Online Journey

Misery (1987) 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. 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 Hotel Boulderado in Colorado; 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 fly 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 nearby. 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 codeine), 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, punishing him by withholding his medication and forcing him to drink soap water. Paul has a horrifying experience in the hands of Annie. It is around this time that the latest Misery book hits the shelves. Unaware that this is also the final Misery book, Annie – whose life revolves around the character – buys her reserved copy. Upon reading the book, and learning of the main character's death, 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 a typewriter, which she announces that he will use to create a new Misery novel, one that will bring her back from the dead. After biding his time, Paul 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 explores the house again, and notices a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings from Annie's life, all of which suggest that Annie is a serial killer who murdered her own father, her college roommate, and numerous patients in several states. He also finds a magazine clipping about his status as a missing person. Annie realizes that Paul had been out of his room, and punishes him by cutting off his foot with an axe, and cauterizing the wound with a blowtorch. 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 and rides over him with 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. When Annie returns, she and Paul argue about the condition of the typewriter given to him, angering Annie again. She punishes Paul by amputating his left thumb. Paul finally finishes the new Misery book. As a celebration, he asks Annie for a cigarette and a match, which he uses to seemingly light his manuscript on fire. Paul fights with Annie, and stuffs her mouth full of the burning pages. She gets him down and runs to get a weapon to kill Paul, but she trips on the typewriter he had initially hit her with, causing her to crack her skull on the mantelpiece. Mortally wounded, she exits the house 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. (source: Wikipedia.com)