A review by cmacmahon
Misery by Stephen King

dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I read misery in a single weekend. I truly felt transported into the horrific and small world that Paul was trapped in. The premise feels a bit silly, 'a writer is kidnapped and forced to write their series sequel by a violent super fan' but King manages to make it, not just believable, but frightening. Although I will say this book was not as scary as some of the other King novels I've read -a positive in my opinion! 

At times the book can feel very meta, the main character mentions how plot points wouldn't happen in a book, moments like this challenged me as a reader to question my own engagement with the story, how it was made and who it is made for.  Another interesting theme the story explores is escapism as a coping mechanism. Ultimately Paul's escape from Annie through drugs and writing is effective in the moment, but nonetheless exposes uncomfortable truths about himself that he struggles to cope with. Reading as an activity itself is inherently escapist, so the exploration of escapism held a mirror up to me as the reader and forced me to question myself. It's truly great writing that manages to find the balance between changing the reader and entertaining them.
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