Getting Rescued From One Thing Can Put You In Something Even Worse

Getting Rescued From One Thing Can Put You In Something Even Worse
Andrew Arena

Misery by Stephen King

           After his experience in the novel Misery by Stephen King, Paul Sheldon---an award-winning author---will have a lot to write about. How he got into this sticky situation, Sheldon will always regret. Paul was drunk; he didn’t think things through. He was supposed to take a plane to New York, but had decided to head west, ending up getting caught in a huge snowstorm. The snow proved to get the best of Paul, crushing his car and him. One minute he was on the top of the world, and the next his whole body, and possibly his career and life, was shattered. Paul’s legs made shapes “like broken branches” (King 26). “Luckily” he was found and pulled out of the rubble. Paul Sheldon would survive. Or would he? Getting rescued isn’t always the best thing, especially when you are rescued by Annie Wilkes---a completely psychotic woman---who is apparently your number one fan. Paul thought the car crash was bad, but Annie’s house is a million times worse. Annie loves Paul. However, she also loves to torture him. Paul’s legs are destroyed, but she doesn’t take him to a hospital. Paul is thirsty, but she resists giving him water. Finally, Paul is dying from pain; he receives pain killers from Annie. These are pain killers that he will end up getting addicted to, and need everyday. They are called Novril. Paul and Annie’s relationship progresses throughout the book, his fury towards her building and building with every day that passes. Misery proposes many questions, including the following: will Paul attempt escape, will he succeed, will someone die in the process? Find out in the horror thriller Misery by Stephen King.

           So far, I really like this book. It is the type of book that excites you and makes you nervous. You feel the need to figure out what happens next. When reading this book, you’ll feel just like you are in the movie theaters watching a horror movie. It has such a creepy aspect to it. This is one of the key reasons I am enjoying the book so much. I love books that surprise you and prevent boredom, and this is definitely one of those books. Annie is so unpredictable, and you never know what stunt she’ll pull next. Her and Paul have so many battles, and when Paul wins, he expresses the feeling perfectly thinking: “He had won. This time” (King 28). There may be one day where Paul loses. I recommend this novel to everyone who likes horror movies and likes to be shaking with nerves and excitement when reading a book. Stephen King is an amazing author, and I highly recommend trying one of his books. An aspect of Misery that I believe makes it even a little more scary is that it is realistic. It could happen in real life, and the thought of it happening sends shivers down your spine. Misery also has a lot of lessons displayed in it, including the consequences of drunk driving and the fact that sometimes it’s better to take the safe route instead of taking a risk. Paul Sheldon should’ve never taken the risk of taking the “trip the kid of twenty-four he had been when he sold his first novel might have taken” (King 17). Overall, Misery is a great book that can be classified under the following: horror, adventure, and mystery. I highly recommend Misery to anyone who likes the horror genre and Stephen King novels.