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Misery Mass Market Paperback – June 3, 1988

by
Stephen King (Author)
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Stephen King (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 671 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Signet; Reissue edition (June 3, 1988)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0451169522
  • ISBN-13: 978-0451169525
  • Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (671 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsMisery will haunt your days and nights...
By Cynthia K. Robertson TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on February 4, 2006
Format: Mass Market Paperback
I have never read anything written by Stephen King as I don't particularly like that genre. But a friend insisted that I read Misery, and I was astounded by King's talents. I was hooked from the very first page, and Misery is a book that will haunt yours days and nights long after you've finished.

Paul Sheldon is a popular writer celebrating the completion of a new book, when his car goes off a mountain road in a snowstorm. He finds himself with shattered legs, being held captive by a former nurse, Annie Wilkes. Ironically, Wilkes just happens to be his number one fan. While she's nursing him back from near death, Wilkes reads his latest book, where he kills off his popular character, Misery Chastain (a sappy, high-drama character whom Sheldon has come to loathe). She decides that Sheldon will write a new novel (just for her), in which he brings Misery back from the dead. And believe me-Wilkes has her methods to keep Sheldon writing! Sheldon soon discovers that he's like Scheherazade, and the best way to stay alive is to keep the stories coming. Wilkes is a true psychopath, and the mind games that Sheldon plays will have you riveted. His ultimate goal is to escape, but Wilkes is one shrewd character, and his getting out alive is slim at best.

Misery succeeds on so many different levels. The characters are so very well developed. In trying to figure out how to deal with Hurricane Annie, Paul also learns much about himself while he is trying to survive. Misery is filled with lots of symbolism-especially in the writing of his new book, Misery Returns. King also gives us a good look at the art of writing. He talks about the difference between a hack, a popular writer and a literary writer.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsSo vivid!
By D. Mikels on March 20, 2007
Format: Mass Market Paperback Verified Purchase
It's common knowledge Stephen King can take a simple idea and turn it into a 500,000 word marathon; it's one of the reasons MISERY is one of my favorite King novels, because--for a change--King gets into the meat and potatoes of his story from the first page (and he doesn't let up until the last). Consequently, the novel is one of his shorter works.

The beauty of this book is not so much the helplessness and horror of being captive to Annie Wilkes as it is the inner workings of Paul Sheldon's brain. Bestselling author of the Misery Chastain series (a character he has come to loathe), Paul talks to himself throughout his ordeal in Annie's Rocky Mountain hellhole. This self-dialoge is riveting, entertaining, and often downright funny. In fact, the humorous undertow throughout the book makes Annie's "behaviour" even more alarming and frightful. Nothing like copping a chuckle while Annie is wielding an axe or being destructive on a riding lawnmower; yet King pulls it off, page after page.

I'm an allegorical kind of guy, and I can't help but think MISERY is a novel about Stephen King himself and the hell he was putting himself through during his substance abuse days. Writing, euphoria, pain, addiction, terror: all were in vogue for both Paul Sheldon and Stephen King in the 1980s. MISERY is King at his dysfunctional best.
--D. Mikels, Author, THE RECKONING
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3.0 out of 5 starsKindle version warning!
By valkyrieboy on January 4, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is a fantastic book and I hate to give it anything less than five stars, but I also feel that I should warn potential buyers of the KINDLE version only.

I have both the physical copy and the Kindle version (I'm weird, whatever). The physical copy has a different font for the Misery Chastain chapters with the Ns, and eventually Es and Ts (I think) filled in by hand.

Not only does the Kindle version not reflect this even with mini pictures (booooo!), it is a horrid amalgamation of typos. The handwritten N becomes "n." or "r.". "Misery" for some reason becomes "Miser". Brings a whole different meaning to the book, don't it? There are also numerous typos scattered throughout the normal parts of the Kindle version which do not appear in the physical copy.

Being well after the return date of my Kindle version, I'm forced to deal with it. And by "deal with it", I mean go back to my physical copy, something I shouldn't have to do. Does anyone know of anything we can do? Strongly worded e-mails? Angry faces? Intense frowning at our Kindles?

If this has been fixed, then yaye! If not, you have been warned.
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4.0 out of 5 starsTake it from a first timer!
By VJ on August 20, 2001
Format: Mass Market Paperback
This is my first Stephen King novel and I have to say, I loved it.
SUMMARY: Paul Sheldon, a bestselling novelist gets into a car accident. His NUMBER ONE FAN, Annie Wilkes, takes him into her home and nurses him back to health. In a way. Holding him captive, she makes him write his greatest novel just for her.
UPS: This book has a lot of detail and really makes you feel like you're right there with Sheldon, keeping you on your toes. It is suspensful the whole way through and gets even more spine-chilling towards the end.
DOWNS: About 40 pages of the book is the book that Paul Sheldon is writing. It gets a little boring reading these parts and there doesn't seem to be any importance in reading them.
OVERALL: This book is hard to put down, indeed. Even though I haven't seen the movie, the mental image I had of Annie Wilkes was exactly that of Kathy Bates. It took me only a few days to read and I really enjoyed it. I recommend this book to anyone who's going for a good horror novel.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsOne of his best...

Simply put Misery is the stuff nightmares are made of. Do yourself a favor and do not read this before going to sleep...you've been warned

Published 5 hours ago by LaLaLunatik
5.0 out of 5 starsClassic King

Saw brief glimpses of the movie years ago and decided I'd avoid this book; however, having read nearly everything else Stephen King has written, I decided to finally take this one... Read more

Published 1 day ago by robert c
4.0 out of 5 starsI don't like that woman at all

This is my first big book. It was kinda scary at times. I don't like that woman at all. She was yucky. I think I will sleep with the lights on. Read more

Published 4 days ago by James Busse
4.0 out of 5 starsBook = great! Narration on audiobook = yuck.

The story is great! One of my favorite works by Stephen King. It starts a little slow, but let it build and you won't be able to put it down. Read more

Published 5 days ago by Jesse R. Meehl
4.0 out of 5 starsOne of kings classics

Pretty good book

Published 7 days ago by Margarita G. Gutierrez
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

very enjoyable to read

Published 13 days ago by Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 starsOne of my favorite King novels

This is easily one of my favorite Stephen King novels. He has always been an inspiration for me and there isn't much of his work that I didn't like. Read more

Published 13 days ago by The Minter
5.0 out of 5 starsA well paced, haunting read.

Anticipating what was coming next kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book, however the last 20% or so the suspense took it up a notch and I could NOT put the book... Read more

Published 20 days ago by Nicole Marsh
5.0 out of 5 starsSecond King Book

This is my second novel I've read by King. It took me a few days ,as did Pet Semetary, it began to drag a bit mid section. But as always the story is extremely climactic. Read more

Published 21 days ago by Taylor B.
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Better than the movie!

Published 23 days ago by Amazon Customer

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