Misery: A Novel
The #1 New York Times bestseller about a famous novelist held hostage in a remote location by his “number one fan.” One of “Stephen King’s best…genuinely scary” (USA TODAY). Adapted into the classic film Misery (1990).
Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has finally met his number one fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes, and she is more than a rabid reader—she is Paul’s nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also furious that the author has killed off her favorite character in his latest book. Annie becomes his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house.
Annie wants Paul to write a book that brings Misery back to life—just for her. She has a lot of ways to spur him on. One is a needle. Another is an axe. And if they don’t work, she can get really nasty.
“Terrifying” (San Francisco Chronicle), “dazzlingly well-written” (The Indianapolis Star), and “truly gripping” (Publishers Weekly), Misery is “classic Stephen King...full of twists and turns and mounting suspense” (The Boston Globe).
Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has finally met his number one fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes, and she is more than a rabid reader—she is Paul’s nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also furious that the author has killed off her favorite character in his latest book. Annie becomes his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house.
Annie wants Paul to write a book that brings Misery back to life—just for her. She has a lot of ways to spur him on. One is a needle. Another is an axe. And if they don’t work, she can get really nasty.
“Terrifying” (San Francisco Chronicle), “dazzlingly well-written” (The Indianapolis Star), and “truly gripping” (Publishers Weekly), Misery is “classic Stephen King...full of twists and turns and mounting suspense” (The Boston Globe).
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *Misery* is a gripping psychological thriller with intense, vivid writing that immerses you fully in the claustrophobic, nerve-wracking st...
Misery is a masterpiece of horror and psychological thriller that showcases Stephen King at the peak of his narrative craft. The novel builds relentless tension around a powerful and, for every writer, visceral idea: what happens when a reader's admiration turns into a destructive obsession? My more-than-positive evaluation recognizes the perfection of its suspense mechanism, the depth of its themes, and the unforgettable figure of Annie Wilkes.
It has a very dark, intense and thrilling vibe to it, it gets slow at times but you will never stop wondering what's gonna happen next in this specific book especially when it comes to the unpredictable character of the sort of antagonist of this book
The horror in this book is not supernatural, but the dark side of humans. The protagonist isn't a "good" guy by definition and that's what I love about Stephen King. The characters are deep and facetted and the story is captivating from the beginning to the end. A really great read!
I’m not going to go into the details of the book because so much is know of it already.
I loved this story. It is the kind of horror that gets me because there are so many people in this world who are not right. That is terrifying to me. This book made me so tense because I was never certain about what Annie was going to do next!
Out of all the King books I have read thus far, this one is easily in my top three!
I loved this story. It is the kind of horror that gets me because there are so many people in this world who are not right. That is terrifying to me. This book made me so tense because I was never certain about what Annie was going to do next!
Out of all the King books I have read thus far, this one is easily in my top three!
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.