A review by zarap
Misery by Stephen King

dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

Misery is definitely one of those books that I would've loved if it had been written by someone other than a man (or, you know, a man who is aware of and cares about women and tropes about "crazy women" would also work). Annie is soooooo close to being a brilliant character to me -
I love that she turns out to be much smarter than Paul initially suspects -
but ultimately falls flat due to King's misogynistic treatment of her. I'm not comfortable with books where the villain is just "ohh she's a crazy bitch idk," and this definitely feels like that to me. I would LOVE to read another version of this book where Annie is more complex, but it seems like that would have to come from someone other than Stephen King. I think what I want is the Viola Davis version of this book.
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