The #1 national bestseller about a famous novelist held hostage by his “number one fan” and suffering a frightening case of writer’s block—that could prove fatal. One of “Stephen King’s best…genuinely scary” (USA TODAY).
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).
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Sexual Content - 1/5
1/5
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Violence - 5/5
5/5
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Language - 3/5
3/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 3/5
3/5
Summary
From: Isaac Scego
Book Title: Misery
Book Author: Stephen King
What do you like about this book:
Summery::
Originally, King intended his 400-page novel, Misery, to be a short story featured in his collection Skeleton Crew. But obviously, it became much more. Misery is one of Stephen King’s most renown novels of terror, accompanied by Pet Sematary and The Shining—both of which have their share of problems. But there is a certain horrifyingly sick aspect of Annie Wilkes that makes this book so difficult to read—a childish madness that is extremely unsettling.
And although, when it comes to the sexual side of things, this novel feels quite restrained compared to King’s other works, it is one of the most disgustingly violent novels I’ve ever read. And even though some of the violence is inflicted on a crazy, female psycho-killer, there is no looking past the fact that she’s a woman screaming in pain.
In King’s own words: “If I can’t have terror, I’ll settle for horror; and if I can’t have horror, I’ll settle for the old-fashioned gross-out.” This book, however, is a distasteful combination of all three.
Sexual Content:: (1/5)
Annie’s body is described in comparison with that of a beautiful woman’s—comparing their curves (or lack thereof), bosoms, and, in an oddly sexual way, their fingers.
Paul recalls a time when his father gave him a condom to put in his wallet. And obviously, Sheldon’s novels of romance detail passionate kisses and, in some cases fondling between couples.
A man says he’ll rape a woman—read about this in Violent Content.
Violent Content:: (5/5)
Although the majority of the scares in the first half of the novel are atmospheric, pain is described in wincing detail—shatter bones and bruises and many different wounds are described without blood. A man becomes so thirsty that he actually drinks his own urine.
But, later on, we are faced with some of the worst violence I’ve ever read in a novel—by Stephen King or anyone else.
There are sequences of gory horror violence, such as: a rat being crushed in someone’s hands and the blood licked up, a man being brutally tortured, and also having one of his legs cut of with an axe. Also, a woman is beaten and someone is burned alive, which is described in the most vile and horrifically disturbing way imaginable. A man thinks that he will rape a woman, but it’s obvious that his intentions by no means entail rape—instead, he shoves crumpled pieces of paper down her throat and tells her in a crudely sexual fashion to choke on them. There are also other sequences of violent torture throughout the book—both physical and internal.
Several people are said to have died in horrific ways over the course of the story, all done with a terrible glee of enjoyment that is extremely unsettling.
Language:: (3/5)
Around 50 f-words and a handful of the s-word. There are uses of b--tard, b--ch, d--n, h--l, a--, and p--s throughout the book. D--k and c--k are each used once. D--n is used with God’s name several times, and Christ’s name is held in vain on many occasions.
Drug/Alcohol Content:: (3/5)
Paul becomes addicted to painkillers, which plays a massive part in the story. We read of Paul constantly yearning for the pills and taking them, and even putting himself in danger to get his hands on the painkillers.
Cleanliness:: 1/5
| R | Disturbing horror violence/graphic bloody and gory descriptions, language, and some drug content
Your ratings of the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use on a scale of 1-5.
Sex:1
Violence:5
Language:3
Drug/Alcohol use:3