Stephen King has written over 60 novels and hundreds of short stories. You’d think it’d be an impossible question to ask King to pick between them, but surprisingly he’s got a few clear favorites among the massive pile. When asked in a 2019 Guardian interview which books he’d save from having all their copies burned in a fire, King didn’t hesitate. “Dumb question, but I’ll play,” he said. “‘Lisey’s Story,’ ‘The Stand,’ and ‘Misery.'”
The answer surprised some fans at the time, mainly because the three books don’t have much in common. “Lisey’s Story” is a low-key drama about a widow reflecting on her relationship with her late husband; it’s a relatively slept-on novel that didn’t make /Film’s top 10 best Stephen King books ranking. “The Stand,” meanwhile, is a grand epic about a deadly pandemic that evolves into a biblical war between good and evil, whereas “Misery” is about a writer who finds himself trapped in a house with a homicidal, obsessive fan. So, what’s special about these three novels? King didn’t explain his picks in the 2019 interview, but luckily we have a few more interviews from him to work with.
Of the three, King’s love for “Misery” is the easiest to understand. The book is about a successful novelist who starts off frustrated that his genre fiction isn’t respected among the literary world, only to find himself held captive by a woman who claims (quite earnestly) to be his biggest fan. Most of King’s books are scary, but this tale is designed to be scary specifically to any writers or artists in the audience. Most artists want to have fans, but not this type of fan.
“There was a guy begging for an autograph, but we were running super late,” King explained in a Washington Post article at the time “Misery” released. “‘I’m your biggest fan!’ he said. ‘I’ve read all your books!’ I jumped in a car and he started saying, ‘You, you stupid son of a b***h.’ The line is so thin between ‘I love you’ and ‘I hate you.'” Other inspirations for “Misery” include the backlash King received in 1984 for his family-friendly fantasy novel “The Eyes of the Dragon,” as well as his struggles with sobriety.
“Misery” is not the first time Stephen King has written about writer protagonists or protagonists with drug problems, but this book combines the two in a way that feels particularly personal. It’s never been easier than it is here to view a King protagonist as an author insert, which helps the book feel extra introspective without ever bogging down the suspenseful main story.
So, is “Misery” worth reading? Yes, definitely. It’s one of King’s most exciting premises, combined with some of the sharpest, most evocative prose of his career. And although fans often complain about how King is sort of bad at writing endings, nobody’s ever accused “Misery” of sharing the same problem.
