Misery

Rating: 2.75 leaves out of 5
Characters: 3/5
Cover: 2/5
Story: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Type: Audio
Worth?: Sure

This book was very hyped by a lot of people so when I got to this book in my road trip I was excited. Then after the halfway mark it really lived up to the name. I just wished it could have ended sooner. There was only one scene, when she cut his foot off , that had me a bit shocked. Annie as a character was probably the best thing in the book. She was the definition of crazy... and to be honest I think we all have a little Annie inside of us when it comes to something we really love, but thankfully we can really reign in and control her.

Although King is probably my favourite author, I don't think any of his books have ever truly scared me. Misery finally did. So many pages where I was just horrified at what I was reading. I truly think King is at his scariest when he's not writing about evil, supernatural beings, but instead about humans. There were some slow parts here and there, and the whole "novel-within novel" thing didn't really do it for me, but the rest of the book had me hooked like Novril.

What a terrifying and gruesome story!

Misery is about an author named Paul Sheldon who had an accident after he finished writing his latest novel and later was rescued/held captive by his number one fan named Annie Wilkes on her remote house.

I like this a lot and one thing that I have to say is that I was freaking out the whole time when I was reading this book. The psychological horror in this is so strong. I kept on rooting for Paul and I feel so bad for his character especially because of the torture and trauma he had experienced. Annie's character is so terrifying and she's all around crazy. Although, the story takes place in the same setting the entire time, I was still intrigued and I wasn't bored by it.

The reason why I'm not giving it full 5 stars is because I was struggling with Stephen King's writing at the very first part of the book and I didn't care that much about the “Misery” chapters, but aside from that I have no other complaints.

Classic, beautifully crafted, favorite King's novel I've read (so far).
The way he creates suspense, with most of the novel taking place only in one room, with only 2 characters is exceptional. Book inside a book is a also fantastic, nice meta addition to this great novel. King, once again, proves he is a master of metaphor.

 Not a scary book in the traditional sense, but definitely one that I found very unsettling and the tension runs high reading it. I don't think anyone writes crazy, quite like King does. He's written a lot of nasty bad guys, supernatural boogeymen and antagonists of other sorts in his time, but Annie is definitely up there as one of the most memorable and compelling to me. A bit over the top at times mind you, but overall she's what makes the book work.

If you love psychological horror then this is one I'd definitely recommend. 

Misery is incredibly suspenseful and captivating. I love horror films and that feeling of suspense or dread that they can give you, but I never thought that I could feel that same way reading a horror novel. Misery absolutely achieves this! There were a number of times I was genuinely terrified for Paul and read on with clenched teeth and a rapid heartbeat.

My only complaint with the novel was that some of the “Misery Returns” sections of Misery took me out of the overall narrative. I understand that the monotony of the story can sometimes highlight Paul's relationship with the Misery series and how he just wants it to be over, but I think this was well conveyed without making the excerpts themselves so drawn out. I would be interested in an edit of this book that only includes the “real world” sections of the novel, and see how it compares to the original.

This book was truly terrifying. Often, I found myself taking my eyes off the page just to breathe heavily, almost reorienting myself to reality.

Annie Wilkes may represent the most terrifying and realistic portrayal of an antagonist I could ever imagine.

I loved that the protagonist was a writer. Added to King's “On Writing,” we get an interesting glimpse into the mind of a writer through Sheldon's character. For me, that element of the story was fantastic.

Finally, I loved the absence of paranormality. Typically, King delivers a strong paranormal factor in his novels. While he does this to great effect, and with incredible skill, I loved the emphasis on plausibility in this storyline.

Wow, this has gotta be peak Stephen King. My jaw literally dropped multiple times while reading this.

The main thought I have post reading this is, how much does King relates to the protagonist, Paul Sheldon? They're both authors and Paul has some interesting thoughts about his writing that I could see King having.

This is my first read of Kings and I have to say, I understand the appeal. He has a unique writing style and particular attention to detail. However, this was so repetitive that it took me over a month to finish. Every day was the same thing. I was so close to DNFing but pushed through. I'm glad I did and will definitely pick up other Stephen King books, but it felt like some action was missing. Overall a decent read.

Stephen King writes epic tales of horror with flashes of symbolism that induce panic, fear, and thoughtfulness, that needle their way into the psyche.

Misery was certifiably nuts from start to finish.

This book has no demonic cars, vampires, or reincarnated pets; what it has is much worse. It has Annie Wilkes, and she wants a happy ending to her favorite book series. Be afraid, be very afraid!