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Summary: You'll never think of snow in the same way again!
Review: Stephen King has produced here what can only be desribed as pure brilliance. This is such a clever novel. Within the book we see the intriguing process of trying to begin to write, and also of the authors struggle to stave off his pain and frustration at being imprisoned. King's creation of Annie is fantastic;we have a character who is both dangerous and 'kind'( in a nursey way!). In this, the reader is, at times, not sure whether to fear her or trust her at any one time. Annie's split personality lends the novel an aura of constant change. This is what makes the pain and suffering so real.I strongly recommend this book. Even if you do become put off by the trauma that Paul suffers, you will be blown away by King's talent for making the heart beat just that little bit faster.
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Summary: the writer within a book part 2
Review: Sheldon is forced to write during his stay with Annie and becomes convinced that he will be killed, not simply tortured, if he does not perform this action exactly to Annie's specifications. These specifications are symbolic of what Sheldon believes the majority of readers wish from his works, the main difference is that Annie is in complete control to enforce her will on Paul. This will forces the writing in a direction not completely agreeable to the author. This may be symbolic of how readers can enforce their will upon a popular writer as the author's novels depend upon this reception. The unpublished novel that Paul brings with him to Annie's house is Fast Cars, a story that he believes is of Pulitzer Prize quality. He also believes that while this work is of this quality, its popular reception will be lukewarm. This work is poorly received by its first reviewer, Annie, who responds by burning it. Instead Annie forces Paul to revive his Misery series to produce Misery's Return. The Misery series is essentially written for mass entertainment as King's works are and Annie is extremely appreciative of the return of Misery. This is an extreme but easily understood example of how an author who has gained the title of "popular" has difficulties in shedding this stigma. The value of an extremely loyal fan base is difficult to compromise. The reader gains an insight into why and how a writer of King's type is able to write his novels. Paul makes it quite clear that his writing gifts were in no way a result of his doings. He repeatedly points out that from a very young age he had a very "strong imagination." As in King and Paul's case this gift may not have been matched with the best possible public figure. The creation of Annie's novel also illustrates how even with their gifts novelists struggle with the problems of satisfying the needs of logic and reality, even in a world where supernatural forces exist. Through these issues the public can gain an insight to the thoughts of King on writing. In Misery a writer is forced into an extreme relationship with one of his readers. While it is unlikely that any writer will ever have to experience an ordeal like Paul's, it is symbolic of how writers may become reliant on their readers, even if it is not a life or death matter, but instead a question of successfulness. Misery also gives explanations to why King is so immensely popular and a view of the man behind the books. Ultimately, Paul decides not to actually burn his book that Annie forced him to create. This demonstrates that writers like Paul and King must and do accept their popular writings despite their critical shortcomings. Being the king of contemporary writing is, after all, far from misery. It is a great position to obtain even if inescapable typecasting and expectations accompany it.
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Summary: the writer within a book part 1
Review: Misery is a novel that has a writer as its protagonist. Thus, many of the insights provided in the novel are related to the profession of writing. Over the course of the novel the writer, a fictional character named Paul Sheldon, creates a novel under the most extreme circumstances. In Misery, the reader is able to witness the writing process in all its stages, the interplay between forces in the creation of the book and the processes that occur in the author's mind. This window into the writing process is particularly significant due to whom these insights are coming from, Stephen King. Many criticize King's works, yet this is partly a result of their immense popularity and the reasons behind this popularity. One indisputable fact looms over all considerations of King's works; he is the best-selling non-religious or non-governmental writer ever. King has done this by filling a very popular niche in popular tastes. He fills this niche is the production of a modest sized library of novels with a majority of them in the horror genre. A large number of these books follow a pattern of pitting a group of imperfect yet generally "good" people against an "evil" entity usually of the supernatural variety. While this succeeds in providing entertaining reading for King's immense fan base, it has led many critics to disregard his works as inconsequential as they do not deliver any recognizable insight or message on life, which have been accepted as a sign of high grade literature. Thus, as a book about a rabid, possessed dog that acquires a taste for human flesh may sell millions of copies; it receives absolutely no consideration for a Nobel Prize, as this has no discernable value beyond that of pure entertainment. This divergence of reaction to King's work is an issue that is dealt with in Misery, a book that is a bit removed from many of the other King novels. Misery provides a reader with an insight into King's approach to writing. For a person who is interested in this, this is a rare opportunity. While King's novels have entered popular culture to the point of Dickinsian dimensions, the person behind these novels has kept a relatively diminutive stature. This is partly the result of several health problems, including severe eyesight problems, a near fatal car accident and heavy substance abuse difficulties. Also, King sharply differentiates different spheres of celebrities. This is clearly seen in a statement taken from his official website, "He does not sign autographed photos-he is very uncomfortable with that concept and feels it is for movie stars, not writers." The issue of the place of the writer in the popular gaze is another issue dealt with in Misery, along with the actual issues surrounding the production of his work. The writer in Misery is assumed to embody a large part of King's own writing styles and issues. As King usually infuses his works with elements from his life or surroundings, this assumption is basically tenable. Sheldon is forced to assume a relationship of extreme intimacy with one of his most religious fans, Annie Wilkes. This relationship is a perfected mechanism to demonstrate the relationship between author and reader, as it is fully independent of any interference whatsoever. It only intensifies this relationship that Sheldon is held prisoner at Wilkes's house due to his crippled post-car crash condition (eerie in light of King's similar condition more than a decade after the writing of Misery) which makes him rely on Annie as a nurse. Annie, who is an extreme psychotic and serial killer, is one of the worst people to rely on for anything, most of which a life.
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Summary: Misery's Return
Review: Paul Sheldon is a famed, best-seller novelist. When he is involved in an accident one night driving to California, he is pulled out of his car by his #1 fan from hell. She is horrifed when she purchases his newest novel, featuring his well-known character, Misery Chastain, in which Misery dies. She demands he write her a novel, just for her, where he brings Misery back to life. Keeping Paul prisoner,he soon is hooked on painkillers. He starts going insane, and doesn't think he will ever escape. As he discovers more and more about his captor, he realizes how bad his situation has become, and he may never make it out alive. This book by Stephen King is very well written and one of my favorites. The parts where hw is telling Misery's Return, the book he is writing for Annie, is a little boring, and I skipped a lot of that. He book is good, and I admire that he could write the entire book with little more than two characters. It is a very exciting story, and I would recommend it to everyone.
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Summary: GET READY! SHE CAN'T BE DEAD
Review: If you are not married, stop everything and just read this book before you decide. 'MISERY' will give you the insight to human nature. You will be able to tell whether your girl-friend is carzy or not. You know, being crazy is not an extraordinary thing. Remember, Annie is not dead. What an Annie my ex-girlfriend was!!!!
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Summary: Nothing Paranormal but scary all the same...
Review: Annie Wilkes is Paul Sheldon's #1 Fan, a devoted reader of his best-selling "Misery" romance series. So, when Paul suffers an auto accident in the wilderness and Annie saves him, she is ecstatic, and rightly so! Not only does Nurse Annie get to restore her writing idol to health, but she also entices him to bring back Misery, a character he killed off in a previous book, much to Annie's disdain. Or that's how Annie sees it. From Paul's point of view, he is being held captive by a crazy woman all-too-capable of murder, and his only chance at self-preservation is to write what Annie wants to read. This novel is hard to put down, even as your heart begins to miss beats and your mouth becomes sere. One of King's best!
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Summary: You may have seen the movie but ...
Review: You may have seen the movie, but you have to read the book! In true Stephen King fashion, Misery will keep you on the edge of your seat, page after bone-chilling page. Annie is the epitome of evil as she plots and keeps her helpless victim, writer Paul Sheldon, trapped in her house of horrors. There is no length she will not go to in order to keep Paul at her side. This is by far one of Stephen King's best work!
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Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: I have read this book a couple years ago, when I was still in high school amd I would sneak this book under my desk to read during math or even chemistry. I did the same with Cujo, another King book. King is the king and this book grabs you and you cant put it down, but you want to cover your eyes because it's scary when Annie gets mad. Great book!
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Summary: Enjoyable Read
Review: As a fan of King I have read most of his works, and I would label Misery as an enjoyable, exciting read. The plot is well crafted, and the dementia of Annie Wilkes is interesting and frightening in the same breath. The book allows the reader to reconsider the celebrity-fan relationship, but as one reads deeper into the novel, one will realize that the psychotic tendencies of Ms. Wilkes has very little to do with her prisoner being a famous author. Psychologically intense and encompassing, a must read for any fan of psychological literature.
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Summary: Stephen King at his best!
Review: Misery is one of the best Stephen King works of all time. It is a story about a writer named Paul Sheldon, who was injured in an auto wreck during a blizzard, and woke up to find himself the not-so-lucky house guest of an ex-nurse, Annie Wilkes. She is an obsessed fan who uses medication to control him, by withholding it from him when he does something she does not approve of, and by keeping him prisoner in his room. She eventually uses her "power" to force him to write a continuation novel to his popular "Misery" series, so he can bring the main character, Misery Chastain, back to life. This novel is suspenseful and thrilling, and is truly one of the greatest Stephen King Novels of all Time.
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