Misery
Encyclopedia
Misery is a psychological horror
novel
by Stephen King
. The novel was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
in 1988, and was later made into a Hollywood film
and an off-Broadway
play of the same name.
; since 1974, he has completed the first draft of every one of his novels in the same hotel room. With his latest project finished, he has an alcohol-induced impulse to drive to Los Angeles
rather than back home to New York City
. However, a snowstorm hits while he is driving through the mountains. Sheldon drives off a cliff and crashes upside down into a snowbank.
Paul is rescued from the car wreck by Annie Wilkes
, a former nurse who lives in nearby Sidewinder. She takes him to her own home rather than a hospital
, putting him in the guest bedroom. Using her nursing skills and stockpiled food and medical supplies (including an illicit stash of a fictional codeine
-based painkiller, Novril), Annie slowly nurses Paul back to health. She proclaims herself as Paul's "number one fan", being an avid reader of the Misery series. When she reads the Fast Cars manuscript, she argues with Paul on its violent content and coarse language, causing her to spill his soup. Saying that the accident was "his" fault, she punishes him by withholding his medication, then forcing him to wash it down with soap water. Paul has done extensive research into mental disorders, and has suspected from the beginning that Annie is dangerously disturbed.
It is around this time that the latest Misery book, Misery's Child, hits the shelves. Annie – whose life revolves around the character – buys her reserved copy. She doesn't know, however, that this is the last book in the series and that Paul killed her off at the end. Paul has long wanted to reestablish himself as a mainstream writer, and hoped Fast Cars would be that outlet. Upon reading the book, and learning of the main character's demise, she flies into a rage and yells at Paul, saying she thought he was good, but he was just a lying old "dirty birdie". She leaves Paul alone in the house for over two days, stating that she may do something "unwise" if she stays. During this time, Paul suffers from hunger, thirst, extreme pain and withdrawal from the painkillers. By the time Annie returns, he is close to death. Upon Annie's return, she forces him to burn the Fast Cars manuscript - the only one in existence. She also presents him with an antique Royal
typewriter
, which she announces that he will use to create a new Misery novel, one that will bring Misery back from the dead.
Paul bides his time and writes the book as Annie wants, believing her fully capable of killing him. He manages to escape his room while Annie is on an errand, touring the house in search of more painkillers. He is almost caught by Annie, but he manages to return to his room before she enters the house. Another time he gets out of the room when a rainstorm hits, sending Annie into a great depression. She goes to her "laughing place" - a cabin located not far from her house - where she stays until she feels better. Meanwhile, Paul escapes his room again. Intent this time on killing her, he grabs a knife out of the kitchen. On the way back to his room, he notices a scrapbook
full of newspaper clippings from Annie's life. They suggest that Annie is a serial killer
who murdered her own father, her college roommate, and numerous patients in several states--39 people in all. She was arrested and charged with killing several babies at a Boulder, Colorado
hospital, but was acquitted. He also finds a magazine clipping about his status as a missing person
. However, Annie has known all along that he's been out of his room, and punishes him by cutting off his foot with an axe, and cauterizing the wound with a blowtorch. Later, when he complains about a missing letter on the typewriter, she punishes him by slicing off his thumb with an electric knife.
A Colorado state trooper
eventually arrives at Annie’s house, searching for Paul. Realizing a chance for escape, Paul alerts the officer by throwing an ashtray
through the window. However, Annie surprises the trooper, stabs him repeatedly with a sharpened wooden cross and rides over him with her lawnmower. She temporarily hides Paul in the basement while she departs, meaning to dispose of the trooper's body and his police cruiser.
Paul finally finishes the new Misery book. As a celebration, he asks Annie for a cigarette and a match, as per his normal practice after finishing a book. He uses the match to seemingly light his manuscript on fire, but actually sets fire to a stack of notes with the Misery title page on top. While Annie frantically tries to put out the flames, Paul throws the typewriter at her. Paul fights with Annie, and stuffs her mouth full of the burning pages. She gets him down and runs to find a weapon, but trips on the typewriter, causing her to crack her skull on the mantelpiece. Mortally wounded, she exits the house through a window and goes to the barn to get a chainsaw to kill Paul, but she finally succumbs to her head injury and dies in the barn. Two police officers find Paul and take him to a hospital.
Returning home to New York, Paul submits the new Misery novel to his publisher, who tells him that it will become his greatest bestseller. However, the ordeal is far from over for Paul: he suffers nightmares about Annie, and continues to have withdrawals from painkillers. He has also become an alcoholic with writer's block
. Eventually, after a random encounter with a child in the street, he has the same spark that inspired him to write Fast Cars. He begins typing about this boy and the skunk
he had with him in a shopping cart.
, King relates how Misery was supposed to be another novel published under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. King was revealed to be Bachman before the book was published. King theorized that the book would have been a breakout hit for Bachman and might have made him a household name.
adapted the novel into the screenplay for a 1990 American
film
, directed by Rob Reiner
.
James Caan and Kathy Bates
star as Paul and Annie, with Lauren Bacall
, Richard Farnsworth
and Frances Sternhagen
as the only major supporting actors. The film was a critical and commercial success, making US$61,276,872 domestically on a $20,000,000 budget. Kathy Bates won the 1990
Best Actress Oscar
for her performance.
In his 2000 book, Which Lie Did I Tell?
, screenwriter Goldman admitted he struggled to resolve the amputation scene in his script. Reiner eventually had the script worked on by a studio writer, who had Annie break Paul's ankles, rather than remove a foot. This led to Goldman quitting the project as he felt the amputation scene was central to the story, but the decision eventually met with the writer's approval when Goldman saw the finished movie.
Additionally, Epik High
, a South Korean band, featured a music video based on Misery called, "Fan". The video consisted of a star who is kidnapped by a psychotic fan who chains him to a bed in a room while she builds a rocket to send him to the stars.
The novel was also adapted into a moderately successful Off Broadway play. The play was revived to critical acclaim in 2005 at the Kings Head Theatre in London
, starring Michael Praed
and Susan Penhaligon
. The play also opened in Athens
in 2007, starring Nikos Psarras in an after-midnight theatre production. It was a huge success and ran for two years.
Psychological horror
Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror fiction that relies on character fears, guilt, beliefs, eerie sound effects, relevant music and emotional instability to build tension and further the plot...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
. The novel was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
This World Fantasy Award is given to the fantasy novel or novels voted best by a panel of judges, and presented each year at the World Fantasy Convention.-1975:...
in 1988, and was later made into a Hollywood film
Misery (film)
Misery is a 1990 American Psychological Horror Film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates' performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes...
and an off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
play of the same name.
Plot summary
Paul Sheldon, the author of a best-selling series of Victorian-era romance novels surrounding the heroine character Misery Chastain, has just finished the manuscript of his new crime novel, Fast Cars, while staying at the Silver Creek Lodge in western ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
; since 1974, he has completed the first draft of every one of his novels in the same hotel room. With his latest project finished, he has an alcohol-induced impulse to drive to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
rather than back home to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. However, a snowstorm hits while he is driving through the mountains. Sheldon drives off a cliff and crashes upside down into a snowbank.
Paul is rescued from the car wreck by Annie Wilkes
Annie Wilkes
Anne Marie Wilkes Dugan, usually known as Annie Wilkes, is a fictional character and the antagonist/main villain in the 1987 novel Misery, by Stephen King. In the 1990 film adaptation of the novel, Annie Wilkes was portrayed by Kathy Bates, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal...
, a former nurse who lives in nearby Sidewinder. She takes him to her own home rather than a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, putting him in the guest bedroom. Using her nursing skills and stockpiled food and medical supplies (including an illicit stash of a fictional codeine
Codeine
Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...
-based painkiller, Novril), Annie slowly nurses Paul back to health. She proclaims herself as Paul's "number one fan", being an avid reader of the Misery series. When she reads the Fast Cars manuscript, she argues with Paul on its violent content and coarse language, causing her to spill his soup. Saying that the accident was "his" fault, she punishes him by withholding his medication, then forcing him to wash it down with soap water. Paul has done extensive research into mental disorders, and has suspected from the beginning that Annie is dangerously disturbed.
It is around this time that the latest Misery book, Misery's Child, hits the shelves. Annie – whose life revolves around the character – buys her reserved copy. She doesn't know, however, that this is the last book in the series and that Paul killed her off at the end. Paul has long wanted to reestablish himself as a mainstream writer, and hoped Fast Cars would be that outlet. Upon reading the book, and learning of the main character's demise, she flies into a rage and yells at Paul, saying she thought he was good, but he was just a lying old "dirty birdie". She leaves Paul alone in the house for over two days, stating that she may do something "unwise" if she stays. During this time, Paul suffers from hunger, thirst, extreme pain and withdrawal from the painkillers. By the time Annie returns, he is close to death. Upon Annie's return, she forces him to burn the Fast Cars manuscript - the only one in existence. She also presents him with an antique Royal
Royal Typewriter Company
The Royal Typewriter Company was a manufacturer of typewriters headquartered in New York City with its factory in Hartford, Connecticut.-History:...
typewriter
Typewriter
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...
, which she announces that he will use to create a new Misery novel, one that will bring Misery back from the dead.
Paul bides his time and writes the book as Annie wants, believing her fully capable of killing him. He manages to escape his room while Annie is on an errand, touring the house in search of more painkillers. He is almost caught by Annie, but he manages to return to his room before she enters the house. Another time he gets out of the room when a rainstorm hits, sending Annie into a great depression. She goes to her "laughing place" - a cabin located not far from her house - where she stays until she feels better. Meanwhile, Paul escapes his room again. Intent this time on killing her, he grabs a knife out of the kitchen. On the way back to his room, he notices a scrapbook
Scrapbook
Scrapbook can refer to:* Scrapbooking, the process of making a scrapbook* Scrapbook , a Mac OS application* Scrapbook , a Switchblade Symphony album* Scrapbook * ScrapBook, a Firefox extension...
full of newspaper clippings from Annie's life. They suggest that Annie is a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who murdered her own father, her college roommate, and numerous patients in several states--39 people in all. She was arrested and charged with killing several babies at a Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
hospital, but was acquitted. He also finds a magazine clipping about his status as a missing person
Missing person
A missing person is a person who has disappeared for usually unknown reasons.Missing persons' photographs may be posted on bulletin boards, milk cartons, postcards, and websites, along with a phone number to be contacted if a sighting has been made....
. However, Annie has known all along that he's been out of his room, and punishes him by cutting off his foot with an axe, and cauterizing the wound with a blowtorch. Later, when he complains about a missing letter on the typewriter, she punishes him by slicing off his thumb with an electric knife.
A Colorado state trooper
Colorado State Patrol
The Colorado State Patrol , based in Lakewood, Colorado, is a division of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, and is one of the official state police agencies of Colorado, along with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and several smaller state agencies...
eventually arrives at Annie’s house, searching for Paul. Realizing a chance for escape, Paul alerts the officer by throwing an ashtray
Ashtray
An ashtray is a receptacle for ash and butts from cigarettes and cigars. Ashtrays are typically made of fireproof material such as glass, heat-resistant plastic, pottery, metal, or rock....
through the window. However, Annie surprises the trooper, stabs him repeatedly with a sharpened wooden cross and rides over him with her lawnmower. She temporarily hides Paul in the basement while she departs, meaning to dispose of the trooper's body and his police cruiser.
Paul finally finishes the new Misery book. As a celebration, he asks Annie for a cigarette and a match, as per his normal practice after finishing a book. He uses the match to seemingly light his manuscript on fire, but actually sets fire to a stack of notes with the Misery title page on top. While Annie frantically tries to put out the flames, Paul throws the typewriter at her. Paul fights with Annie, and stuffs her mouth full of the burning pages. She gets him down and runs to find a weapon, but trips on the typewriter, causing her to crack her skull on the mantelpiece. Mortally wounded, she exits the house through a window and goes to the barn to get a chainsaw to kill Paul, but she finally succumbs to her head injury and dies in the barn. Two police officers find Paul and take him to a hospital.
Returning home to New York, Paul submits the new Misery novel to his publisher, who tells him that it will become his greatest bestseller. However, the ordeal is far from over for Paul: he suffers nightmares about Annie, and continues to have withdrawals from painkillers. He has also become an alcoholic with writer's block
Writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...
. Eventually, after a random encounter with a child in the street, he has the same spark that inspired him to write Fast Cars. He begins typing about this boy and the skunk
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
he had with him in a shopping cart.
Background
In the introduction to The Bachman BooksThe Bachman Books
The Bachman Books is a collection of short novels by Stephen King published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman between 1977 and 1982.The book was released in 1985 after the publication of the first hardcover Bachman novel Thinner in order to introduce Bachman to fans who did not know about King's...
, King relates how Misery was supposed to be another novel published under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. King was revealed to be Bachman before the book was published. King theorized that the book would have been a breakout hit for Bachman and might have made him a household name.
Adaptations
William GoldmanWilliam Goldman
William Goldman is an American novelist, playwright, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.-Early life and education:...
adapted the novel into the screenplay for a 1990 American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Misery (film)
Misery is a 1990 American Psychological Horror Film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates' performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes...
, directed by Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
.
James Caan and Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
star as Paul and Annie, with Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall is an American film and stage actress and model, known for her distinctive husky voice and sultry looks.She first emerged as leading lady in the Humphrey Bogart film To Have And Have Not and continued on in the film noir genre, with appearances in The Big Sleep and Dark Passage ,...
, Richard Farnsworth
Richard Farnsworth
Richard W. Farnsworth was an American actor and stuntman. His film career began in 1937; however, he achieved his greatest success for his performances in The Grey Fox and The Straight Story , for which he received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor.- Early life :Farnsworth was born...
and Frances Sternhagen
Frances Sternhagen
Frances Hussey Sternhagen is an American actress. Sternhagen has appeared on and off Broadway, in movies, and on TV since the 1950s.-Personal life:...
as the only major supporting actors. The film was a critical and commercial success, making US$61,276,872 domestically on a $20,000,000 budget. Kathy Bates won the 1990
63rd Academy Awards
The 63rd Academy Awards were presented March 25, 1991 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. The show was hosted by Billy Crystal.The prominent winner was Dances with Wolves which earned seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Joe Pesci winning Best Supporting Actor...
Best Actress Oscar
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
for her performance.
In his 2000 book, Which Lie Did I Tell?
Which Lie Did I Tell?
Which Lie Did I Tell?: More Adventures in the Screen Trade is a work of non-fiction first published in 2000 by novelist and screenwriter William Goldman...
, screenwriter Goldman admitted he struggled to resolve the amputation scene in his script. Reiner eventually had the script worked on by a studio writer, who had Annie break Paul's ankles, rather than remove a foot. This led to Goldman quitting the project as he felt the amputation scene was central to the story, but the decision eventually met with the writer's approval when Goldman saw the finished movie.
Additionally, Epik High
Epik High
Epik High is a South Korean indie hip hop group from Seoul, South Korea. The group is composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz...
, a South Korean band, featured a music video based on Misery called, "Fan". The video consisted of a star who is kidnapped by a psychotic fan who chains him to a bed in a room while she builds a rocket to send him to the stars.
The novel was also adapted into a moderately successful Off Broadway play. The play was revived to critical acclaim in 2005 at the Kings Head Theatre in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, starring Michael Praed
Michael Praed
Michael Praed born Michael David Prince, 1 April 1960 in Berkeley, Gloucestershire) is a British actor, is probably best known for his role as Robin of Loxley in the British television series Robin of Sherwood, which attained cult status worldwide in the 1980s...
and Susan Penhaligon
Susan Penhaligon
Susan Penhaligon is a British actress and writer, she is probably best known for her appearances in the controversial 1976 drama Bouquet of Barbed Wire and several ongoing roles in UK television series.-Early days:...
. The play also opened in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
in 2007, starring Nikos Psarras in an after-midnight theatre production. It was a huge success and ran for two years.
External links
- Official Website for the play
- Misery at Worlds Without End.