, and if he had been a farmer observing a sky which looked the way Annie's face looked right now, he would have at once gone to collect his family and herd them into the storm cellar.

But Paul doesn't have a family. Not really. He has 2 ex-wives, no kids, no siblings, and parents who are only mentioned in the past tense. He's a loner, a lonely writer who wonders if anyone out there will even care enough to conduct a search for him.

And here's the heart of the matter for me: I fell in love with him.

Paul's sadness, his journey, the depth of his suffering and grief are so palpable, so believable. We get to delve deep into his psyche, learn about his foibles and flaws, and even pick up some valuable writing lessons along the way.

Mr. Sheldon quickly earned a place in my heart as my second favorite "King character" (second only to Jake Epping from 11/22/63).

So, you may be wondering... How gruesome does this get?

It is gruesome, but only one scene truly made me sick to my stomach.

And, you may be wondering... Five stars, Julie? Really? Is it really that good?

Yes. Other than a slightly cheesy lull in the middle, when the reader is taken down Memory Lane and most of Annie Wilkes's backstory is a bit too conveniently spoon-fed to us, it's that good.

It's not 11/22/63, and it's not Lonesome Dove, but storytelling doesn't get much better than this, nor does it need to.

(Entire review typed with the pointer finger of my left hand.)

The number one fan
The number one fear
The number one crazy person
The number one hell
The number one tortured
The number one lady

Yes, I was a lot of things
I am the character that every writer fears
I am the character that every writer must read before writing any novel

Beware of the number one fan

Beware if you decide to write a series and in a moment of anger or boredom you kill the main character and end the series

Beware, perhaps you will have an accident and find me

At that time..

Most of your imagination will be a comedy film compared to what I can do

As dispensers of TLC, nurses can truly shine.

However, just like in any other specific group of people, there are bound to be some bad apples in the barrel.

Take Annie Wilkes for example. She is sly, cunning, and completely mad.

Under her care is author Paul Sheldon, who has been severely injured in a car accident.

The catch is that no one knows he is in her house.

This is the stuff that true horror is made of, and it is achieved without a hint of the supernatural.

Insanity and its workings are on full display.

Annie, speaking in a singsong baby voice (dirty birdie, cockadoodie, kaka), cleans up yucky messes and refers to Paul as Mister Man, sometimes Mister Smart Guy.

Oh, and she's his Number One Fan.

Despite her attentive ministrations, it would be unwise to make her angry.

It's truly terrifying.

A list of things this book was:

- Disgusting. The content was truly revolting and made it hard to stomach at times.

- Disturbing. It had elements that really messed with my mind and left me feeling uneasy.

- Surprisingly a quick read. Despite its flaws, I found myself breezing through the pages.

- Really fond of using sexual assault as a metaphor. This was not only inappropriate but also quite concerning.

- Harmfully stereotypical in terms of race. The references and setting related to Africa were extremely one-sided and inaccurate.

- Harmfully stereotypical in terms of gender. The constant portrayal of the man going to work and the woman staying home was outdated and offensive.

- Honestly just pretty hateful toward women. There were several instances where women were depicted in a negative light.

- All for using the n word without blinking, apparently. This was completely unacceptable and showed a lack of respect for others.

A list of things this book was not:

- Scary. I was expecting to be scared out of my wits, but it just didn't have that effect on me.

- All that great of a read for me. Overall, I was quite disappointed with the book.

Bottom line: I guess I get the Stephen King appeal. But, uh. NOT A FAN.

Note from future me: If you're a Stephen King fan and you feel like writing at length in the comments of this about why I'm wrong and you're a Correct Intellectual, consider, instead, writing me a letter and then throwing that letter right in the garbage (either way, I'm not going to read it).

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PRE-REVIEW

Okay, Stephen King. Time to show me what all the fuss is about.

(In other words: this is my first Stephen King book and I'm ready to scream in fear.)