Misery

by Stephen King

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Agonizing to read. Amazingly well written for the ouch-factor. I loved this book. Much better than the movie. 4 out of 5 bipolar lunatic nurses that cut off people's thumbs. (

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JennieRebecca | Jan 15, 2009 |

One of his most famous, and creepiest. (

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skinglist | Jan 11, 2009 |

Misery is a tale of isolation, loneliness and a sad woman who believes a writer creates tales just for him. Imagine her luck when he wrecks just outside of her town. Imagine her dismay when she discovers he's killed off her favorite character.My body hurts just thinking about it. (

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MontiLee | Nov 11, 2008 |

As with many of King's works, I find his books that deal with real people to be far scarier and more entertaining than the books that involve supernatural (and many times silly) monsters and beings. Gerald's Game, Dolores Claiborne, The Shining, Misery are terrifying without being ridiculous. (

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santhony | Oct 1, 2008 |

A terrific book...one of his best. And a great film, with an oustanding performance by Kathy Bates. (

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silversurfer | Aug 6, 2008 |

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Series (with order)

Canonical Title

Misery

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

Sidewinder, Colorado, USA

New York, New York, USA

Important events

Awards and honors

Bram Stoker Award (Novel, 1987)

World Fantasy Award Nominee (Novel, 1988)

New York Times bestseller (Fiction, 1987)

Guardian 1000 (Crime)

Epigraph

When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.

-- Friedrich Nietzsche

Writing does not cause misery, it is born of misery.

-- Montaigne

It's no good. I've been trying to sleep for the last half-hour, and I can't. Writing here is a sort of drug. It's the only thing I look forward to. This afternoon I read what I wrote. . . . And it seemed vivid. I know it seems vivid because my imagination fills in all the bits another person wouldn't understand. I mean, it's vanity. But it seems a sort of magic. . . . And I just can't live in this resent. I would go mad if I did.

-- John Fowles

The Collector

"You will be visited by a tall, dark stranger," the gipsy woman told Misery, and Misery, startled, realized two things at once: this was no gipsy, and the two of them were no longer alone in the tent. She could smell Gwendolyn Chastain's perfume in the moment before the madwoman's hands closed around her throat.

"In fact," the gipsy who was not a gipsy observed, "I think she is here now."

Misery tried to scream, but she could no longer even breathe.

-- Misery's Child

"It always look data way, Boss Ian," Hezekia said, "No matter how you look at her, she seem like she be lookin' at you. I doan know if it be true, but the Bourkas, dey say even when you get behin' her, the godess, she seem to be lookin' at you."

"But she is, after all, only a piece of stone, Ian remonstrated.

"Yes, Boss Ian," Hezekia agreed. "Dat what give her powah.

-- Misery's Return

Dedication

This is for Stephanie and Jim Leonard, who know why. Boy, do they.

First words

umber whunn

yerrnnn umber whunnnn

fayunnn

These sounds: even in the haze.

Quotations

"I'm your number-one fan!"

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com Amazon.com Audio Review (ISBN 0451153553, Paperback)

If Misery loves company, it's found a friend in Academy Award nominee Lindsay Crouse (The Verdict, Places in the Heart). King's ghoulish tale of psychotic "number one fan" Annie Wilkes holding her favorite author, Paul Sheldon, prisoner, unfolds in perfect pitch. Crouse switches from Sheldon to Wilkes (think Kathy Bates) to narrator with smooth, flawless transitions, making the unabridged, 12-hour reading of a writer's hell a listener's paradise. (Running time: 12 hours, eight cassettes)

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:12 -0400)

(see all 2 descriptions)

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