A Super Intense Thriller

This is an extremely intense thriller that makes me vividly envision Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes, brutally inflicting her horrors on Paul Sheldon. The movie is indeed scary, but the book takes the terror to a whole new level! Poor Paul has to endure more than one pre-op procedure that was not included in the movie. This completely catches me by surprise and adds an extra layer of horror to the story. It's truly one of the scariest and best Stephen King novels I've read so far. The detailed descriptions and the psychological torment that Paul goes through are simply hair-raising. I can't recommend this book enough to thriller fans.

An intense, graphic, and horrifying story awaits you in "Misery." It will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I've read several thrillers this year, but let me tell you, nothing comes close to this one. Not even remotely.

He was a writer, and she was his number one fan. She pulled him out of a car wreck, brought him home, and splinted and set his mangled legs. In return, all he had to do was write a very special book, just for her, about her favorite heroine from his novels.

The story has many layers. There's the story within the plot that Paul writes, Annie's backstory, and several metaphors used by King throughout the book. There's also a good amount of humor. Almost the entire story takes place inside a room, inside a house. Paul remains confined to a bed for a significant amount of time, so we get to follow his thoughts and conscience. I never once felt that the story was being stretched or boring, even when nothing seemed to be happening for a while. It still managed to be engaging. And although there are no supernatural elements involved, it can be truly scary at times.

The characterisation in "Misery" is spot-on. The two main characters, Annie Wilkes and Paul Sheldon, are brought to life vividly. Annie is a monster, a flesh and blood one, and those are the worst kind. She's crazy, and King makes her unforgettable. She seemed so real that I half-expected her to step off the page. Paul Sheldon is also a well-written character. I felt real empathy for him as he was trapped in the house with Annie coming apart at the seams. The scenes where they interacted were incredibly intense.

I found the plot in "Misery" very believable and quite frightening. It's easy to imagine what could happen if a writer or someone famous became a prisoner of their "number one fan" who happened to be psychotic. In some ways, I found "Misery" even more disturbing because there's nothing supernatural in it. The plot is plausible, and that makes it even more unsettling. There probably is a crazy fan out there a lot like Annie Wilkes.

This was my first Stephen King book, and what an incredible ride it was! King hits all the right notes with this one. The characterisation is excellent, and he turns it into something truly special. There are a few gory scenes that make me cringe, but even these moments are compelling and well-written. I think the execution of this book was as perfect as it could have been.

This is a tough story that revolves around an abusive and immoral individual. Their actions have had a lasting and profound impact on those around them. It's a narrative that is difficult to stomach and gets only 5 out of 10 stars from me.

The details of the abuse and immorality are disturbing and make it a challenge to get through the story. One can't help but feel sympathy for the victims who have had to endure such treatment.

Despite the difficult subject matter, the story does manage to shed light on the consequences of such behavior. It serves as a reminder of the importance of treating others with kindness and respect.

Overall, while it's not an easy read, it does have some value in making us aware of the lasting impact that one person's actions can have on others. However, it's not a story that I would recommend lightly, given its disturbing nature.

Have you ever desired to be famous? Well, this book might just make you think twice because you could wind up with some truly crazy fans!

Original rating: Four Stars

2022 Reread rating: Four Stars (maybe 4.5)

I can't recall precisely how long ago I read this, but Misery is one of those King books that constantly lingers in my thoughts. In fact, I'd even dare to say that it's probably one of King's most iconic and culturally relevant works, especially due to the 1990 movie starring James Caan and Kathy Bates. It's for this reason that it's one of those King stories that you're likely to know even if you've never read it. (The other one that comes to my mind in a similar vein is Carrie).

This is a genuinely suspenseful book that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout. Some parts might seem a bit repetitive, but that appears to be more about prolonging the suspense rather than anything else. Moreover, it's one of those books where you might find yourself cheering, booing, and/or screaming out loud as you read.

Often, in my reviews, I mention whether I think first-time King readers would enjoy a particular book or if it's a good starting point for new King enthusiasts. With its plot, you'll encounter a few classic King tropes (mainly the main character being a writer), and it's not one of his overly long and complex books (like The Stand or IT) that might be a bit too overwhelming if you're not already a fan. I've known several people who have read very few King books but have read Misery and they really enjoyed it. So, I believe it could be a decent place to begin if you're looking to explore his works.

Misery. When people see this title, Kathy Bates and her unforgettable portrayal of Annie Wilkes often spring to mind first. However, Stephen King's brutally intense novel has much more to offer than just this iconic villain.

In a story that hinges on perspective, King introduces us to the mental torture games that Paul Sheldon, the main point-of-view character, must endure. As the novel progresses, the nagging knowledge that the next event is unpredictable torments both the reader and the protagonist. This story has become so deeply ingrained in pop culture that it's almost impossible not to have some idea of what it's about. Yet, the increasingly terrifying revelations of how far both characters are willing to go never fail to shock.

King has a penchant for writing about writers, perhaps drawing inspiration from the adage to write about what you know. And he surely knows how to empathize with the writer's perspective. Paul Sheldon may not be a likeable character, but that's not necessary. What he endures is something no one would wish on their worst enemy.

Perhaps the most interesting aspects of Misery emerge when King delves into the creative aspects of the writing process. He explores the struggles, concerns, pressure, and doubts that come with writing a book. Beyond the kidnapping premise, it's highly likely that King infused this story with many autobiographical elements, whether it's his own writing experience or his drug-related history, which also features prominently in the narrative of Misery. To my surprise, King delved into some significantly darker and bleaker territories than I initially expected. But there's no denying that he poured all his concentrated passion as a writer into this story. It's a thrilling page-turner, to be sure, but it also provides a fascinating look at distorted perception and morbid obsession.

¡JOYA!

Una de las mejores antagonistas que he visto. Es realmente escalofriante. Todo lo que se necesita para tener una novela de suspenso psicológico maravillosa está en Misery. Esta novela te sumerge en un mundo de terror y tensión, donde la protagonista se encuentra atrapada con una antagonista que es completamente desquiciada.

La antagonista, Joya, es un personaje fascinante y aterrador. Tiene una personalidad compleja y una mente trastornada que la hace muy peligrosa. Sus acciones y decisiones son impredecibles, lo que le da un toque de misterio y suspense a la historia.

Misery es una novela que te mantiene al borde de tu asiento desde el principio hasta el final. La trama es intrigante y la escritura es excelente. Si eres un amante del género de suspenso psicológico, definitivamente tienes que leer esta novela.

**Spooktober 2021: A Review of "Misery"**

Spooktober 2021 has brought me to my first book of the month!

I rate it 3 and a half stars, rounded up.

Even without prior knowledge of "Misery" through the book or the famous movie, I was familiar with the story. Naturally, I thought I knew what to expect. However, to my surprise, this book had many tricks up its sleeve!

For those who may not know, this is the tale of Paul Sheldon, the author of a successful series of historical romances starring Misery Chastain. But Paul doesn't hold these books in high regard. He views them as commercial junk that allows him to work on his "real" literature. After completing what he believes is his best work yet, Paul goes on a celebratory binge and decides to hit the road. Unfortunately, a combination of champagne and a Colorado blizzard leads to a predictable car accident. But Paul doesn't die in his car. Instead, he is rescued by Annie Wilkes, a nurse and his number 1 fan. She takes him not to the hospital but to her isolated home to care for him. But when she discovers the latest Misery novel, which ends with the heroine's tragic death, she is far from happy... and she's determined to make Paul fix it!

I adored Paul's inner monologue, his frustration with Annie for not understanding literature beyond his cash-cow historical romances. The way King inserted genuine writers' pet peeves into one of his most iconic novels is truly brilliant. It makes "Misery" both a terrifying story and a fascinating peek into King's mind as he writes, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I typically prefer King's more concise novels, as they usually have a tighter pacing and don't wander too much. In this regard, "Misery" is the perfect length. It's a clever book, but it also contains elements of torture porn. Fortunately, King knew when to draw the line, preventing it from becoming repetitive.

Obviously, this book was written long before the era of Internet fan communities. But reading it in 2021, I couldn't help but see it as a story about toxic fandom. While I limit my online presence to Goodreads, I've heard plenty about how crazy some so-called fans can get when their favorite content doesn't go as they期望. King wrote this before fan input had any real impact on the creation of movies, TV shows, and books. But it still sent a shiver down my spine to think about what some of the online "number 1 fans" might do if they got their hands on Kevin Feige or JJ Abrams. There have always been obsessive fans (King even mentions Conan Doyle's experience with public outrage when he tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes), but the Internet has given those who invest so much of their identity into fictional characters a platform to express themselves, and I find that a bit unsettling.

As with my previous experiences with King novels, I was entertained by the story but not overly impressed with the prose. I love his creative stories and his strange imagination, but they never quite capture my heart. Still, this is one of the better ones I've read so far.

Happy Spooktober!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ½

Genre: Horror + Thriller

After a harrowing car crash, the renowned romance novelist Paul Sheldon finds himself in the clutches of Annie Wilkes, an obsessed superfan. She adores his character, Misery Chastain, with an almost fanatical passion. When Paul reveals in his latest book that he has killed off Misery, Annie snaps and holds him captive. She demands that he rewrite the story to her satisfaction. As Paul endures both mental and physical torture, he must find a way to break free from Annie's control and regain control of his own narrative.

I came to the book already well-versed in the entire tale, having watched the movie adaptation starring Kathy Bates countless times. Reading the book did not disappoint in the slightest. In fact, I believe the movie is one of the finest adaptations of a Stephen King novel. Throughout my reading, I couldn't help but envision Kathy Bates' remarkable performance and hear her distinctive voice in my mind.

The author masterfully focuses on just two characters throughout the story, yet it never feels monotonous or tiresome. This story expertly blends realistic horror with intense thrills, keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The dialogue between the characters crackles with intensity and unpredictability, filled with emotional depth and unexpected twists.

The sections of the book that centered on Misery's story were limited and, unfortunately, failed to resonate with me. Unlike Annie, who seemed to be completely fixated on Misery and her tale, I found them rather uninteresting. Fortunately, the novel didn't linger on Misery's story for too long, so it didn't overly detract from my overall enjoyment.

If you are a lover of psychological horror and don't mind the story unfolding in a single setting, this is the perfect read for you. Moreover, reading it during the winter season makes you feel like a silent character in the story! Highly recommended.

Y'all, Uncle Stevie used this book to work out some of his feelings he has about his Constant Readers (fans). Annie Wilkes is likely how Stephen King viewed his readers at that time. I understand that some of us fans can be a bit crazy. I can't guarantee that if Beyonce's car were to crash near my house, I won't keep her hostage.

I just might do that.

Misery is probably the third scariest Stephen King novel I've read. I'm always more scared of things that can actually happen. Stalkers are real, and so are dangerously ill superfans. Paul Sheldon could be any of us, especially considering all the people we come into contact with on social media. We don't know the effect we have on people who aren't "all there".

Annie Wilkes is a superfan of author Paul Sheldon's most famous book series, which follows the life of the heroine Misery Chastain. Annie Wilkes is also an extremely dangerous woman with a very, very dark history. Unfortunately for Paul, when he's injured in a car accident, Annie Wilkes finds him and brings him back to her home to nurse him back to health. Since it's Stephen King, I think you can guess that things quickly go horrifically wrong.

I loved this book, and while I haven't seen the movie, I just can't imagine it being better than the book (though Kathy Bates is amazing in everything she does). Misery is a chilling, at times uncomfortable to read, nerve-jangling (I stole that last one from the Kirkus review on the back of the book) descent into true horror. Nobody does horror like Uncle Stevie.

A must-read!

The Final Chapter February book of the month.

Reading Vlog/Review: https://youtu.be/OfkfnkeksdI

4.5⭐

Pro tip: Skip every chapter about the book-within-the-book. It doesn't serve the plot. It's boring, sometimes handwritten and impossible to read. Save yourself the extra time.

I equally recommend the audio and physical book experience. Both give their unique spin.

While I didn't care at all about Misery or her dumbass love interest, I absolutely adored Paul Sheldon and Annie Wilkes. They are such deeply developed characters.

If you had told me before starting this that Paul Sheldon would become one of my favorite main characters I'd ever read, I would have shown you a picture of Kathy Bates and laughed in your face. But, here we are.

Paul Sheldon vs. Annie Wilkes is a beautiful and gut-punching depiction of Stephen King vs. Addiction. It is told so vividly. It is relentless, never-tiring, sadistic, illogical, sad and yet somehow sweet.

Though I have never given a Stephen King book a full 5 stars, I really like the man/author. This look into his brain was such a delight. The warped way his mind creates a story was so entertaining to read. There aren't many minds like King's.

I did dock it half a star for the following reasons:

1. The N-word. King, just stop.

2. "Raped him full of her breath" excuse me, what?

3. The story-within-the-story.

There are two paragraphs in this book that really affected me. I read them multiple times back to back and later came back to the pages to do it all again. I want to document them here for later reference...

"Can you, Paul?
Yeah. That's how I survive. Because I can, and it's not something to apologize for, goddammit. There are lots of guys out there who write a better prose line than I do and who have a better understanding of what people are really like and what humanity is supposed to mean - hell, I know that. But when counsellor asks 'Did he?' about those guys, sometimes only a few people raise their hands. But they raise their hands for me...or for Misery...and in the end I guess they're both the same. Can I? Yeah. You bet I can. There's a million things in this world I can't do. Couldn't hit a curve ball, even back in high school. Can't fix a leaky faucet. Can't roller-skate or make an F-chord on the guitar that sounds like anything but shit. I have tried twice to be married and couldn't do it either time. But if you want me to take you away, to scare you or involve you or make you cry or grin, yeah. I can. I can bring it to you and keep bringing it until you holler uncle. I am able. I CAN."

"So he promised to be good because he didn't want to be forced to eat any of the special candle but also because mostly because surely because Annie was great Annie was good let us thank her for our food including that we don't have to eat girls just wanna have fun but something wicked this way comes please don't make me eat my thumb Annie the mom Annie the goddess when Annie's around you better stay honest she knows when you've been sleeping she knows when you're awake she knows if you've been bad or good so be good for goddess' sake you better not cry you better not pout but most of all you better not scream don't scream don't scream don't..."

Misery is truly a remarkable novel. In my view, it is almost a flawless piece of psychological horror fiction.

A renowned novelist遭遇了一场车祸，当他在一张陌生的床上醒来，身处一个陌生的房子里，却发现照顾他恢复健康的人是他的“头号粉丝”。然而，这个“粉丝”并不喜欢他的上一部小说，因为在那部小说中，他杀死了她最喜欢的角色。于是，恐怖就此开始……

一场智慧、力量和毅力的较量在保罗·谢尔登和安妮·威尔克斯之间展开。在这场游戏中，存在着不同程度的精神疾病和疯狂。同时，它也深入探讨了作为一名作家意味着什么以及随之而来的一切，感觉金在这本书中融入了很多自己的经历。但紧张的气氛始终存在，幽闭恐惧症和对即将到来之事的恐惧弥漫其中。

安妮·威尔克斯是一个令人毛骨悚然的女人，她是一个精心塑造的角色，充满了微妙的情绪变化，从有些沮丧到完全疯狂。由于这些不断变化的情绪，房子里始终弥漫着紧张的气氛，威胁迫在眉睫，安妮今天会是什么情绪呢？

这部小说从头到尾都让我着迷，每次因为生活琐事不得不停止阅读时，我都迫不及待地想回到这个精彩的恐怖故事中，真是一次奇妙的旅程。斯蒂芬·金再次证明了他是一位讲故事的大师，我还有很多他的书要读，我迫不及待地想看看他下次会带我去哪里。

"Misery" is probably my favorite book by King so far.

Although it is shorter than most of his books, it is also more fluid. But above all, it has one of the best and most terrifying characters I have ever read.

Paul is a writer who spent years tied to a series of books he hated, so he is happy to have finished and be able to dedicate himself to the stories he likes. However, when he has an accident and wakes up in Annie Wilkes' house and she tells him that she is his biggest fan, things become more surreal than in any of his stories.

I have to start with Annie because she is terrible and wonderful. At times, I hated her so much that I wanted to scratch her face with my nails, and in a few moments, I felt some pity for her, more because of how pathetic her existence was than for her herself. She is one of the best villains I have read. The characters who believe they are good and do everything out of altruism are the worst, the most detestable, and Annie is all that and more. She is a woman, frankly, bad. Her indifference to death, her way of blaming others for her outbursts, everything about her is wonderfully complex and twisted.

Although Paul is the one who tells us the story, Annie is our protagonist and, at the same time, the protagonist of his life. She becomes his fears, his goal, his hatred, his everything. I liked Paul's voice. It was noticeable that he was a writer by the way he saw things. I liked his ramblings due to pain, how he took refuge in memories, how he distorted reality by his own dreams mixed with memories. At one point, he had his way of seeing Annie (as a goddess), and the whole process to get to that point was the most rational.

The most interesting thing is that Paul, in some macabre way, needed Annie to get his life back on track and discover that passion for writing that he had lost because of success and money. The symbiotic relationship between them was as twisted as it was wonderful. In the same way, Paul learned more and more about Annie over time. He learned to read her as if she were a character and learned to control her, although in many cases it didn't go well.

"Misery" is one of the books by King that has caused me the most turmoil because Annie is real. Annie can exist. In fact, Annie exists. There are Annies in the world, and that idea is disturbing. Here there is no magic, no indigenous rituals, no vampires, only simple and pure human evil, and that is what turned out to be so terrifying in the end. It is an evil without logic. You couldn't appeal to common sense because Annie saw the world through different lenses. You had to understand her to know how to interact with her and understand your own moral limits.

"Misery" seemed fascinating and terrifying to me. I wanted to keep reading/listening to find out what would happen next while at the same time being terrified of thinking about what Annie would do now. Although the book has the prose typical of King, it is less descriptive than his more recent works and tends to repeat less, despite the moments when Paul is so drugged that his mind just wanders senselessly. Since those moments were justified.