Misery cover art

Misery

Thrilling suspense from the No. 1 bestseller

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Misery

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Lindsay Crouse
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £22.97

Buy Now for £22.97

About this listen

 Misery Chastain was dead. Paul Sheldon had just killed her - with relief, with joy. Misery had made him rich; she was the heroine of a string of bestsellers. And now he wanted to get on to some real writing.

That's when the car accident happened, and he woke up in pain in a strange bed. But it wasn't the hospital. Annie Wilkes had pulled him from the wreck, brought him to her remote mountain home, splinted and set his mangled legs.

The good news was that Annie was a nurse and has pain-killing drugs. The bad news was that she was Paul's Number One Fan. And when she found out what Paul had done to Misery, she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all. And now he had to bring Misery back to life. Or else . . .

(P)1992 Penguin Highbridge Audio©1986 Stephen King Crime Fiction Horror Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Scary

Critic reviews

This terrifying story of imprisonment by a demented fan is one of the greatest thrillers ever written (James Smythe)
Not since Dickens has a writer had so many readers by the throat
King's new novel, about a writer held hostage by his self-proclaimed "number-one fan,'' is unadulteratedly terrifying. Paul Sheldon, a writer of historical romances, is in a car accident; rescued by nurse Annie Wilkes, he slowly realizes that salvation can be worse than death. Sheldon has killed off Misery Chastain, the popular protagonist of his Misery series and Annie, who has a murderous past, wants her back. Keeping the paralyzed Sheldon prisoner, she forces him to revive the character in a continuation of the series, and she reads each page as it comes out of the typewriter; there is a joyously Dickensian novel within a novel here, and it appears in faded typescript. Studded among the frightening moments are sparkling reflections on the writer and his audience, on the difficulties, joys and responsibilities of being a storyteller, on the nature of the muse, on the differences between "serious'' and "popular'' writing. Sheldon is a revealingly autobiographical figure; Annie is not merely a monster but is subtly and often touchingly portrayed, allowing hostage and keeper a believable, if twisted, relationship. The best parts of this novel demand that we take King seriously as a writer with a deeply felt understanding of human psychology.
One of the greatest thrillers ever written
It's being on this familiar territory that makes his fictions so addictive. It's so good you just want more
A writer of excellence
King at his best . . . a winner
All stars
Most relevant
had me on the edge of my seat narration was excellent never once was I bored

great narration and of course another king classic

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Stephen King's Misery is one of my favourite books that he has written (and I've read all of them!) - it's realistic, it's terrifying and incredibly intense. The movie adaptation is also one of the best films of the 90's and easily up there with The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile as best converted to screen of King's books - it's almost like the characters of Annie and Paul were written with Kathy Bates and James Caan in mind as they fit the roles perfectly. I've also seen the stage play which was very well performed too - so, yes, I am a fan (pun intended).

With this audiobook, Lindsay Crouse reads both roles (and the other few minor characters) and - wow! what a performance! She has a great voice for narration but her Annie voice was amazing - so much power and feeling in the dialogue - it was almost as good as Bates' performance in the film.

Such a good story, as I've said, brilliant narration - what else can I say but get this audiobook!

Incredible performance and story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Narration in this story is above and beyond in my limited experience.

Be warned, Annie comes to life in this Audio experience!

Excellent Voice Actress

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Really good performance by the narrator I thought she was perfect for this book I enjoyed the story but found it a bit slow in places and the ending was a bit anti climatic

Misery

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
love it, so wonderfully read and executed. would recommend to anyone. Have read other Stephen King which I'd not enjoyed however this was outstanding.

optional (?) heading

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews