MiseryMisery
Score Classic
What it's about
Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has just killed off Misery Chastain, the heroine of his popular romance series, so he can write something serious. After a car crash in a Colorado snowstorm, he wakes up in the remote farmhouse of Annie Wilkes, a former nurse who pulled him from the wreck. She says she's his number one fan. When she reads the latest Misery novel and learns what he's done, she makes him write Misery back to life.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list, and the film won Kathy Bates an Oscar. It's one of King's most tightly written, terrifying books.
You'll love it if you liked
Different Seasons
The Silent Patient
ItGood to know
It's mostly set in one house with two characters. It includes graphic violence and some famously gruesome scenes.
By the numbers
- Readers82 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller72 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #6 of the 86 horror books we rank
- #121 of the 762 classics we rank
- #392 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark, Gripping
More by Stephen King
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
The Stand
11/22/63ItIf you like this, read next
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Exorcist
Blood Meridian
Swan Song
Watchers
Light in AugustExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Misery worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list, and the film won Kathy Bates an Oscar. It ranks #392 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Misery about?
Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has just killed off Misery Chastain, the heroine of his popular romance series, so he can write something serious. After a car crash in a Colorado snowstorm, he wakes up in the remote farmhouse of Annie Wilkes, a former nurse who pulled him from the wreck. She says she's his number one fan. When she reads the latest Misery novel and learns what he's done, she makes him write Misery back to life.
How long does it take to read Misery?
About 10 hours (384 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Misery?
If you liked it, try Different Seasons by Stephen King, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides or It by Stephen King.