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Average Customer Rating: 
Misery >
Customer Review #1:
 A smart taut thriller from our favorite horror-master
Ill be the first to admit that I was a bit disappointed when I first started reading Misery. It sounded a bit different when compared to other Stephen King openers where the first sentence immediately grabs the reader and introduces the first character. This book begins with the main character, a romance writer by the name of Paul Sheldon, thinking about how, when he was at the beach during his early years, the waves of the oceans always grabbed shells, carried them out, and brought them back to the shore. Its only when the evil character is introduced that the story evolves into a King novel, showering us with gruesome thoughts and graphic scenes like in all of his books. Suprisingly, the book got more interesting as I continued reading it. I do not agree with the reviewers who state the you will not put down the novel until the end. About 75 pages before the end is where all the thrills begin and the fun starts. The book is one of those where we are desperately waiting for the battle between good and evil, have to read 200 pages to reach it, and then be satisfied until you finish the book. After reading Geralds Game (one of Stephen Kings worst) and reading several reviews about the events that happen in this novel, I was not so sure that I wanted to read a book where everything happens in one place (In Geralds Game, the whole novel takes place in a bedroom). Once again, I was pleasantly suprised to see that King managed to turn the one-long-scene book into a very satisfying, scary novel. The story is about the romance writer, Paul Sheldon, who after getting into a serious car wreck is suprised to find himself in another persons home. Annie Wilkes, the woman who owns the house, says that she is Pauls number one fan and that she rescued him from the wreck. Paul, of course, believes that hell get out as soon as he heals from his broken legs but as the story progresses we find out that Annies actions are not what they seem. My favorite part about the book would actually have to be Annie Wilkes. Unlike Stephen Kings horror books, this would be considered more of a thriller, because there are no supernatural events and everything is realistic. Which brings us to Annie Wilkes: She was Kings most shocking villain because I felt that there could really be people like her in the world (Unlike the clown in It). Sometimes I wanted to know her thoughts and feelings instead of always being bombarded with Pauls. She feels an awful lot like the main character in the story. Overall, Misery is a definite must-read. As for buying, if you read it three or more times and feel you liked every time, go ahead and buy. Misery is a pleasure to read and will keep you up all night. Its one of those books where you cant put the book down from the middle to the end and are forced to read the beginning. Highly recommended.
Misery >
Customer Review #2:
misery loves company
I havent read a Stephen King novel in about 15 years, but upon watching the movie adaption of _Misery_ with my husband recently, I remembered how much better I had liked the book (although the movie is good as well; Kathy Bates is amazing). So I decided to pick it up and read it again, to see if I would like it as well now that I am an adult.In short, I did. Claustrophobia and medical issues top my list of fears, so this novel of being trapped in a crazy ex-nurses house with broken legs and codeine addiction grabbed me right away. Paul Sheldon is as dependent on Annie Wilkes as he is threatened by her, since as well as administering violent "punishments," she is dispensing the magic capsules that keep his pain at bay. She is the one who pulled him out of his battered car and brought him back from the brink of death: to keep him in her home, her favorite writer, her pet writer. Without her dubious rescue he _would_ have died-- and later wishes he had. But it is when she reads Sheldons latest (and what was supposed to be the last) _Misery_ novel that her insanity truly reveals itself. He had killed Misery, and she was going to make him bring her back to life in _Miserys Return_, a strange and tortuous novel-within-a-novel. Some of my favorite descriptions dealt with the writing process (of "finding the hole in the paper"), and also realistic portrayal of the excruciating pain Paul was going through. Upon re-reading, I thought about Kings own somewhat-recent accident on a mountain road, when he was struck by a car and his legs were broken. Did he think about _Misery_ then? A captivating and satisfying quick read.
Misery >
Customer Review #3:
 Misery
Award winning author, Stephen King, stuns his audience of readers with yet another magnificent display if imagination in his novel Misery. Stephen King had his book published in 1988 and it was, 2 years later, made into an Academy Award Winning movie. Stephen Kings stunning and vivid descriptions of Paul Sheldons misery and his psychotic captor, Anne Wilkes, make this book one of his most popular.The novel begins as Paul Sheldon, a best selling novelist, is involved in a terrible car accident, which leaves him very badly injured. His smashed up car is discovered by a woman by the name of Annie Wilkes. As Sheldon awakes from his unconscious state, he finds himself in the small guest bedroom of Wilkess house with his legs shattered and badly splinted. He quickly becomes aware that his new caretaker is more than just his "number one fan" but is also a mentally disturbed woman who seeks to keep him prisoner in her home. Stephen King wrote this novel to grip his audience and throw them into a life different from that of which they live and hand them the experience of being trapped with a person of an unstable mind. His dark and cruel humor leaps off the pages in his horrifying descriptions that can almost be felt. Through his vivid descriptions of Sheldons mind and disquiet towards Annie, it seems almost as though he himself were experiencing them. Also, unlike many books that I have read, the setting is told descriptively so to create a detailed picture in your mind, but is also not so descriptive and boring as to "put you to sleep". Kings style never ceases to amaze his readers, especially when he combines two stories into one. In the novel, Paul is made to write a new episode in his books, just for Annie, which brings back to life the main character of his series. As Paul begins his new novel, the reader is able to read along as Annie would. King intertwines Pauls novel chapter by chapter while maintaining the original story about Paul and his captor. Another of the novels major attributes is the tone. The tone is one of suspense and makes it very easy to keep reading. King also incorporates flashbacks and memories from Sheldons childhood into his thoughts or ideas in the form of metaphors, such as the tide of the ocean covering a "rock piling". This signifies the medication that he is taking washing over and covering the pain that he suffers. This form keeps the book interesting and ties it together, bringing in ideas or thoughts that were originally brought up at the beginning. Although the ending seemed rather rushed, as though King was trying to finish the book quickly to reach a deadline, Misery is by far one of his best. His brilliant writing brings the characters to life before your eyes making reading the book an experience worth remembering.
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