Misery by Stephen King
Paul Sheldon, a famous historical romance author, was saved by a former nurse named Annie Wilkes when seriously injured in a car accident. But was he truly saved, or could this be his living nightmare? Annie Wilkes isn't the nice, caring nurse she seems to be after all. Why exactly is she a former nurse at her young age? Paul Sheldon must try to figure out all these questions while surviving in her home.
Stephen King is known for writing dark horror novels with a meaning behind them. For example, Pet Sematary, shows his fear of cats. It isn't the deepest meaning behind a book, but, whatever gives him inspiration, I suppose. Misery also has a meaning behind it that isn't so thought provoking. King had written this book to show his writer's block. In my opinion, it's interesting how King can take something so normal as writer's block and turn it into a 370 page novel about a man who is kidnapped and forced to continue his series of books. I believe it is very creative to rid yourself of writer's block by writing a book about writer's block.
I would rate this book 5/5 stars, being one of my favorite books. I would give it its first star for the amount of imagery used in the story. King really helps you imagine what it is like to be Paul Sheldon, whether you want to or not. He describes everything from Annie Wilkes' smell to the pain he goes through during his time there. This helps the readers connect more with the story and the characters than if he left most of it out. I would give this book its second star due to the character development. King does an excellent job of showing the thought process of Paul Sheldon and what he plans to do. It also shows his past, allowing you to see why he makes some of the decisions he does and why exactly he compares himself to an "African bird in a zoo". King also shows Annie's development via a scrapbook that she leaves out on a coffee table that Sheldon eventually finds. Although her leaving out the scrapbook was no coincidence, this still helps show Annie's past and why she lost her job as a nurse. I would give the book its third star because of its plot. There have been many books and movies where the main character is kidnapped for one reason or another. This book is different because of each character's situation and what they choose to do. Even small things such as Annie's "happy place" in the woods miles away have an important impact. King seems to make everything have a bigger impact in this novel. The "happy place" may show Annie's mental instability but something as small as glass figurines Annie collects could mean life or death for Paul. I would give this book a fourth star because of its conclusion. I can't explain this one too in detail without spoiling the ending. But, King does not leave you wondering what happened next and he has an ending that is very fitting for the book. Lastly, I would give this book its fifth star because of its beginning. It captured your attention right away and had suspense right from the get go. The book started with him waking up in Annie's house and figuring out what happened for him to get here. Overall, I would recommend this book to any horror or suspense fan.
