Hardcover, 393 pages
French language
Published Jan. 22, 1990 by France Loisirs.
Novelist Paul Sheldon has plans to make the difficult transition from writing historical romances featuring heroine Misery Chastain to publishing literary fiction. Annie Wilkes, Sheldon's number one fan, rescues the author from the scene of a car accident. The former nurse takes care of him in her remote house, but becomes irate when she discovers that the author has killed Misery off in his latest book. Annie keeps Sheldon prisoner while forcing him to write a book that brings Misery back to life.
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I have been reading Stephen King for a long time, and I find often times that I either REALLY enjoy them or really do not. This was one I REALLY enjoyed. The development of Annie as a villain and the psychological warfare between the two of them is all encompassing. At one point I got so stressed I had to put the book down to take a breath. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and it moves quickly. 400 pages flew by. J
Todas las señales indicaban que la obra de Stephen King no era para mí, sobre todo tras leer “Mientras escribo” y poder conocer de primera mano sus ideas literarias. Quise probar con una de sus obras más alabadas a pesar de contar con esa información de antemano y, efectivamente, no me equivocaba.
Lo digo con cierta rabia. Me apetecía sumergirme en su mundo de buenas y truculentas ideas, a pesar de que el principal problema que tengo es precisamente ese: que necesito más que una buena idea razonablemente bien contada. Yo en la literatura no busco únicamente acción, acción y acción; quiero reflexiones, quiero frases evocadoras, quiero que las palabras resuenen, quiero que me cuenten de una forma distinta una sensación ya conocida para que así se transforme en otra cosa… No encuentro en este libro ninguna de los deleites que me proporciona un buen libro. Creo además que ni …
Todas las señales indicaban que la obra de Stephen King no era para mí, sobre todo tras leer “Mientras escribo” y poder conocer de primera mano sus ideas literarias. Quise probar con una de sus obras más alabadas a pesar de contar con esa información de antemano y, efectivamente, no me equivocaba.
Lo digo con cierta rabia. Me apetecía sumergirme en su mundo de buenas y truculentas ideas, a pesar de que el principal problema que tengo es precisamente ese: que necesito más que una buena idea razonablemente bien contada. Yo en la literatura no busco únicamente acción, acción y acción; quiero reflexiones, quiero frases evocadoras, quiero que las palabras resuenen, quiero que me cuenten de una forma distinta una sensación ya conocida para que así se transforme en otra cosa… No encuentro en este libro ninguna de los deleites que me proporciona un buen libro. Creo además que ni siquiera está narrada con especial buen gusto ni oficio. Es tedioso la manera tan pormenorizada de desarrollar la acción. Y si debajo de eso no hay nada, pues poco más tengo que decir.
Lo siento, Stephen. Lo intenté. No te desanimes ante mi crítica y cómprate otro yate.
Obwohl hier die Geschichte schon interessieren kann, zieht King sie unerhört in die Länge: Auf ca. Seite 40 wird klar, woran alle Beteiligten sind. Bis Seite 100 zeichnet sich das ganze Ausmaß der Misere ab – und danach ist alles nur noch Stilübung. Wie viel Spannung lässt sich auf weiteren 300 Seiten Beschreibung einer schon klar abgegrenzten Situation noch aufbauen? Erstaunlich viel. Wie viel Überraschung? Naja, wesentlich weniger. Es ist kaum darüber hinwegzusehen, dass man der Routine eines Vielschreibers ausgeliefert ist, der seine Figuren und Situationen schon längst nach einem eingefahrenen Schema abarbeitet. Das allerdings kann er ziemlich gut.
Ich habe "Sie" gelesen und finde es überbewertet und albern. Moderner Kitsch, aber unheimlich erfolgreich!
Wer es mag!
Mister King is a dirty bird.
Note - I read the Dutch version so this review is in Dutch.
Wat een bijzonder boek. Ik ben nooit een fan geweest van Stephen King, maar dit boek, net als 'De ogen van de draak' zijn toch wel briljante producties.
Als je van onverwachte wendingen houdt zit je met dit boek goed. Aan het eind is er de nodige moord en doodslag en zelfs daar weet je niet eens precies wat er wel en niet gebeurt.
Aanrader als je van dit soort boeken houdt.
I've long put of starting this book - two people, one of which is immobile on only one location didn't seem like something that could engage me. It's a well told story. One of King's better ones even.
(NTS: 'read' the audiobook)
The story was as good as I remembered. One of his most intense, I think. This particular reading was just okay.
Du Stephen King classique, lu quand j'étais adolescent. Ce n'est plus forcément le genre de romans que je lis désormais, mais j'ai eu ma période Stephan King quand j'étais plus jeune.
Obwohl hier die Geschichte schon interessieren kann, zieht King sie unerhört in die Länge: Auf ca. Seite 40 wird klar, woran alle Beteiligten sind. Bis Seite 100 zeichnet sich das ganze Ausmaß der Misere ab – und danach ist alles nur noch Stilübung. Wie viel Spannung lässt sich auf weiteren 300 Seiten Beschreibung einer schon klar abgegrenzten Situation noch aufbauen? Erstaunlich viel. Wie viel Überraschung? Naja, wesentlich weniger. Es ist kaum darüber hinwegzusehen, dass man der Routine eines Vielschreibers ausgeliefert ist, der seine Figuren und Situationen schon längst nach einem eingefahrenen Schema abarbeitet. Das allerdings kann er ziemlich gut.
I have always loved this book and it definitely holds up to multiple rereads. There are always nuances that creep me out even when I know the plot so well.
Everybody knows this story, mainly because of the movie, it is about a crazy lady who allows a writer to move in with her whilst he recuperates from a fender bender, things soon escalate out of control once the writer realises he is not in a 5 star hotel and the end result is one hell of a tantrum on a scale never seen before. Are all writers like this? I suggest kidnapping one and seeing for yourself.
The book is not one of King's usual horrors, this is suspense all the way, when reading this you'll be on the edge of your seat the whole time. Anne Wilkes is one of my favourite King characters, it makes me wonder if he met somebody like this in real life, King is known for putting events from his life into his books, so it makes you wonder.
Great book, probably due …
Everybody knows this story, mainly because of the movie, it is about a crazy lady who allows a writer to move in with her whilst he recuperates from a fender bender, things soon escalate out of control once the writer realises he is not in a 5 star hotel and the end result is one hell of a tantrum on a scale never seen before. Are all writers like this? I suggest kidnapping one and seeing for yourself.
The book is not one of King's usual horrors, this is suspense all the way, when reading this you'll be on the edge of your seat the whole time. Anne Wilkes is one of my favourite King characters, it makes me wonder if he met somebody like this in real life, King is known for putting events from his life into his books, so it makes you wonder.
Great book, probably due a re-read one day.
I found a beat-up paperback copy of Misery on the pavement, a few blocks from my old apartment, read it and put it back on the street. Highly recommend reading it this way.
Haven't seen the movie, but I had seen it parodied everywhere I've turned. Figured it was about time I sat down and read it, considering I've loved every other book I've read by King. Started it years ago reading half the book in a single sitting, put it down for one reason or another, had no problem picking it up and finishing it in a second single sitting.
Probably the first horror novel to really make me flinch - especially there towards the last third of the book when the ax gets involved. Annie Wilkes definitely tops out on one of the most horrifying characters ever written.
The entire experience of the book is definitely intensified by the limited cast of Paul and Annie, so much so that when third parties start entering they feel as strange to the reader as they probably did to captive Paul. Definitely a thriller …
Haven't seen the movie, but I had seen it parodied everywhere I've turned. Figured it was about time I sat down and read it, considering I've loved every other book I've read by King. Started it years ago reading half the book in a single sitting, put it down for one reason or another, had no problem picking it up and finishing it in a second single sitting.
Probably the first horror novel to really make me flinch - especially there towards the last third of the book when the ax gets involved. Annie Wilkes definitely tops out on one of the most horrifying characters ever written.
The entire experience of the book is definitely intensified by the limited cast of Paul and Annie, so much so that when third parties start entering they feel as strange to the reader as they probably did to captive Paul. Definitely a thriller and I was definitely cheering for Paul by the end of the book.
