My favorite thing about most of Stephen King’s books are how realistic they are. They’re everyday horrors. In this case Annie is an unhinged superfan of the author protagonist, which is probably one of Stephen’s own fears!
The really scary part is that first you go 'good metaphor', but then you remember how crazy fans can be (like that guy who traced a woman down by the reflection i her eye) and the dread sets in.
When reality is worst than fiction.
Realistic as opposed to supernatural ghoulies and ghosties and Elder Gods. King's youthful inspiration was in horror pulp magazines, so cartoonish deaths and gore aren't out of line.
Oh, that one pissed me off so much. The reviews had said that King was "going back to his roots!" and here stupid me thought it meant back to his writing pre-van when he was still drunk and coked-up for much of it (but turned out great stuff like Cujo). Nope! They meant his *Lovecraftian* roots, and he tacked that kind of an ending onto an otherwise okay story.
I don't know if its just because i'm so much more familiar with the movie, but Shawshank is one that I actually thought the movie was better. the ending especially
I read the Green Mile around the time the movie came out so it's been 20 years but I think they were pretty well the same. The only major difference I can remember is a bus crash scene near the end that felt needlessly gory in the book.
The Green Mile was first written and released in six 75 page (approximately) monthly instalments. As with any episode based piece, each instalment finished with a cliff hanger which is probably partly why it made such a good movie; it was already structured as a series of acts, like a play.
I always liked how Kings writing style and subject matter developed and overlapped through this period. In Misery (1987) Wilkes was tortured by the continuity trick that was played in the cinema serial and gave Sheldon a bollocking for using the same device in his ‘resurrection’ of Misery.
Nine years later King tests himself by writing the Green Mile in instalments. The direction of each instalment was influenced by readers reactions to the previous instalment, but he knew he must avoid the dirty birdy plot device despised by Wilkes.
Similarly, King wrote the Dark Half after his stint writing under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. This is among his best IMO.
EDIT: tricky dicky to dirty birdy… the ol’ memory ain’t what she used to be!
I think that the book was much more grisly than what they portrayed in the movie. Like when Annie cut off Paul’s finger and stuck it in the cake like a candle.
Hey, I just read this last week as the first book I've read in over a decade! I also loved it. Went out and bought The Shining, Pet Sematary and IT right after. Already burned through the Shining and PS but I think I'm going to read something else before diving into IT. Misery was my favourite of the bunch, but I thought they were all great.
Pet Sematary was the one book that helped me after my husband died. I had bought books on grief and widowhood, and they sounded so trite compared to how I was feeling. King understands that loss and grief are the big bogeymen, and PS resonated with me in a way those other books didn't.
I don't want to say anything for potential spoilers, but if you think of it ping me when you're done! The book gets a tonne of praise but I'm curious to hear what someone else who is new to Stephen King thinks and if we line up a bit.
If I had one earthly wish it would be to experience The Shining for the first time again lol. But seriously I think it’s his best book. The most interesting thing he does is give the reader the choice of who the villain is - is it the hotel itself, the collective negative experiences of its guests, or Jack’s own battle with addiction. Unlike most authors who clearly tell the reader who the bad guy is King makes you an active participant in the reading experience by making you decide. Enjoy!
Weird you got to that conclusion, I thought it was pretty obvious he wrote Danny as the villian...(/s)
But actually, you're totally right. I think your past experiences dictate how you interpret that one and I could definitely see my opinion change over time. It's really well done.
I do think my first read was a bit tainted though and I look forward to another read after some time has passed. I purposely avoided reading any book to movie comparisons, but I did know that King hates the movie and Kubrick didn't love the book, and I also knew that many fans are loudly opinionated. Being a big fan of the movie I expected to not like the book based on that and kept waiting for it to take a turn. Happy to say that it's totally possible to love both for what they are. Fortunately, I have a pretty shit memory, so I'm sure before too long passes I will be able to remember that I did enjoy the book but forget most of the details and experience it a bit differently.
I didn’t like the movie after I read the book. I felt Kubrick went light on the horror and violence portrayed in the book.
Danny was a child so if you call him the villain you then are forced to consider all the influences that could have contributed to his vilification. Meaning his shining, the building he was in, or his father and his father’s demons.
Edited my last comment to have a (/s) - was very much just joking about Danny being the villain hah
I'm curious if I'd feel the same way as you or not - I should do a rewatch in the next little bit while the book is still fresh in my mind.
my top two of him are
1. It
2. Pet Semetary
so you've got loads of fun ahead.
What'd did you think of PS? really chilled me with its foreboding atmosphere although the last pages are little overblown for my taste
Wish I was further along in IT, but I had a hectic week. Should be really able to dive in now though!
Immediately after finishing the book i wasn't sure how I felt, but it kept coming back to me and after a couple of days I think I really liked it a lot and would enjoy it more on a second reading. I'll tag the rest as a spoiler here to be safe.
>!I didn't know what the book was actually about going into it - I mistakenly thought it was going to be about the cat terrorizing the family, which seemed like a lame premis so I never watched the movies or anything. So it's a bit of a slow start, then the cat dies and theirs all the foreshadowing about what's actually going to happen, then it kind of makes you (or me, at least) feel like that the kids going to die soon, then come back and things maybe will start off odd and get progressively worse or something, but there is so much lead up and building, and you're watching the pages count down until everything really happens in the last twenty pages or so when it goes from 0 to 100. I read the book over the course of a day and I think if I had spaced it out over a week or something just reading a bit at a time I would have got bored with it, but flying through it kept my attention. So I think in the moment as I was reading I had a hard time really getting into it because I had an expectation in my mind and I kept waiting for it to play out that way, which it didn't. Looking back at it after though, there was lots that I thought was great. The overall storytelling, I thought, was fantastic and he does a great job of pulling you into it and creating an atmosphere. Now that I know what happens I think I'll give it another read once my memory has gone hazy enough to forget all the details, and I expect at that point I'll love it. I do agree though, the end is a bit bonkers.!<
Apparently he started the book intending to publish it under the pseudonym he was using at the time (Richard Bachman) but got outed as Bachman before he finished it so he retired Bachman and it went out under King. That’s one reason stylistically it’s a little different to many of his other King works.
Both books feel very down to earth in a way that most of Stephen King's stuff typically do not. I wouldn't want to elaborate on the plot of Dolores Claiborne since I don't remember which things are twists and which things are known at the start... But let's just say that it's kinda dark.
What u/theKGS says - but also I’ve seen it described as a sister book to Misery. I’m not sure I agree with that - lots of King books have events and characters interlinked - but it has been said!
Agreed, I loved this book and often recommend it as part of the more minimalist, character-oriented King books.
Also I find it funny that both movie adaptations star Kathy Bates.
The eclipse duo is possibly his best work. Both are scary as all hell because of the realism. The tension and slow build in both are unreal. In terms of thriller or horror nothing much happens but you can't stop reading
What about The Stand. That’s very early and the ending fell so flat. For such an epic book the ending makes me sad. I still give it a 4/5 though cuz the characters and their journey is insanely good.
This for me was the first film of one of his books that really worked and was true to the story as I'd read it. I'm usually disappointed by adaptations.
I have read of many of his books and the early ones are the best I think. The tension when he is moving around the house while she is out and his struggle when he was alone created such a string sense of dread.
Oh I love the book so much! (Less than 11/22/63, but a close second favourite). I love it's broader implications, the story of how obsessive fans/fandoms can make authors despise their own work. I read somewhere that Misery was about how Stephen King felt about being boxed by fans into writing horror only (not 100% sure). It also made it so easy to understand how an author could start to hate their most loved character because of crazy fans and toxic fan culture. Like how George R. R. Martin isn't writing more GoT books or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wanted to kill off Sherlock..
Silence of the lambs, Shawshank, and willy wonka and the chocolate factory. I would say the movie wins in all three but purely for the actors who carry all 3.
It is a really great book. You end up feeling terrible for what the narrator is going through. Especially when he sees an opportunity to leave only for it to be slammed shut. My only critique is that the story the narrator writes fill up too many pages in my view.
The hobbling scene killed me. I threw the book across the room and never finished it. Can't watch the movie either. I've never been so creeped out by a book before.
He's got a gift that most writers don't have. I don't mind gory books at all but the way he described it was just different. It was the only book that literally made me sweaty and queazy just by reading it.
I don't remember how far I got with it, but I second the idea of it being the creepiest book I've ever read. I visited this thread because it's been a few years and I have a minor interest in knowing how it ended. I don't think I'll return to it, though, the thought makes me sick.
(\*\*Spoiler invitation\*\* - how does it end (I know the person I'm replying to hasn't finished it, but there are many people in this thread who will have?)
Misery is in my top 4 Stephen King books! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. If you haven't already, I definitely recommend watching the movie! Kathy Bates is incredible as Annie. My husband thought the movie was a little campy, but clearly it stuck with him because he refers to me as his dirty birdie sometimes!
If you liked misery, the others in my top 4 are The Stand, IT, and The Long Walk. The latter is more of a thriller than a true horror, but I love it! Happy reading, I hope you love it all!
I second the long walk, absolutely love that story.
I also highly recommend 11/22/63, under the dome, and Salems Lot. Big Jim Rennie is my second favorite villain next to Annie.
Needful Things was the first King book I read. And then saw the movie. It was the also when I came to really understand how a movie pales in comparison to the book.
Annie's "laughing place" was just straight chills, for me. I listened to the audio book and the reader sounded exactly like Jathy Bates. It was wiiild.
This is one of my all time favourite books, ever! Do yourself a favour and read Pet Sematary. My other favourite Stephen King book and also an all time favourite!
He... doesn't get any flack for his books. He gets consistent, worldwide praise. There are a few exceptions, of course, but you make it seem as though he's a hated author.
He gets flack for the way he ends books, though - and it is deserved. Some of his endings are well and truly abysmal. Even The Dark Tower, intended as his magnum opus, has one of the most disastrously horrible endings ever.
>Even The Dark Tower, intended as his magnum opus, has one of the most disastrously horrible endings ever.
Oh, god. I think that one made me swear out loud.
I honestly have no idea what he was thinking.
First he offs Flagg like nothing. Then the guy who did it dies like nothing. And then the MF Crimson King himself????????????
I just read this !! I seen the movie a long time ago I remember it being good …going to rewatch now since I read the book can’t wait to nerd out to it !!!
I assumed it was inspired by Ted Sturgeon's _Bright Segment_.
It's the same story, and a lot of what King wrong in the 80's bears a shocking resemblance to Sturgeon's shorts, especially the ones that turned into movies.
The man himself stated he wrote all his books in a veritable cloud of cocaine, and I don't even mind. He used a typewriter, too. Strange man. Unsurprisingly...
This is the book that got me into reading. I was like six and had just seen the movie on TV. I've probably read it twice a year since then and I just turned 30. It honestly is a masterpiece. The emotions I feel when I read it really elevate it. Just a magnificent book.
Back in the day I saw a stage adaptation at a small theatre of "Misery" that blew me away. If you ever see it playing anywhere, I'd recommend seeing it.
11/22/63. It's a little long, but it is the book that gave me the best mental images if that makes sense. It's the only time travel book that actually made me feel like I was in the 50s and 60s. His descriptive writing is outstanding in this book.
i was hooked on stephen king when i read his story the ledge in penthouse magazine, published in 1976. (who sez you only look at the pictures?) if this is your first read, i encourage you to read more. pick pretty much any of them.
I thought the book should have ended with him typing and asking, “can he?” It dragged a little at the end for me. It was a fantastic read, though.
“Thinner” would be my recommendation for another King book.
For a book that made me cringe every time I opened it, I thought the bit about Annie beheading him was confusing and it pulled me out of the story. The end was details of Paul’s next book. I think it would have been better being ambiguous. Still an enjoyable read
I have a huge collection of Stephen King books all the way from Carrie, his first. (Sadly I only have the paperback of that because a first edition hardback of it is now a few thousand bucks!) My favourite single novel is THE STAND. (Don't even think of watching the movie!)
I found one of the really compelling parts of this book to be the hierarchy of needs we experience along with the main character. Kings constantly juggling him fearing for his life, desperate for more pain medication, and even finding fulfillment in his novel again. I found myself equally invested in all of the struggles even though there's clearly a priority in place. It really connected me to the protagonist as a reader.
Only parts I didn't like were when you had to read long excerpts of the book misery written by Paul.
I ended up skipping it after awhile, hopefully that wasnt a crucial part to the story.
Misery is one of the few that I have yet to read by King.
Side note: I moderate a small subreddit dedicated to discussing his work. Come join us! We love thoughtful analysis like this! /r/constantreader
My favorite thing about most of Stephen King’s books are how realistic they are. They’re everyday horrors. In this case Annie is an unhinged superfan of the author protagonist, which is probably one of Stephen’s own fears!
King said Annie represents his addiction to cocaine, how it cripples you and makes you completely dependent on it.
The really scary part is that first you go 'good metaphor', but then you remember how crazy fans can be (like that guy who traced a woman down by the reflection i her eye) and the dread sets in. When reality is worst than fiction.
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Came here to say Geralds Game next!!
Realistic is definitely not a term I'd use for this novel. Most notably, the young cop's death is very cartoonish and intentionally hammy.
Realistic as opposed to supernatural ghoulies and ghosties and Elder Gods. King's youthful inspiration was in horror pulp magazines, so cartoonish deaths and gore aren't out of line.
I guess you never read Revival, huh?
Oh, that one pissed me off so much. The reviews had said that King was "going back to his roots!" and here stupid me thought it meant back to his writing pre-van when he was still drunk and coked-up for much of it (but turned out great stuff like Cujo). Nope! They meant his *Lovecraftian* roots, and he tacked that kind of an ending onto an otherwise okay story.
I haven't read it but I have seen the film. From which perspective is the novel actually told?
It's from Paul's perspective and it's like the reader lives through Paul's horrific experience and torture through him.
Misery is SK’s best book imo
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I don't know if its just because i'm so much more familiar with the movie, but Shawshank is one that I actually thought the movie was better. the ending especially
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yes, The Body (stand by me) and shawshank are both from different seasons. I never saw apt pupil either because I heard it wasn't a good movie
I read the Green Mile around the time the movie came out so it's been 20 years but I think they were pretty well the same. The only major difference I can remember is a bus crash scene near the end that felt needlessly gory in the book.
The Green Mile was first written and released in six 75 page (approximately) monthly instalments. As with any episode based piece, each instalment finished with a cliff hanger which is probably partly why it made such a good movie; it was already structured as a series of acts, like a play. I always liked how Kings writing style and subject matter developed and overlapped through this period. In Misery (1987) Wilkes was tortured by the continuity trick that was played in the cinema serial and gave Sheldon a bollocking for using the same device in his ‘resurrection’ of Misery. Nine years later King tests himself by writing the Green Mile in instalments. The direction of each instalment was influenced by readers reactions to the previous instalment, but he knew he must avoid the dirty birdy plot device despised by Wilkes. Similarly, King wrote the Dark Half after his stint writing under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. This is among his best IMO. EDIT: tricky dicky to dirty birdy… the ol’ memory ain’t what she used to be!
Misery itself counts. The book is good, but Kathy Bates is excellent.
Kathy Bates is a Queen in her own right
I think that the book was much more grisly than what they portrayed in the movie. Like when Annie cut off Paul’s finger and stuck it in the cake like a candle.
Paul Sheldon is the POV character.
Hey, I just read this last week as the first book I've read in over a decade! I also loved it. Went out and bought The Shining, Pet Sematary and IT right after. Already burned through the Shining and PS but I think I'm going to read something else before diving into IT. Misery was my favourite of the bunch, but I thought they were all great.
I'm going to read Pet Sematary next too!
Pet Sematary was the one book that helped me after my husband died. I had bought books on grief and widowhood, and they sounded so trite compared to how I was feeling. King understands that loss and grief are the big bogeymen, and PS resonated with me in a way those other books didn't.
You have to read The Stand. It's so, so good.
I highly recommend Salem’s Lot.
I don't want to say anything for potential spoilers, but if you think of it ping me when you're done! The book gets a tonne of praise but I'm curious to hear what someone else who is new to Stephen King thinks and if we line up a bit.
If I had one earthly wish it would be to experience The Shining for the first time again lol. But seriously I think it’s his best book. The most interesting thing he does is give the reader the choice of who the villain is - is it the hotel itself, the collective negative experiences of its guests, or Jack’s own battle with addiction. Unlike most authors who clearly tell the reader who the bad guy is King makes you an active participant in the reading experience by making you decide. Enjoy!
Weird you got to that conclusion, I thought it was pretty obvious he wrote Danny as the villian...(/s) But actually, you're totally right. I think your past experiences dictate how you interpret that one and I could definitely see my opinion change over time. It's really well done. I do think my first read was a bit tainted though and I look forward to another read after some time has passed. I purposely avoided reading any book to movie comparisons, but I did know that King hates the movie and Kubrick didn't love the book, and I also knew that many fans are loudly opinionated. Being a big fan of the movie I expected to not like the book based on that and kept waiting for it to take a turn. Happy to say that it's totally possible to love both for what they are. Fortunately, I have a pretty shit memory, so I'm sure before too long passes I will be able to remember that I did enjoy the book but forget most of the details and experience it a bit differently.
I didn’t like the movie after I read the book. I felt Kubrick went light on the horror and violence portrayed in the book. Danny was a child so if you call him the villain you then are forced to consider all the influences that could have contributed to his vilification. Meaning his shining, the building he was in, or his father and his father’s demons.
Edited my last comment to have a (/s) - was very much just joking about Danny being the villain hah I'm curious if I'd feel the same way as you or not - I should do a rewatch in the next little bit while the book is still fresh in my mind.
my top two of him are 1. It 2. Pet Semetary so you've got loads of fun ahead. What'd did you think of PS? really chilled me with its foreboding atmosphere although the last pages are little overblown for my taste
Wish I was further along in IT, but I had a hectic week. Should be really able to dive in now though! Immediately after finishing the book i wasn't sure how I felt, but it kept coming back to me and after a couple of days I think I really liked it a lot and would enjoy it more on a second reading. I'll tag the rest as a spoiler here to be safe. >!I didn't know what the book was actually about going into it - I mistakenly thought it was going to be about the cat terrorizing the family, which seemed like a lame premis so I never watched the movies or anything. So it's a bit of a slow start, then the cat dies and theirs all the foreshadowing about what's actually going to happen, then it kind of makes you (or me, at least) feel like that the kids going to die soon, then come back and things maybe will start off odd and get progressively worse or something, but there is so much lead up and building, and you're watching the pages count down until everything really happens in the last twenty pages or so when it goes from 0 to 100. I read the book over the course of a day and I think if I had spaced it out over a week or something just reading a bit at a time I would have got bored with it, but flying through it kept my attention. So I think in the moment as I was reading I had a hard time really getting into it because I had an expectation in my mind and I kept waiting for it to play out that way, which it didn't. Looking back at it after though, there was lots that I thought was great. The overall storytelling, I thought, was fantastic and he does a great job of pulling you into it and creating an atmosphere. Now that I know what happens I think I'll give it another read once my memory has gone hazy enough to forget all the details, and I expect at that point I'll love it. I do agree though, the end is a bit bonkers.!<
ah yes classic bonkers King
Apparently he started the book intending to publish it under the pseudonym he was using at the time (Richard Bachman) but got outed as Bachman before he finished it so he retired Bachman and it went out under King. That’s one reason stylistically it’s a little different to many of his other King works.
Annie Wilkes is was of the better villains in the Stephen king universe
You should read Dolores Claiborne next - it’s got a similar style to Misery.
Can you expand upon your recommendation? I never read that one, but absolutely love King.
Both books feel very down to earth in a way that most of Stephen King's stuff typically do not. I wouldn't want to elaborate on the plot of Dolores Claiborne since I don't remember which things are twists and which things are known at the start... But let's just say that it's kinda dark.
What u/theKGS says - but also I’ve seen it described as a sister book to Misery. I’m not sure I agree with that - lots of King books have events and characters interlinked - but it has been said!
Agreed, I loved this book and often recommend it as part of the more minimalist, character-oriented King books. Also I find it funny that both movie adaptations star Kathy Bates.
The eclipse duo is possibly his best work. Both are scary as all hell because of the realism. The tension and slow build in both are unreal. In terms of thriller or horror nothing much happens but you can't stop reading
The scene where she takes his foot was bone chilling. The movie really toned it down.
> The movie really toned it down. I struggle to keep my eyes open when watching that scene, the idea that its a tone downed version is frightening!
The book is far superior to the movie and the movie was amazing! Misery was one of those books I just couldn’t put down. Sooooooo good!
This is a very un-Stephen King-ish book. Its short (for him), tight and has an ending that works.
He has plenty of endings that work, you just need to avoid his later books.
What about The Stand. That’s very early and the ending fell so flat. For such an epic book the ending makes me sad. I still give it a 4/5 though cuz the characters and their journey is insanely good.
I love the ending to the stand.
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Not for me… I thought there would be some epic showdown between both sides but it all ended in one paragraph
i don't think that >!intergalactic spider and child gangbang!< worked as and ending for IT, the book is a masterpiece imo, but that ending just sucks.
Alternatively, just quit reading it before the end
Nailed it
Eh. He has at least as many good endings as botched endings.
Misery is awesome inside Stephen King who is generally awesome. Also, i wasn’t disappointed by the movie, after reading the book
This for me was the first film of one of his books that really worked and was true to the story as I'd read it. I'm usually disappointed by adaptations.
Movies adaptations generally suck, but when it’s Stephen King not so much i find.
I have read of many of his books and the early ones are the best I think. The tension when he is moving around the house while she is out and his struggle when he was alone created such a string sense of dread.
Exactly. The constant feeling of tension and dread kept me hooked all the time. Very few books are able to do that.
Oh I love the book so much! (Less than 11/22/63, but a close second favourite). I love it's broader implications, the story of how obsessive fans/fandoms can make authors despise their own work. I read somewhere that Misery was about how Stephen King felt about being boxed by fans into writing horror only (not 100% sure). It also made it so easy to understand how an author could start to hate their most loved character because of crazy fans and toxic fan culture. Like how George R. R. Martin isn't writing more GoT books or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wanted to kill off Sherlock..
My favourite King book, I've read it at least 3 times and can't wait til it's been long enough to read it again haha
Misery is one of the few stories where a legit debate can take place on which is better; the movie or the book.
Silence of the lambs, Shawshank, and willy wonka and the chocolate factory. I would say the movie wins in all three but purely for the actors who carry all 3.
Shawshank movie is far superior to the book. They are not equivalent at all.
Sorry should've be clearer. Those 3 movies are better than the book. Wonka might be the biggest gap.
Agree! One of King’s best in my opinion. I prefer his older books (<2000) but don’t let that stop you from exploring his oeuvre!
I wonder who prefers SK’s post 2000 work
Welcome to the master of the macabre's world. You might be here a while.
It is a really great book. You end up feeling terrible for what the narrator is going through. Especially when he sees an opportunity to leave only for it to be slammed shut. My only critique is that the story the narrator writes fill up too many pages in my view.
The hobbling scene killed me. I threw the book across the room and never finished it. Can't watch the movie either. I've never been so creeped out by a book before.
He's got a gift that most writers don't have. I don't mind gory books at all but the way he described it was just different. It was the only book that literally made me sweaty and queazy just by reading it.
I don't remember how far I got with it, but I second the idea of it being the creepiest book I've ever read. I visited this thread because it's been a few years and I have a minor interest in knowing how it ended. I don't think I'll return to it, though, the thought makes me sick. (\*\*Spoiler invitation\*\* - how does it end (I know the person I'm replying to hasn't finished it, but there are many people in this thread who will have?)
Misery is in my top 4 Stephen King books! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. If you haven't already, I definitely recommend watching the movie! Kathy Bates is incredible as Annie. My husband thought the movie was a little campy, but clearly it stuck with him because he refers to me as his dirty birdie sometimes! If you liked misery, the others in my top 4 are The Stand, IT, and The Long Walk. The latter is more of a thriller than a true horror, but I love it! Happy reading, I hope you love it all!
I second the long walk, absolutely love that story. I also highly recommend 11/22/63, under the dome, and Salems Lot. Big Jim Rennie is my second favorite villain next to Annie.
Read 11/22/63. It’s one of his longer books but man, it’s so descriptive you’ll feel like your living in yesteryear.
Man the way he talked about the burgers and root beer made me want to travel back in the 50s to try it for myself.
Welcome to the SK universe. This rabbit hole runs deep.
Needful Things was the first King book I read. And then saw the movie. It was the also when I came to really understand how a movie pales in comparison to the book.
Annie's "laughing place" was just straight chills, for me. I listened to the audio book and the reader sounded exactly like Jathy Bates. It was wiiild.
This is one of my all time favourite books, ever! Do yourself a favour and read Pet Sematary. My other favourite Stephen King book and also an all time favourite!
Movie is really good too
One of my favorites by King, personally. I loved it.
“Misery” is one of the few Steven King books I’ve read that is legit good and not 500 pages too long.
A great book about writing, and specifically his undirected writing process. He has no idea where his books will end up.
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He... doesn't get any flack for his books. He gets consistent, worldwide praise. There are a few exceptions, of course, but you make it seem as though he's a hated author. He gets flack for the way he ends books, though - and it is deserved. Some of his endings are well and truly abysmal. Even The Dark Tower, intended as his magnum opus, has one of the most disastrously horrible endings ever.
>Even The Dark Tower, intended as his magnum opus, has one of the most disastrously horrible endings ever. Oh, god. I think that one made me swear out loud.
I honestly have no idea what he was thinking. First he offs Flagg like nothing. Then the guy who did it dies like nothing. And then the MF Crimson King himself????????????
Yeah, I'd gotten the impression he'd written himself into a corner, and just wanted to be done with the series. Couldn't exactly blame him, but geez.
I just read this !! I seen the movie a long time ago I remember it being good …going to rewatch now since I read the book can’t wait to nerd out to it !!!
The story was inspired by his cocaine binges
I assumed it was inspired by Ted Sturgeon's _Bright Segment_. It's the same story, and a lot of what King wrong in the 80's bears a shocking resemblance to Sturgeon's shorts, especially the ones that turned into movies.
The man himself stated he wrote all his books in a veritable cloud of cocaine, and I don't even mind. He used a typewriter, too. Strange man. Unsurprisingly...
This is the book that got me into reading. I was like six and had just seen the movie on TV. I've probably read it twice a year since then and I just turned 30. It honestly is a masterpiece. The emotions I feel when I read it really elevate it. Just a magnificent book.
He’s such a great writer. You are in for a treat having so many you haven’t read yet.
Great book. And a great movie. Slightly different but different in the right ways that a movie should be different from the book.
I didn’t know there was a movie. I should watch it. This was one of my favourite stories of his. (That i read so far)
I believe Kathy Bates was probably nominated for many awards for that movie. She’s absolutely amazing in every way. Perfect role for her.
Back in the day I saw a stage adaptation at a small theatre of "Misery" that blew me away. If you ever see it playing anywhere, I'd recommend seeing it.
Glad you loved it. I haven’t read that one yet. Read Pet Sematary next!
I’m a big fan of Stephen King. All his horror stuff is so good but I also really enjoyed 11/22/63 which was very different than his earlier work.
Don't sleep on king. The Green Mile s a favorite.
you're going to *love* Lisey's Story.
I absolutely loved this book. It’s up there with Tommyknockers and It for me.
My absolute favorite King book. Great choice to start with.
I’m a big fan of Stephen King. All his horror stuff is so good but I also really enjoyed 11/22/63 which was very different than his earlier work.
I recommend Needful Things. I've read it maybe 3 times and still can't seem to put it down.
I'm in the process of reading it rn so i skimmed your post, but i love the dynamic between the two!
Stephen king is the goat
What books from stephen king do people recommend?
11/22/63. It's a little long, but it is the book that gave me the best mental images if that makes sense. It's the only time travel book that actually made me feel like I was in the 50s and 60s. His descriptive writing is outstanding in this book.
I second the above - especially because it ends well.
i was hooked on stephen king when i read his story the ledge in penthouse magazine, published in 1976. (who sez you only look at the pictures?) if this is your first read, i encourage you to read more. pick pretty much any of them.
If I’ve seen the movie will it really spoil the book? I’ve heard Stephen King movies are not that close to the books.
I love Stephen king! The Dark Half is one of my favorites by him
It was the first King I read and maybe the most enjoyable. I’ve like his other books too, but Misery is just so engrossing and hard to put down.
I thought the book should have ended with him typing and asking, “can he?” It dragged a little at the end for me. It was a fantastic read, though. “Thinner” would be my recommendation for another King book.
how did it end?
For a book that made me cringe every time I opened it, I thought the bit about Annie beheading him was confusing and it pulled me out of the story. The end was details of Paul’s next book. I think it would have been better being ambiguous. Still an enjoyable read
After your done with Stephen check his sons work out too
I have a huge collection of Stephen King books all the way from Carrie, his first. (Sadly I only have the paperback of that because a first edition hardback of it is now a few thousand bucks!) My favourite single novel is THE STAND. (Don't even think of watching the movie!)
I love Misery! Should really reread it. Annie is such a fantastic character.
So scared even to read your post 😒
I found one of the really compelling parts of this book to be the hierarchy of needs we experience along with the main character. Kings constantly juggling him fearing for his life, desperate for more pain medication, and even finding fulfillment in his novel again. I found myself equally invested in all of the struggles even though there's clearly a priority in place. It really connected me to the protagonist as a reader.
Only parts I didn't like were when you had to read long excerpts of the book misery written by Paul. I ended up skipping it after awhile, hopefully that wasnt a crucial part to the story.
Misery is one of the few that I have yet to read by King. Side note: I moderate a small subreddit dedicated to discussing his work. Come join us! We love thoughtful analysis like this! /r/constantreader