Misery (novel): Difference between revisions
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{{short description|1987 novel by Stephen King}} |
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{{About|the novel|other uses|Misery (disambiguation)}} |
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{{Infobox book |
{{Infobox book |
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| name = Misery |
| name = Misery |
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| image = |
| image = Misery (1987) front cover, first edition.jpg |
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| caption = First edition cover |
| caption = First edition cover |
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| author = [[Stephen King]] |
| author = [[Stephen King]] |
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| country = United States |
| country = United States |
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| language = English |
| language = English |
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| genre = [[Psychological horror]], [[thriller]] |
| genre = [[Psychological horror]], [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] |
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| publisher = [[Viking Press|Viking]] |
| publisher = [[Viking Press|Viking]] |
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| release_date = |
| release_date = June 8, 1987 |
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| media_type = Print (hardcover) |
| media_type = Print (hardcover) |
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| pages = |
| pages = 310 |
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| isbn = 978-0-670-81364-3 |
| isbn = 978-0-670-81364-3 |
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| preceded_by = |
| preceded_by = |
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'''''Misery''''' is an American [[psychological horror |
'''''Misery''''' is an American [[psychological horror]] novel written by [[Stephen King]] and first published by [[Viking Press]] on June 8, 1987.<ref>{{Cite book|isbn = 0670813648|title = Misery|last1 = King|first1 = Stephen|year = 1987| publisher=Viking }}</ref> The novel's narrative is based on the relationship of its two main characters – the romance novelist Paul Sheldon and his deranged self-proclaimed number one fan [[Annie Wilkes]]. When Paul is seriously injured following a car accident, former nurse Annie brings him to her home, where Paul receives treatment and doses of pain medication. Paul realizes that he is a prisoner and is forced to indulge his captor's whims. |
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The novel's title |
The novel's title has two meanings: it is the name carried by the central heroine of Paul's book series, and King described such a state of emotion during the novel's writing. He has stated that Annie is a stand-in for cocaine.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Greene |first1=Andy |title=Stephen King: The Rolling Stone Interview |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/stephen-king-the-rolling-stone-interview-191529/ |website=www.rollingstone.com |date=31 October 2014 |publisher=Rolling Stone}}</ref> King has outlined the creation of ''Misery'' in his memoirs, and mentioned that the image of Annie Wilkes came to him in a dream. King planned the book to be released under the pseudonym [[Richard Bachman]], but his identity was discovered before the book's release.<ref>{{cite book|title=Styles of Creation: Aesthetic Thechnique and the Creation of Fictional Worlds|first=Sharon|last=Delmendo|editor1-first=George Edgar|editor1-last=Slusser|editor2-first=Eric S.|editor2-last=Rabkin|page=[https://archive.org/details/stylesofcreation0000unse/page/177 177]|publisher=University of Georgia Press|year=1992|isbn=9780820314914|url=https://archive.org/details/stylesofcreation0000unse/page/177}}</ref> |
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''Misery'' won the first [[Bram Stoker Award for Novel]] in 1987 and was nominated for the 1988 [[World Fantasy Award for Best Novel]].<ref name="WWE-1988">{{cite web |url=http://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_year_index.asp?year=1988 |title=1988 Award Winners & Nominees |work=Worlds Without End | |
''Misery'' won the first [[Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel]] in 1987 and was nominated for the 1988 [[World Fantasy Award for Best Novel]].<ref name="WWE-1988">{{cite web |url=http://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_year_index.asp?year=1988 |title=1988 Award Winners & Nominees |work=Worlds Without End |access-date=2009-07-24}}</ref> Critical reception of ''Misery'' was positive – reviewers praised King for avoiding the fantasy elements of his past works, and noted the novel's parallels with King's personal life and the study of the relationship between celebrities and their fans. The novel, which took fourth place in the 1987 bestseller list, was adapted into [[Misery (film)|an Academy Award-winning film]] directed by [[Rob Reiner]], in 1990, and into a [[Misery (play)|theatrical production]] starring [[Laurie Metcalf]] and [[Bruce Willis]] in 2015. |
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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Paul Sheldon is the author of the best-selling series of [[Victorian literature|Victorian-era]] [[romance novel]]s featuring the character Misery Chastain, which he privately disdains. In a [[Colorado]] hotel, he finishes the final installment, ''Misery's Child'', in which Misery is killed off. After completing the manuscript for his new crime novel, ''Fast Cars'', which he hopes will receive serious literary acclaim and kickstart his post-''Misery'' career, Paul gets drunk and impulsively drives towards [[Los Angeles]] instead of flying back home to [[New York City]]. He is caught in a snowstorm and crashes his car near the small, remote town of Sidewinder, Colorado. |
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Paul Sheldon, the author of the best-selling [[Novel sequence|series]] of [[Victorian era]] [[Romance novel|romance novels]] featuring the [[Protagonist|character]] Misery Chastain, has finished the series' final installment, in which Misery is killed off out of Paul's boredom of her. As Paul celebrates the completion of the [[Manuscript (publishing)|manuscript]] for his new [[Crime fiction|crime novel]], ''Fast Cars'', he has an alcohol-induced impulse to drive to [[Los Angeles]] rather than fly back home to [[New York City]], but is caught in a snowstorm in a remote section of Colorado, causing him to drive off a cliff and crash into a snowbank. He awakens to find that he has been rescued by [[Annie Wilkes]], a former [[Nursing|nurse]] living nearby. Annie is an avid reader of Paul's ''Misery'' series, proclaiming herself Paul's "number one fan." She refuses to take Paul to the hospital despite his having two severely broken legs, nursing Paul herself using her stockpiled food and illicit stash of [[Codeine|codeine]]-based painkillers, to which Paul quickly becomes addicted. Paul soon assesses that Annie is mentally unstable; she is prone to trailing off into catatonic episodes and has bouts of unreasonable rage. When Annie finally reads ''Misery's Child'' and learns of Misery's death, she leaves Paul alone in her house for over two days, depriving him of food, water and painkillers. |
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Paul awakens to find that he has been rescued by [[Annie Wilkes]], a local former nurse who is a devoted fan of the ''Misery'' series. She keeps Paul in her guest bedroom, refuses to take him to the hospital despite his broken legs, and nurses him herself using her illicit stash of [[codeine]]-based painkillers. Paul quickly becomes [[Opioid use disorder|addicted]] to a medication named Novril, which Annie withholds in order to threaten and manipulate him. She begins reading the recently published ''Misery's Child'' and coerces permission to read the ''Fast Cars'' manuscript, but disapproves of the darker subject matter and profanity. Paul assesses that Annie is mentally unstable: she is prone to trailing off into [[Catatonia|catatonic]] episodes and has sudden, unpredictable bouts of rage. When she learns of Misery's death, she leaves Paul alone in her house for over two days, depriving him of food, water, and painkillers. During this time, Paul examines his legs and sees that they have been pulverized and deformed in the crash. |
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When Annie returns, she forces a weakened and barely-alive Paul to burn the manuscript for ''Fast Cars'' – which he hoped would launch his post-''Misery'' career – and presents him with an antique [[Royal Typewriter Company|Royal]] [[Typewriter|typewriter]], for the purpose of writing a new ''Misery'' novel that will bring the character back from the dead. Biding his time, Paul begins a new book, ''Misery's Return'', and allows Annie to read it as he writes. He manages to escape his room in a wheelchair on several different occasions, searching for more painkillers and exploring the house. He discovers that her telephone does not work, and finds a [[Scrapbooking|scrapbook]] full of newspaper clippings, suggesting that she is a [[Serial killer|serial killer]] who has murdered over thirty people, and was charged but acquitted of killing infants at a [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] hospital maternity ward. Meanwhile, Annie grows increasingly depressive, and reveals that she knows about Paul leaving his room. She punishes him by cutting off his foot with an axe (hobbling) and [[Cauterization|cauterizing]] his ankle with a [[Blowtorch|blowtorch]]. Later, when Paul complains about the typewriter breaking down, she cuts off his thumb with an [[Electric knife|electric knife]]. |
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Upon Annie's return, she forces a weakened Paul to burn the ''Fast Cars'' manuscript in exchange for his painkillers. She sets up an office for Paul – consisting of an antique [[Royal Typewriter Company|Royal]] [[typewriter]] with a non-functional N-key, writing paper and a wheelchair – for the purpose of writing a new ''Misery'' novel that will bring the character back from the dead. Biding his time and likening himself to [[Scheherezade]], Paul begins a new book, ''Misery's Return'', and allows Annie to read the work in progress and fill in the missing N's. As Paul writes, the text includes excerpts of ''Misery's Return'', a macabre story in which it is found that Misery was buried alive while [[coma]]tose. |
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[[Colorado State Patrol|Colorado state trooper]] Duane Kushner eventually arrives at Annie's house in search of Paul, and when Paul attempts to alert him, Annie murders Kushner by running him over with her riding lawnmower. She temporarily hides Paul in the basement while disposing of the body and car, where Paul steals a can of lighter fluid. Upon her return, Annie declares her intent to shoot Paul and herself after the completion of the novel, so that Misery may live on forever. After Paul writes the final chapter, he momentarily distracts Annie, during which he hides the manuscript and douses a decoy with lighter fluid. Annie arrives in time to watch Paul burn the "manuscript" before she can read it. As Annie tries to put out the flames, Paul strikes her with the typewriter and they engage in a violent struggle, in which Annie hits her head. Paul escapes the room but passes out, and upon awakening manages to alert officers who have come to search for the missing Kushner. He warns them that Annie is possibly alive and in the guest bedroom, and passes out when they tell him the room was empty. Later, it is revealed that Annie had escaped through the window and gone to get a chainsaw to kill Paul, dying from her head trauma in the process. Returning home to New York, Paul submits ''Misery's Return'' to his publisher, which is set to become an international bestseller. Paul suffers frequent nightmares about Annie, and continues to have withdrawal from painkillers. He has also become an [[Alcoholism|alcoholic]] with [[Writer's block|writer's block]]. Eventually, after a random encounter on the street, Paul gains inspiration to write a new story, weeping both in misery for his shattered life and in joy that he is finally able to write again. |
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Paul manages to escape his room using his wheelchair on several occasions, searching for more painkillers and exploring the house. He discovers a [[Scrapbooking|scrapbook]] full of newspaper clippings about deaths that reveal Annie to be a [[serial killer]]; her victims include a neighboring family, her own father, her roommate, and, while she worked as a head nurse, many elderly or critically injured patients and eleven infants, the last resulting in her standing trial but being acquitted in [[Denver]]. When Annie discovers that Paul has been leaving his room, she punishes him by cutting off his foot with an axe and [[Cauterization|cauterizing]] his ankle with a [[blowtorch]], "hobbling" him. |
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Months later, Paul remains Annie's captive. After he complains that more typewriter keys have broken and refuses to tell Annie how the novel ends before he has written it, she cuts off his thumb with an [[electric knife]]. A [[Colorado State Patrol|state trooper]] arrives at the house in search of Paul, and Annie murders him by running him over with her riding lawnmower. She hides the remains, but the trooper's disappearance draws attention from law enforcement and the media. Annie relocates Paul to the basement. It becomes clear that she does not intend to let him live. After ''Misery's Return'' is finished, Paul lights a decoy copy of the manuscript on fire, which Annie attempts to save. Paul throws the typewriter at Annie and engages her in a violent fight; he manages to escape the bedroom and lock Annie inside. Paul then hides and alerts the police when they return in search of the murdered trooper. Annie is found dead from her injuries in the barn — she apparently escaped through a window and was on her way to murder Paul with a [[chainsaw]]. |
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After Paul has returned to New York, ''Misery's Return'' is set to be published and becomes an international bestseller due to the interest in the circumstances under which it was written. Paul resists the suggestion to write a nonfiction account of his own experiences, partly in the belief that he would inevitably embellish events. He is able to walk with a [[prosthesis]] but still struggles with nightmares about Annie, withdrawal from painkillers, [[alcoholism]] and [[writer's block]]. When Paul finds random inspiration to write a new story, he weeps, both out of mourning for his shattered life and in the joy that he is finally able to write again. |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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One of Stephen King's inspirations for ''Misery'' was the reaction his fans had to his 1984 novel ''[[The Eyes of the Dragon]]''.<ref name=Beahm1>{{cite book|last=Beahm|first=George|title=The Stephen King Story|year=1992|publisher=Andrews and McMeel|isbn=9780836279894|pages=137–138|edition=2nd}}</ref> Many fans rejected ''The Eyes of the Dragon'' because it was an epic fantasy book, with virtually none of the horror that initially made his reputation.<ref name=Beahm1/> Paul Sheldon feeling chained to the ''Misery'' books by his fans was a metaphor for King's feeling chained to [[horror fiction]].<ref name=Beahm1/> Another source was King's addiction to drugs and alcohol, and his struggle to |
One of Stephen King's inspirations for ''Misery'' was the reaction his fans had to his 1984 novel ''[[The Eyes of the Dragon]]''.<ref name=Beahm1>{{cite book|last=Beahm|first=George|title=The Stephen King Story|year=1992|publisher=[[Andrews and McMeel]]|location=Kansas City, Missouri|isbn=9780836279894|pages=[https://archive.org/details/stephenkingstory00beah/page/137 137–138]|edition=2nd|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/stephenkingstory00beah/page/137}}</ref> Many fans rejected ''The Eyes of the Dragon'' because it was an [[epic fantasy]] book, with virtually none of the horror that initially made his reputation.<ref name=Beahm1/> Paul Sheldon feeling chained to the ''Misery'' books by his fans was a metaphor for King's feeling chained to [[horror fiction]].<ref name=Beahm1/> Another source was King's addiction to drugs and alcohol, and his struggle to get sober. He stated: "Take the psychotic nurse in ''Misery'', which I wrote when I was having such a tough time with dope. I knew what I was writing about. There was never any question. Annie was my drug problem, and she was my number-one fan. God, she never wanted to leave."<ref> |
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{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=King|authorlink=Stephen King|url=http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/5653/the-art-of-fiction-no-189-stephen-king|title=The Art of Fiction|magazine=[[The Paris Review]]|issue=189|date=Fall 2006}}</ref> |
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When further addressing the idea of whether the character of Paul Sheldon was based on himself, King stated that in certain ways, he was, but in the ways where every character is a part of the author in some way: "It would be fair enough to ask, I suppose, if Paul Sheldon in ''Misery'' is me. Certain ''parts'' of him are ... but I think you will find that, if you continue to write fiction, every character you create is partly you."<ref>{{cite book|last=King|first=Stephen|title=On Writing|year=2000|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=9781439193631|pages=191–192}}</ref> |
When further addressing the idea of whether the character of Paul Sheldon was based on himself, King stated that in certain ways, he was, but in the ways where every character is a part of the author in some way: "It would be fair enough to ask, I suppose, if Paul Sheldon in ''Misery'' is me. Certain ''parts'' of him are ... but I think you will find that, if you continue to write fiction, every character you create is partly you."<ref>{{cite book|last=King|first=Stephen|authorlink=Stephen King|title=On Writing|year=2000|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|location=New York City|isbn=9781439193631|pages=191–192}}</ref> |
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King has also attributed a dream he had while on a trans-Atlantic flight to London with the situation and characters that became fleshed out in ''Misery''. He noted that he wrote the idea on an American Airlines cocktail napkin when he woke up so he could make sure to remember it, writing: " |
King has also attributed a dream he had while on a trans-Atlantic flight to London with the situation and characters that became fleshed out in ''Misery''. He noted that he wrote the idea on an [[American Airlines]] cocktail napkin when he woke up so he could make sure to remember it, writing: "She speaks earnestly but never quite makes eye contact. A big woman and solid all through; she is an absence of hiatus. 'I wasn't trying to be funny in a mean way when I named my pig Misery, no sir. Please don't think that. No, I named her in the spirit of fan love, which is the purest love there is. You should be flattered.'"<ref name=King>King (2000) pp. 165–167</ref> |
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King and his wife, [[Tabitha King]], stayed in London's [[Brown's Hotel]], |
King and his wife, [[Tabitha King]], stayed in London's [[Brown's Hotel]], where he wrote "sixteen pages of a steno notebook"; the concierge let him work at a desk once owned by [[Rudyard Kipling]], who had died of a [[ischemic stroke|stroke]] while using it.<ref name=King/> King thought that the book would only be around 30,000 words, but it ended up being almost four times that at 370 pages.<ref>{{cite web |title=Misery (Goodreads article) |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10614.Misery |website=[[Goodreads]] |access-date=October 26, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170718215653/https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10614.Misery |archive-date=July 18, 2017}}</ref> Its working title was ''The Annie Wilkes Edition''.<ref name=King/> While discussing the pros and cons (mostly cons) of pre-plotting novels, King mentioned that he had originally planned for Annie to force her prisoner to write a book, which she would then bind in Paul's skin. When commenting on why he chose not to go that route, King said: |
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<blockquote> ... it would have made a pretty good story (not such a good novel, however; no one likes to root for a guy over the course of three hundred pages only to discover that between chapters sixteen and seventeen the pig ate him), but that wasn't the way things eventually went. Paul Sheldon turned out to be a good deal more resourceful than I initially thought, and his efforts to play [[ |
<blockquote> ... it would have made a pretty good story (not such a good novel, however; no one likes to root for a guy over the course of three hundred pages only to discover that between chapters sixteen and seventeen the pig ate him), but that wasn't the way things eventually went. Paul Sheldon turned out to be a good deal more resourceful than I initially thought, and his efforts to play [[Scheherazade]] and save his life gave me a chance to say some things about the redemptive power of writing that I had long felt but never articulated. Annie also turned out to be more complex than I'd first imagined her, and she was great fun to write about ..."<ref name=King/></blockquote> |
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==Adaptations== |
==Adaptations== |
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===Film=== |
===Film=== |
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The novel was adapted into a [[Misery (film)|film]] in 1990, directed by [[Rob Reiner]] and written by [[William Goldman]]. [[James Caan]] and [[Kathy Bates]] starred as Paul Sheldon and Annie Wilkes, with [[Lauren Bacall]], [[Richard Farnsworth]] and [[Frances Sternhagen]] in supporting roles. The film was a critical and commercial success, and continues to be ranked as one of the best Stephen King adaptations.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/top-30-stephen-king-movies-ranked-197945/misery-1990-204431/ | title=Top 30 Stephen King Movies, Ranked | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=14 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/best-stephen-king-movies-of-all-time | title=The 12 Best Stephen King Movies of All Time | date=22 June 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-stephen-king-movies-ranked.html | title=Every Stephen King Movie, Ranked | date=16 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/the-best-stephen-king-movies-ranked | title=The Best Stephen King Movies, Ranked | date=23 December 2021 }}</ref> For her performance as Annie Wilkes, Kathy Bates won the [[63rd Academy Awards|1991]] [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] – one of the few Oscar wins for a performance in the [[Horror fiction|horror]] genre, and the first for any King adaptation – and was launched into mainstream stardom. In June 2003, the [[American Film Institute]] included Annie Wilkes, as played by Bates, in their "100 Heroes and Villains" list, ranking her as the 17th most iconic villain (and sixth most iconic villainess) in the history of film.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-heroes-villians/ | title=AFI's 100 YEARS…100 HEROES & VILLAINS }}</ref> |
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The novel was adapted into a [[Misery (film)|film]] in 1990. [[James Caan]] and [[Kathy Bates]] star as Paul and Annie, with [[Lauren Bacall]], [[Richard Farnsworth]] and [[Frances Sternhagen]] as the only major supporting actors. Kathy Bates won the [[63rd Academy Awards|1990]] [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress Oscar]] for her performance. |
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===Television=== |
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Director [[Balu Mahendra]] loosely adapted the novel into a Tamil film titled ''[[Julie Ganapathi]]'' in 2003. |
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A version of Annie Wilkes, portrayed by [[Lizzy Caplan]], is the main character of the second season of ''[[Castle Rock (TV series)|Castle Rock]]''. The season finale concludes with Annie attending a book signing for a ''Misery'' novel by Paul Sheldon. |
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===Stage=== |
===Stage=== |
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⚫ | The novel was also adapted into a play by [[Simon Moore (writer)|Simon Moore]]. The play premiered in London at the Criterion Theater in December 1992, starring [[Sharon Gless]] and [[Bill Paterson (actor)|Bill Paterson]] and directed by Moore.<ref>{{cite news|first=David|last=Gritten|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-12-29-ca-2861-story.html|title=Sharon Gless Out on a Limb|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=December 29, 1992}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Matt|last=Wolf|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/265989/SHOCK-NOVEL-MISERY-COMES-TO-THE-LONDON-STAGE.html%3Fpg%3Dall&usg=AFQjCNE0J0M8NsTgh6vUMwQu_68LTCgRBA|title=Shock Novel 'Misery' Comes to the London Stage|newspaper=[[Deseret News]]|date=December 22, 1992}}{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The play, directed by Alan Cohen, was revived in 2005 at the [[King's Head Theatre]] in London, starring [[Michael Praed]] and [[Susan Penhaligon]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Richard|last=Ings|url=http://www.musicomh.com/extra/theatre/misery-kings-head-theatre-london|title='Misery' @ King's Head Theatre, London|website=musicomh.com|date=1 October 2005}}</ref> In 2014, Dutch composer and theater producer Florus van Rooijen adapted the novel into a "feel bad" musical.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mokertheater.nl/|title=Misery - een 'feel bad' musical|publisher=Moker! Theaterproducties|language=nl|access-date=July 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728191213/http://www.mokertheater.nl/|archive-date=July 28, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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⚫ | [[Misery (play)|A different play]] written by [[William Goldman]] (who also wrote the film's screenplay) and directed by Will Frears opened on Broadway in 2015 for a limited engagement.<ref>{{cite web|last=Barton|first=Steve|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/92119/bruce-willis-headed-stage-stephen-kings-misery/|title=Bruce Willis Headed to the Stage for Stephen King's Misery |work=[[Dread Central]]|date=March 4, 2015}}</ref> The play starred [[Bruce Willis]] as Paul Sheldon and [[Laurie Metcalf]] as Annie Wilkes.<ref>{{cite magazine|first1=Michael|last1=Gioia|first2=Robert|last2=Viagas|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/bruce-willis-will-make-broadway-debut-in-misery-based-on-stephen-king-novel-343326|title=Bruce Willis Will Make Broadway Debut in ''Misery'', Based on Stephen King Novel|magazine=[[Playbill (magazine)|Playbill]]|date=March 4, 2015}}</ref> It opened in October 2015 and closed on February 16, 2016.<ref>{{cite news|first=Rachel|last=Syme|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/stephen-kings-misery-heads-to-the-stage-1445522236|title=Stephen King's 'Misery' Heads to the Stage|newspaper=[[Wall Street Journal]]|date=October 22, 2015|accessdate=April 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Ben|last=Brantley|authorlink=Ben Brantley|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/16/theater/review-in-misery-with-bruce-willis-and-laurie-metcalf-the-ghost-of-productions-past.html?_r=0|title=Review: In 'Misery,' With Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf, the Ghost of Productions Past|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 15, 2015|accessdate=April 16, 2016}}</ref> For her performance as Wilkes, Metcalf was nominated for a [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play]].<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Robert|last=Viagas|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/tony-time-its-broadways-biggest-night#|title='Hamilton' Tops Tony Awards With 11 Wins|magazine=[[Playbill (magazine)|Playbill]]|date=June 12, 2016}}</ref> The play was originally premiered in 2012 at Bucks County Playhouse before moving to Broadway.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://broadwayworld.com/article/Exclusive-InDepth-InterView-William-Goldman-Will-Frears-Discuss-MISERY-Onstage-Is-Broadway-Next-20121126|title=Exclusive InDepth InterView: William Goldman & Will Frears Discuss MISERY Onstage – Is Broadway Next?|website=Broadway World|date=26 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010215443/http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Exclusive-InDepth-InterView-William-Goldman-Will-Frears-Discuss-MISERY-Onstage-Is-Broadway-Next-20121126 |archive-date=10 October 2013|url-status=live|accessdate=2 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/170230-William-Goldman-Adapts-Stephen-Kings-Misery-for-the-Stage-Bucks-County-Playhouse-Will-Premiere-Thriller|title=William Goldman Adapts Stephen King's Misery for the Stage; Bucks County Playhouse Will Premiere Thriller|first=Kenneth|last=Jones|magazine=[[Playbill (magazine)|Playbill]]|date=20 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105205553/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/170230-William-Goldman-Adapts-Stephen-Kings-Misery-for-the-Stage-Bucks-County-Playhouse-Will-Premiere-Thriller |archive-date=January 5, 2013|accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/times-entertainment/index.ssf/2012/11/bucks_county_playhouse_present.html|first=Ted|last=Otten|title=Bucks County Playhouse presents stage version of Stephen King's 'Misery'|website=[[NJ.com]]|date=November 23, 2012|accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref> This new version is not connected to the earlier adaptation by Simon Moore.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Kenneth|last=Jones|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/william-goldman-adapts-stephen-kings-misery-for-the-stage-bucks-county-playhouse-will-premiere-thriller-com-197792#|title=William Goldman Adapts Stephen King's 'Misery' for the Stage; Bucks County Playhouse Will Premiere Thriller|magazine=[[Playbill (magazine)|Playbill]]|date=September 20, 2012}}</ref> |
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The novel was also adapted into a play by [[Simon Moore (writer)|Simon Moore]]. The play premiered in London at the |
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⚫ | Criterion Theater in December 1992, starring [[Sharon Gless]] and Bill Paterson and directed by Moore.<ref> |
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In October 2019, a Finnish play adaptation of ''Misery'' called ''Piina'' was performed at the [[Tampere Theatre]] in [[Tampere]], Finland. The play was directed by Antti Mikkola and starring Esa Latva-Äijö as Paul Sheldon and [[Mari Turunen]] as Annie Wilkes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tampereenteatteri.fi/naytelma/piina/|title=Piina - Tampereen Teatteri|website=tampereenteatteri.fi|access-date=January 19, 2020|language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kulttuuritoimitus.fi/kritiikit/kritiikit-teatteri/tampereen-teatterin-antti-mikkola-ottaa-stephen-kingin-piinasta-irti-sen-mita-saa-ja-vahan-enemman/|title=Antti Mikkola ottaa Stephen Kingin Piinasta Tampereen Teatterissa irti sen mitä saa – ja vähän enemmän|last=Mörttinen|first=Valtteri|website=kulttuuritoimitus.fi|date=October 4, 2019|access-date=January 19, 2020|language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aamulehti.fi/a/9255b05e-83ff-42c6-8619-d9d1f6aeb739|title=Tampereen Teatteri teki Piinasta hyytävän trillerin, joka on oikeasti jännittävä – päähenkilön kokema kipu tuntuu katsojassa asti|last=Ala-Korpela|first=Anu|website=[[Aamulehti]]|date=October 4, 2019|access-date=January 19, 2020|language=fi}}</ref> Also in September of the same year, Kuopio City Theatre in [[Kuopio]], Finland presented another interpretation under the name ''Piina'', directed by Olli-Matti Oinonen and starring [[Seppo Pääkkönen]] as Paul Sheldon and Henna Haverinen as Annie Wilkes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kuopionkaupunginteatteri.fi/piina|title=Kuopion kaupunginteatteri - Piina|website=kuopionkaupunginteatteri.fi|access-date=January 19, 2020|language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Stephen King, PIINA ensi-illassa 7.9.2019|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuPrV2OVYPg| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/zuPrV2OVYPg| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|language=fi|access-date=2020-01-19}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10588746|title=Kauhua näyttämöllä: Kuopion kaupunginteatterissa nähdään syksyllä Stephen Kingin "Piina"|first=Ulriikka|last=Myöhänen|website=[[YLE]]|date=January 9, 2019|access-date=January 20, 2020|language=fi}}</ref> In November 2022, [[Pori Theatre]] in [[Pori]], Finland presented third interpretation, directed by Tuomo Aitta and starring Vesa Haltsonen as Paul Sheldon and Mirva Tolppanen as Annie Wilkes.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://porinteatteri.fi/naytelmat/piina-ennakko/ | title=PIINA – Porin Teatteri }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kulttuuritoimitus.fi/kritiikit/kritiikit-teatteri/porilainen-piina-ottaa-katsojan-mukaan-hulluuden-partaalle-king-klassikko-porin-teatterissa/|title=Porilainen Piina ottaa katsojan mukaan hulluuden partaalle – King-klassikko Porin Teatterissa|last=Salonen|first=Marita|website=kulttuuritoimitus.fi|date=12 November 2022|access-date=14 February 2023|language=fi}}</ref> An upcoming fourth play of the [[Seinäjoki City Theatre]] in [[Seinäjoki]] will premiere in February 2025, and it will be directed by Olli-Matti Oinonen (who previously directed the play at the Kuopio Theatre) and starring [[Satu Silvo]] as Annie Wilkes and Reidar Palmgren as Paul Sheldon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://seinajoenkaupunginteatteri.fi/ohjelmisto/piina/|title=Piina|publisher=[[Seinäjoki City Theatre]]|access-date=25 September 2024|language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.episodi.fi/uutiset/stephen-kingin-piina-saa-teatteriversion-satu-silvo-ja-reidar-palmgren-paarooleissa/|title=Stephen Kingin Piina saa teatteriversion – Satu Silvo ja Reidar Palmgren päärooleissa|first=Jesse|last=Raatikainen|work=Episodi|date=23 September 2024|access-date=25 September 2024|language=fi}}</ref> |
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In 2014 Dutch composer and theater producer [[Florus van Rooijen]] adapted the novel into a "feel bad" musical.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mokertheater.nl/|title=Misery - een 'feel bad' musical|publisher=Moker! Theaterproducties|language=Dutch}}</ref> |
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===Radio=== |
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⚫ | A different play written by [[William Goldman]] (who also wrote the film's screenplay) and directed by Will Frears opened on Broadway in 2015 for a limited engagement.<ref>{{cite web|last=Barton|first=Steve|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/92119/bruce-willis-headed-stage-stephen-kings-misery/|title=Bruce Willis Headed to the Stage for Stephen King's Misery |work=Dread Central|date=March 4, 2015}}</ref> The play starred [[Bruce Willis]] as |
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Moore's stage adaptation was itself adapted for radio and broadcast on the [[BBC World Service]]. The program was produced by [[Dirk Maggs]], directed by Marion Nancarrow and starred [[Nicholas Farrell]] as Paul Sheldon and [[Miriam Margolyes]] as Annie Wilkes. The program was later released on CD by the BBC.<ref>{{cite web |title=ISBN 9781787530997 - Misery: A Bbc Radio 4 Full Cast Dramatisation |url=https://isbnsearch.org/isbn/9781787530997 |
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|website=www.isbnsearch.org}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* {{IMDb title |
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q725552|description=(1990 film)}} |
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* {{Playbill production|s/misery-broadhurst-theatre-vault-0000014136|Misery|(2015 Broadway play)}} |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070413110340/http://www.miserytheplay.com/ Official Website for the play] |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070413110340/http://www.miserytheplay.com/ Official Website for the play] |
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* [http://www.worldswithoutend.com/novel.asp?id=927 Misery] at Worlds Without End. |
* [http://www.worldswithoutend.com/novel.asp?id=927 Misery] at Worlds Without End. |
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{{Stephen King}} |
{{Stephen King}} |
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{{Bram Stoker Award Best Novel}} |
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[[Category:Novels about serial killers]] |
[[Category:Novels about serial killers]] |
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[[Category:Bram Stoker Award for Novel winners]] |
Latest revision as of 01:32, 13 December 2024
Author | Stephen King |
---|---|
Language | English |
Genre | Psychological horror, thriller |
Publisher | Viking |
Publication date | June 8, 1987 |
Publication place | United States |
Media type | Print (hardcover) |
Pages | 310 |
ISBN | 978-0-670-81364-3 |
Misery is an American psychological horror novel written by Stephen King and first published by Viking Press on June 8, 1987.[1] The novel's narrative is based on the relationship of its two main characters – the romance novelist Paul Sheldon and his deranged self-proclaimed number one fan Annie Wilkes. When Paul is seriously injured following a car accident, former nurse Annie brings him to her home, where Paul receives treatment and doses of pain medication. Paul realizes that he is a prisoner and is forced to indulge his captor's whims.
The novel's title has two meanings: it is the name carried by the central heroine of Paul's book series, and King described such a state of emotion during the novel's writing. He has stated that Annie is a stand-in for cocaine.[2] King has outlined the creation of Misery in his memoirs, and mentioned that the image of Annie Wilkes came to him in a dream. King planned the book to be released under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, but his identity was discovered before the book's release.[3]
Misery won the first Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel in 1987 and was nominated for the 1988 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.[4] Critical reception of Misery was positive – reviewers praised King for avoiding the fantasy elements of his past works, and noted the novel's parallels with King's personal life and the study of the relationship between celebrities and their fans. The novel, which took fourth place in the 1987 bestseller list, was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film directed by Rob Reiner, in 1990, and into a theatrical production starring Laurie Metcalf and Bruce Willis in 2015.
Plot
[edit]Paul Sheldon is the author of the best-selling series of Victorian-era romance novels featuring the character Misery Chastain, which he privately disdains. In a Colorado hotel, he finishes the final installment, Misery's Child, in which Misery is killed off. After completing the manuscript for his new crime novel, Fast Cars, which he hopes will receive serious literary acclaim and kickstart his post-Misery career, Paul gets drunk and impulsively drives towards Los Angeles instead of flying back home to New York City. He is caught in a snowstorm and crashes his car near the small, remote town of Sidewinder, Colorado.
Paul awakens to find that he has been rescued by Annie Wilkes, a local former nurse who is a devoted fan of the Misery series. She keeps Paul in her guest bedroom, refuses to take him to the hospital despite his broken legs, and nurses him herself using her illicit stash of codeine-based painkillers. Paul quickly becomes addicted to a medication named Novril, which Annie withholds in order to threaten and manipulate him. She begins reading the recently published Misery's Child and coerces permission to read the Fast Cars manuscript, but disapproves of the darker subject matter and profanity. Paul assesses that Annie is mentally unstable: she is prone to trailing off into catatonic episodes and has sudden, unpredictable bouts of rage. When she learns of Misery's death, she leaves Paul alone in her house for over two days, depriving him of food, water, and painkillers. During this time, Paul examines his legs and sees that they have been pulverized and deformed in the crash.
Upon Annie's return, she forces a weakened Paul to burn the Fast Cars manuscript in exchange for his painkillers. She sets up an office for Paul – consisting of an antique Royal typewriter with a non-functional N-key, writing paper and a wheelchair – for the purpose of writing a new Misery novel that will bring the character back from the dead. Biding his time and likening himself to Scheherezade, Paul begins a new book, Misery's Return, and allows Annie to read the work in progress and fill in the missing N's. As Paul writes, the text includes excerpts of Misery's Return, a macabre story in which it is found that Misery was buried alive while comatose.
Paul manages to escape his room using his wheelchair on several occasions, searching for more painkillers and exploring the house. He discovers a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings about deaths that reveal Annie to be a serial killer; her victims include a neighboring family, her own father, her roommate, and, while she worked as a head nurse, many elderly or critically injured patients and eleven infants, the last resulting in her standing trial but being acquitted in Denver. When Annie discovers that Paul has been leaving his room, she punishes him by cutting off his foot with an axe and cauterizing his ankle with a blowtorch, "hobbling" him.
Months later, Paul remains Annie's captive. After he complains that more typewriter keys have broken and refuses to tell Annie how the novel ends before he has written it, she cuts off his thumb with an electric knife. A state trooper arrives at the house in search of Paul, and Annie murders him by running him over with her riding lawnmower. She hides the remains, but the trooper's disappearance draws attention from law enforcement and the media. Annie relocates Paul to the basement. It becomes clear that she does not intend to let him live. After Misery's Return is finished, Paul lights a decoy copy of the manuscript on fire, which Annie attempts to save. Paul throws the typewriter at Annie and engages her in a violent fight; he manages to escape the bedroom and lock Annie inside. Paul then hides and alerts the police when they return in search of the murdered trooper. Annie is found dead from her injuries in the barn — she apparently escaped through a window and was on her way to murder Paul with a chainsaw.
After Paul has returned to New York, Misery's Return is set to be published and becomes an international bestseller due to the interest in the circumstances under which it was written. Paul resists the suggestion to write a nonfiction account of his own experiences, partly in the belief that he would inevitably embellish events. He is able to walk with a prosthesis but still struggles with nightmares about Annie, withdrawal from painkillers, alcoholism and writer's block. When Paul finds random inspiration to write a new story, he weeps, both out of mourning for his shattered life and in the joy that he is finally able to write again.
Background
[edit]One of Stephen King's inspirations for Misery was the reaction his fans had to his 1984 novel The Eyes of the Dragon.[5] Many fans rejected The Eyes of the Dragon because it was an epic fantasy book, with virtually none of the horror that initially made his reputation.[5] Paul Sheldon feeling chained to the Misery books by his fans was a metaphor for King's feeling chained to horror fiction.[5] Another source was King's addiction to drugs and alcohol, and his struggle to get sober. He stated: "Take the psychotic nurse in Misery, which I wrote when I was having such a tough time with dope. I knew what I was writing about. There was never any question. Annie was my drug problem, and she was my number-one fan. God, she never wanted to leave."[6] When further addressing the idea of whether the character of Paul Sheldon was based on himself, King stated that in certain ways, he was, but in the ways where every character is a part of the author in some way: "It would be fair enough to ask, I suppose, if Paul Sheldon in Misery is me. Certain parts of him are ... but I think you will find that, if you continue to write fiction, every character you create is partly you."[7]
King has also attributed a dream he had while on a trans-Atlantic flight to London with the situation and characters that became fleshed out in Misery. He noted that he wrote the idea on an American Airlines cocktail napkin when he woke up so he could make sure to remember it, writing: "She speaks earnestly but never quite makes eye contact. A big woman and solid all through; she is an absence of hiatus. 'I wasn't trying to be funny in a mean way when I named my pig Misery, no sir. Please don't think that. No, I named her in the spirit of fan love, which is the purest love there is. You should be flattered.'"[8]
King and his wife, Tabitha King, stayed in London's Brown's Hotel, where he wrote "sixteen pages of a steno notebook"; the concierge let him work at a desk once owned by Rudyard Kipling, who had died of a stroke while using it.[8] King thought that the book would only be around 30,000 words, but it ended up being almost four times that at 370 pages.[9] Its working title was The Annie Wilkes Edition.[8] While discussing the pros and cons (mostly cons) of pre-plotting novels, King mentioned that he had originally planned for Annie to force her prisoner to write a book, which she would then bind in Paul's skin. When commenting on why he chose not to go that route, King said:
... it would have made a pretty good story (not such a good novel, however; no one likes to root for a guy over the course of three hundred pages only to discover that between chapters sixteen and seventeen the pig ate him), but that wasn't the way things eventually went. Paul Sheldon turned out to be a good deal more resourceful than I initially thought, and his efforts to play Scheherazade and save his life gave me a chance to say some things about the redemptive power of writing that I had long felt but never articulated. Annie also turned out to be more complex than I'd first imagined her, and she was great fun to write about ..."[8]
Adaptations
[edit]Film
[edit]The novel was adapted into a film in 1990, directed by Rob Reiner and written by William Goldman. James Caan and Kathy Bates starred as Paul Sheldon and Annie Wilkes, with Lauren Bacall, Richard Farnsworth and Frances Sternhagen in supporting roles. The film was a critical and commercial success, and continues to be ranked as one of the best Stephen King adaptations.[10][11][12][13] For her performance as Annie Wilkes, Kathy Bates won the 1991 Academy Award for Best Actress – one of the few Oscar wins for a performance in the horror genre, and the first for any King adaptation – and was launched into mainstream stardom. In June 2003, the American Film Institute included Annie Wilkes, as played by Bates, in their "100 Heroes and Villains" list, ranking her as the 17th most iconic villain (and sixth most iconic villainess) in the history of film.[14]
Television
[edit]A version of Annie Wilkes, portrayed by Lizzy Caplan, is the main character of the second season of Castle Rock. The season finale concludes with Annie attending a book signing for a Misery novel by Paul Sheldon.
Stage
[edit]The novel was also adapted into a play by Simon Moore. The play premiered in London at the Criterion Theater in December 1992, starring Sharon Gless and Bill Paterson and directed by Moore.[15][16] The play, directed by Alan Cohen, was revived in 2005 at the King's Head Theatre in London, starring Michael Praed and Susan Penhaligon.[17] In 2014, Dutch composer and theater producer Florus van Rooijen adapted the novel into a "feel bad" musical.[18]
A different play written by William Goldman (who also wrote the film's screenplay) and directed by Will Frears opened on Broadway in 2015 for a limited engagement.[19] The play starred Bruce Willis as Paul Sheldon and Laurie Metcalf as Annie Wilkes.[20] It opened in October 2015 and closed on February 16, 2016.[21][22] For her performance as Wilkes, Metcalf was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.[23] The play was originally premiered in 2012 at Bucks County Playhouse before moving to Broadway.[24][25][26] This new version is not connected to the earlier adaptation by Simon Moore.[27]
In October 2019, a Finnish play adaptation of Misery called Piina was performed at the Tampere Theatre in Tampere, Finland. The play was directed by Antti Mikkola and starring Esa Latva-Äijö as Paul Sheldon and Mari Turunen as Annie Wilkes.[28][29][30] Also in September of the same year, Kuopio City Theatre in Kuopio, Finland presented another interpretation under the name Piina, directed by Olli-Matti Oinonen and starring Seppo Pääkkönen as Paul Sheldon and Henna Haverinen as Annie Wilkes.[31][32][33] In November 2022, Pori Theatre in Pori, Finland presented third interpretation, directed by Tuomo Aitta and starring Vesa Haltsonen as Paul Sheldon and Mirva Tolppanen as Annie Wilkes.[34][35] An upcoming fourth play of the Seinäjoki City Theatre in Seinäjoki will premiere in February 2025, and it will be directed by Olli-Matti Oinonen (who previously directed the play at the Kuopio Theatre) and starring Satu Silvo as Annie Wilkes and Reidar Palmgren as Paul Sheldon.[36][37]
Radio
[edit]Moore's stage adaptation was itself adapted for radio and broadcast on the BBC World Service. The program was produced by Dirk Maggs, directed by Marion Nancarrow and starred Nicholas Farrell as Paul Sheldon and Miriam Margolyes as Annie Wilkes. The program was later released on CD by the BBC.[38]
References
[edit]- ^ King, Stephen (1987). Misery. Viking. ISBN 0670813648.
- ^ Greene, Andy (31 October 2014). "Stephen King: The Rolling Stone Interview". www.rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone.
- ^ Delmendo, Sharon (1992). Slusser, George Edgar; Rabkin, Eric S. (eds.). Styles of Creation: Aesthetic Thechnique and the Creation of Fictional Worlds. University of Georgia Press. p. 177. ISBN 9780820314914.
- ^ "1988 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ^ a b c Beahm, George (1992). The Stephen King Story (2nd ed.). Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews and McMeel. pp. 137–138. ISBN 9780836279894.
- ^ King, Stephen (Fall 2006). "The Art of Fiction". The Paris Review. No. 189.
- ^ King, Stephen (2000). On Writing. New York City: Simon & Schuster. pp. 191–192. ISBN 9781439193631.
- ^ a b c d King (2000) pp. 165–167
- ^ "Misery (Goodreads article)". Goodreads. Archived from the original on July 18, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
- ^ "Top 30 Stephen King Movies, Ranked". Rolling Stone. 14 October 2019.
- ^ "The 12 Best Stephen King Movies of All Time". 22 June 2022.
- ^ "Every Stephen King Movie, Ranked". 16 May 2022.
- ^ "The Best Stephen King Movies, Ranked". 23 December 2021.
- ^ "AFI's 100 YEARS…100 HEROES & VILLAINS".
- ^ Gritten, David (December 29, 1992). "Sharon Gless Out on a Limb". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Wolf, Matt (December 22, 1992). "Shock Novel 'Misery' Comes to the London Stage". Deseret News.[dead link ]
- ^ Ings, Richard (1 October 2005). "'Misery' @ King's Head Theatre, London". musicomh.com.
- ^ "Misery - een 'feel bad' musical" (in Dutch). Moker! Theaterproducties. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
- ^ Barton, Steve (March 4, 2015). "Bruce Willis Headed to the Stage for Stephen King's Misery". Dread Central.
- ^ Gioia, Michael; Viagas, Robert (March 4, 2015). "Bruce Willis Will Make Broadway Debut in Misery, Based on Stephen King Novel". Playbill.
- ^ Syme, Rachel (October 22, 2015). "Stephen King's 'Misery' Heads to the Stage". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (November 15, 2015). "Review: In 'Misery,' With Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf, the Ghost of Productions Past". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
- ^ Viagas, Robert (June 12, 2016). "'Hamilton' Tops Tony Awards With 11 Wins". Playbill.
- ^ "Exclusive InDepth InterView: William Goldman & Will Frears Discuss MISERY Onstage – Is Broadway Next?". Broadway World. 26 November 2012. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ^ Jones, Kenneth (20 September 2012). "William Goldman Adapts Stephen King's Misery for the Stage; Bucks County Playhouse Will Premiere Thriller". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
- ^ Otten, Ted (November 23, 2012). "Bucks County Playhouse presents stage version of Stephen King's 'Misery'". NJ.com. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
- ^ Jones, Kenneth (September 20, 2012). "William Goldman Adapts Stephen King's 'Misery' for the Stage; Bucks County Playhouse Will Premiere Thriller". Playbill.
- ^ "Piina - Tampereen Teatteri". tampereenteatteri.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ Mörttinen, Valtteri (October 4, 2019). "Antti Mikkola ottaa Stephen Kingin Piinasta Tampereen Teatterissa irti sen mitä saa – ja vähän enemmän". kulttuuritoimitus.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ Ala-Korpela, Anu (October 4, 2019). "Tampereen Teatteri teki Piinasta hyytävän trillerin, joka on oikeasti jännittävä – päähenkilön kokema kipu tuntuu katsojassa asti". Aamulehti (in Finnish). Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ "Kuopion kaupunginteatteri - Piina". kuopionkaupunginteatteri.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ Stephen King, PIINA ensi-illassa 7.9.2019 (in Finnish), archived from the original on 2021-11-17, retrieved 2020-01-19
- ^ Myöhänen, Ulriikka (January 9, 2019). "Kauhua näyttämöllä: Kuopion kaupunginteatterissa nähdään syksyllä Stephen Kingin "Piina"". YLE (in Finnish). Retrieved January 20, 2020.
- ^ "PIINA – Porin Teatteri".
- ^ Salonen, Marita (12 November 2022). "Porilainen Piina ottaa katsojan mukaan hulluuden partaalle – King-klassikko Porin Teatterissa". kulttuuritoimitus.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ "Piina" (in Finnish). Seinäjoki City Theatre. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
- ^ Raatikainen, Jesse (23 September 2024). "Stephen Kingin Piina saa teatteriversion – Satu Silvo ja Reidar Palmgren päärooleissa". Episodi (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 September 2024.
- ^ "ISBN 9781787530997 - Misery: A Bbc Radio 4 Full Cast Dramatisation". www.isbnsearch.org.
External links
[edit]- Misery (1990 film) at IMDb
- Misery (2015 Broadway play) at the Playbill Vault
- Official Website for the play
- Misery at Worlds Without End.
- 1987 American novels
- 1980s horror novels
- American novels adapted into films
- American horror novels
- Novels about bipolar disorder
- Metafictional novels
- Medical novels
- Novels about mental health
- Novels about writers
- Novels by Stephen King
- Novels set in Boulder, Colorado
- American novels adapted into plays
- Novels adapted into radio programs
- Viking Press books
- Novels about serial killers
- Bram Stoker Award for Novel winners