Description
Misery (1987) is an American psychological horror thriller novel written by Stephen King. The novel's narrative is based on the relationships of its two protagonists- A popular writer Paul Sheldon and his psychotic fan Annie Wilkes.
Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has finally met his number one fan-Annie Wilkes. She is not only a rapid reader but also a nurse who is taking care of Paul's shattered body after he meets with an accident. Soon, Paul realizes he is a captive in an isolated house and is forced to indulge his captor's whims.
Annie is furious that Paul has killed off her favorite character in his latest book and she wants him to write a book that brings Misery back to life--just for her. She has a lot of ways to spur him on--a needle, an axe, and if they don't work, she can get really nasty.
The novel's title carries separate meanings; it is the name carried by the central heroine of Pauls' book series and King described such a state of emotion during the novel's writing. King has outlined the creation of Misery in his memoirs and mention that the image of Annie Wilkes came to him in a dream. The novel parallels King's personal life and the successful study of the relationship between celebrities and their fans. King planned the book to be released under the pseudonym Richard Bachman but his identity was discovered before the book's release.
Misery won the first Bram Stoker Award for Novel in 1987 and was nominated for the 1988 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. It received positive reviews from readers and critics by praising King for not circumscribing the fantasy element of his past works.
Adaptations
Films
The novel took fourth place in the 1987 bestseller list and was adapted into a film directed by Rob Reiner in 1990. Kathy Bates won the 1990 Best Actress Oscar for her performance as Annie. James Caan starred as Paul.
Director Balu Mahendra loosely adapted the novel into a Tamil film titled Julie Ganapathi in 2003.
Television
A version of Annie Wilkes is featured in the second season of Castle Rock, being portrayed by Lizzy Caplan.
Stage
- In 1992, the novel was adapted into a play by Simon Moore.
- In 2005, it was revived at the Kings Head Theatre in London, starring Michael Praed and Susan Penhaligon.
- In 2014, Dutch compose rand theater producer Florus van Rooijen adapted the novel into a 'Feel Bad' musical.
- In 2015, A different play written by William Goldman and directed by Will Frears opened on Broadway for a limited engagement. The play starred Bruce Willis as writer Paul Sheldon and Laurie Metcalf as Annie Wilkes. For her performance as Annie, Metcalf was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.
- In October 2019, a Finnish play adaptation of Misery called Piina was performed at the Tampere Theatre in Tampere, Finland. Also in September of the same year, Kuopio City Theatre in Kuopio, Finland presented another interpretation under the name Piina. Both adaptations are based on the Goldman screenplay and are well-received by the audience and critics
Stephen King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural, fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them are worldwide bestsellers, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman. He has written approximately 200 short stories, most of which have been published in book collections.
His first crime thriller featuring Bill Hodges, Mr Mercedes, won the Edgar Award for best novel and was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award. Both Mr Mercedes and End of Watch received the Goodreads Choice Award for the Best Mystery and Thriller of 2014 and 2016 respectively.
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 as well as the Best Hardcover Book Award from the International Thriller Writers Association.
He co-wrote the bestselling novel Sleeping Beauties with his son Owen King, and many of King's books have been turned into celebrated films and television series including The Shawshank Redemption, Gerald's Game, and It.
Stephen King has been the recipient of many national and international awards to date. He has received America's prestigious 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and the 2014 National Medal of Arts. In 2007 he also won the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He has been described as 'King of Horror' a play on his surname.
King studied at the University of Maine, graduating in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.
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Rating: 4.4/5
Author: Stephen King
Publisher: Scribner
Publishing Date: January 5, 2016 (Reissue edition)
Edition Language: English
Genre: Psychological Fiction, Thriller, Horror Literature and Fiction
ISBN-10: 1501143107
ISBN-13: 978-1501143106
Pages: 368
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