384 pages of non-stop suspense and utter horror.

Misery is set in the house of psychopath and serial killer retired nurse, Annie Wilkes, in rural Colorado. Annie encounters a car wreckage where she finds best-selling writer, Paul Sheldon, whom she then rescues and keeps captive in her secluded farm. The novel is told in the perspective of Paul who, in order to survive his imprisonment, must write a follow up to his best-selling series at the request of his number one fan, Annie Wilkes.

Stephen King delivers a terrifying and gripping story that won’t let you sleep until you witness its horrifying conclusion.

Writing

The writing is, to no surprise, exceptional. Stephen King truly is truly one of the greatest writers ever.

I recently started reading his novels and have read through fan-favourite, The Shinning, and its sequel, Doctor Sleep. I’m not going to lie, The Shinning was difficult to get through. The writing was outstanding but the story had problems with pacing and character development. It’s a classic horror story, but in my opinion, it doesn’t hold up. Doctor Sleep, on the other hand, was a joy to read and I believe added more depth and feeling to its predecessor.

Misery was exceptional in every part of its existence. King’s success and popularity as one of the greatest writers ever are 100% warranted.

Characters

Paul Sheldon is our protagonist who describes the horrors of which he experiences at the hand of our antagonist, Annie Wilkes. Paul is a complex character, at first presented as a stereotypical writer, showing traits of arrogance and egoism. As the novel progresses, Paul’s true self becomes more visible to both the reader and the character itself. It was truly fascinating delving into the mind of a writer, to discover the intricacies and details that go into creating a story. King’s description of Paul’s vivid episodic imagination is palpable through its description.

Furthermore, as the reader delves into Paul’s story to escape their reality, Paul follows suit by escaping his reality through writing. His character arch is impeccable, finding himself as a writer as he loses himself in the horror of his situation.

Annie Wilkes was a surprise to me. Female villains are fascinating and are very tough to write due to the well-known caring nature that is usually identified with the gender. During my reading, I, like Paul, kept underestimating Annie, believing she would turn a corner and not deliver in her horrific threats. I was very wrong. King delivers a truly exceptionally terrifying villain which will keep you awake at night. Leading to the story’s climax, we truly witness the evil which is Annie Wilkes which prolongs all the way to the very last pages of King’s Misery.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Misery is an exploration of crazy fandom and the power of escapism that books provide to both its creator and consumer.