Misery: Novel and Annie Wilkes

Misery by: Stephen King Book Report

The stories setting takes place in Western Colorado. In Western Colorado in a home of a retired nurse named Annie is where the whole story takes place. Annie's home is a two story log cabin out in the middle of nowhere. The closest neighbors are miles away. It takes place in the middle of winter snow storms. The story is about Paul Sheldon who is the author of a best-selling series of romance novels featuring its popular character Misery Chastain. Since 1974, he has finished the first drafts of all his books in the Silver Creek Lodge in Colorado. Finishing his new novel, ‘Fast Cars' he drives to L.A. unaware that the Western Slope of Colorado is going to be hit with one of the biggest snowstorms of the year in a few hours. Determined to drive through this, he loses control of his car, and drives off the road, tumbling down the steep hill and falling unconscious. Paul is rescued from the car wreck by a woman named Annie Wilkes, an experienced nurse who lives nearby. As Paul waves in and out of consciousness, he hears a voice telling him that she's his "number one fan". Annie takes him not to a hospital, but to her home, putting him in a spare bedroom. As Paul regains consciousness, he lies there completely helpless, being unable to move anything from his waist down. She feeds and bathes him and splints his broken legs, giving him

Santiago 2
Novril for his pain. Paul comes to like Annie; even letting her read his new manuscript. Annie doesn't like it. It's around this time that Misery's Child, the latest and final book starring Misery Chastain, hits the shelves. Annie's life resolves around the characters of the novels. Upon reading the book, and learning her favorite character dies MISERY, she goes into a rage. She tells Paul that she hasn't spoken to anyone about him. Throughout the book she holds Paul prisoner and has him write a whole new book on her favorite character MISERY. One of the main characters is Annie Wilkes a nurse by profession; she lives in a house in the mountains near Sidewinder, Colorado. Although she was married for a short period of time, her husband left her and she has no friends or family. She retired from working after being tried and acquitted of the murders of several newborns in a Boulder, Colorado hospital, where she was the head maternity nurse. Annie is a serial killer, responsible not only for the deaths of the infants in Boulder, but also over 30 other victims, including the children of her childhood neighbors, her college roommate, a hitchhiker she once slept with, and even her own father. She has an unhealthy obsession with romance novels, particularly the Misery series written by Paul Sheldon. She often has difficulty in differentiating between these novels and reality. A quote from the novel that shows she is insane "Annie interrupted herself yelling I like things that are fragile and I like breaking them". (pg.273) Another main character is Paul Sheldon. Paul is the author of the popular historic romance book series about his own fictional character Misery Chastain. Deeply unhappy with the course his career is taking, Sheldon kills the character off and writes a new novel he thinks is his best in years. He gets drunk in celebration and decides to drive to the West Coast from Colorado for an extended holiday, but on the way he gets into a car crash in which both his legs are broken. He is "rescued" by Annie Wilkes a deeply disturbed woman who is obsessed with him and who, Sheldon soon figures Santiago 3 out, has no intention of letting him leave her isolated cabin. Paul, a childless two-time divorcé who has no living immediate relatives, realizes it could be a while before anyone misses him. Paul is held captive and really finds the better things in life when his can be taken away. A quote from the novel shows how terrible it was for Paul in the cabin "Ill be good Annie! I won't scream! I promise not to scream! Just don't chop any more of me!" (pg.238) In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book. It really sent chills down my spine! But scary and breathtaking I recommend this book. The ending has a good over evil ending. Paul is able to kill Annie over a struggle between each other after Paul trying to escape. Annie hits her head on the fire place mantel tripping over a typewriter. The book ends with Paul in New York writing a whole new book on his experience in Colorado.