Misery - by Stephen King (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published: New York: Viking, 1987.

Book Synopsis

The #1 New York Times bestselling tale of terror from master storyteller Stephen King about a famous novelist held hostage in a remote location by his "number one fan"--now featuring a stunning vintage cover!

Bestselling novelist Paul Sheldon thinks he's finally free of Misery Chastain. In a controversial career move, he's just killed off the popular protagonist of his beloved romance series in favor of expanding his creative horizons. But such a change doesn't come without consequences. After a near-fatal car accident in rural Colorado leaves his body broken, Paul finds himself at the mercy of the terrifying rescuer who's nursing him back to health--his self-proclaimed number one fan, Annie Wilkes. Annie is very upset over what Paul did to Misery and demands that he find a way to bring her back by writing a new novel--his best yet, and one that's all for her. After all, Paul has all the time in the world to do so as a prisoner in her isolated house...and Annie has some very persuasive and violent methods to get exactly what she wants...

Review Quotes

"Misery had me on edge for days after I'd finished it... the novel is something else -- an airless, claustrophobic portrait of an egotistic writer pushed to the edge of madness by pain, pills, incarceration, the expectations of his reading public and a deadline like he's never known before. In the book, our hero is as threatened by the demons within as he is by the madwoman beside his bed. Like him, you the reader can't wait to escape; yet you can no more walk away from Mr. King's tightly spun yarn than Paul can walk away from his captor."-- "The New York Times"

"As is his genius, King never relaxes the oh-my-god tension until the final paragraph."-- "San Diego Tribune"

"Classic King...full of twists and turns and mounting suspense."-- "Boston Globe"

"Compelling...totally involving."-- "Library Journal"

"Dazzlingly well-written."-- "The Indianapolis Star"

"Deft psychological horror...easily one of King's best novels."-- "The Boston Herald"

"King at his best...a winner."-- "The New York Times"

"Nerve-jangling...razor keen."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"Page-turningly effective, stringing out every scene to the screaming point."-- "Chicago Sun-Times"

"Solid character delineation and terrifying insight. In addition to being able to scare the reader breathless, King says a tremendous amount about writing itself. We delight in his virtuosity."-- "The Washington Post"

"Stephen King at his best...frighteningly good."-- "Philadelphia Inquirer"

"Suspenseful, entertaining, genuinely scary."-- "USA Today"

"Terrifying...King is a terrific storyteller."-- "San Francisco Chronicle"

"Unadulteratedly terrifying."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Undiluted horror...wonderful...A primal storyteller writing about a primal scream."-- "Houston Chronicle"

"Vintage King...a masterpiece of horror...creates a level of tension that makes it difficult to keep your eyes from jumping to the next page to escape sooner."-- "Cincinnati Post"

About the Author

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes Never Flinch (May 2025), the short story collection You Like It Darker (a New York Times Book Review top ten horror book of 2024), Holly (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.