By Stephen King
351 pages
Wow. Okay, so this is a book that even I am surprised that I haven’t read. To be 100% honest, I don’t know if I have seen the movie, but I have for sure seen the famous scene where Kathy Bates smashes James Caan’s legs with a sledge hammer. Which, of course, isn’t really what happens in the book. This book was mentioned in a book I read last year called, Dear Fahrenheit 451. That book was written by a librarian as a series of letters to books she has read and/or has to get rid of at the library. There was a letter to Misery in there, and since I find myself enjoying Stephen King more and more, I decided to read it.
The premise of the book is that famous author, Paul Sheldon, has been in a terrible car accident. It was a caused by a combination of him driving drunk, and icy road conditions. Luckily for Paul, he is found by a passerby. Unfortunately for Paul, he is found by Annie Wilkes. Annie claims to be Paul’s number one fan. She has all of his books, including the most recent one that she hasn’t had a chance to finish reading yet. Annie is also crazy. Instead of taking Paul to a hospital, or calling an ambulance, Annie decides to “care” for him at her own home. As a retired nurse, Annie feels equipped to take on the challenge of nursing Paul back to health. She immediately splints his legs, puts him on an IV drip, and gets him hooked on pain killers.
When Paul regains consciousness, Annie reveals herself as his biggest fan and tells him she is reading his latest book. This book is the next installment of Paul’s Misery series, intended to be the last in the series. What Annie doesn’t know yet, is that Misery dies at the end of this novel. When she gets to that part, she is so mad at Paul that she insists he write another novel, one which brings Misery back to life.
Paul quickly goes from being a patient to being a prisoner. He depends on Annie for his care, but also fears her because of her temper. The novel then alternates between what's happening in the real world and excerpts of the new book he is writing for Annie. I don't love the parts of the book he is writing. I could have done without them. One day while Annie is out, Paul ventures out of his room and finds out the terrifying truth of Annie’s past. What will happen to Paul when he finishes the book and is no longer needed?
In typical King fashion, some of the scenes were gory and over the top. However, the torture that Paul endures really creates a horrific story. You thinking having your legs broke by a sledge hammer is bad, the events in the book are much worse. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like something too far-fetched. Not even kidding, I was at the dentist last week, and I just kept telling myself, “If Paul Sheldon can have XYZ happen to him, then I can get through this!” Haha. I know, he’s fictional, but I empathize. This is one that I think I would read again.
4 Stars