Paul Sheldon. He’s a bestselling novelist who has finally met his biggest 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 his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house.

I purchased a copy of this book for my own reading.

I’ve read this book many times over the years, along with a number of other Stephen King books. Given his place in the pantheon of horror writing, Misery always stood out to me. While much of King’s horror work is supernatural in nature, the horror in Misery is in how normal and plausible the events are.

I’ve already mentioned that I’ve read it many times, and yet I still feel the tension building within my chest every time I revisit it. THAT scene (if you’ve read the novel, you know the one) never fails to get me. While it’s certainly the worst thing in the book, the novel is filled with tension. Annie Wilkes brings an air of unsettling tension all the way through. When she is present, there’s a fear about what she might do next. When she isn’t present, the tension stems from Paul Sheldon and his fear. If she leaves him, will she return? He depends on her due to his injuries. As she becomes increasingly erratic, will she hurt or kill him? And latterly, can he escape?

This is one of my favourite novels, and despite the changes made, the film starring James Caan and Kathy Bates gels with this version so well. I can’t see anyone other than them in the roles. The constant tension couple with the narrow setting of just Annie’s house and limited cast of characters make for a tense, dark read.

My rating: