Misery Summary: Plot, Characters and Ending
Misery follows Paul Sheldon, author of a popular series of romance novels about a heroine named Misery Chastain. After a car crash in the Colorado snow, he is rescued by former nurse Annie Wilkes, his self-described number one fan. When she learns he has killed Misery off, she holds him prisoner and forces him to write her back to life.
Stephen King has said the book grew from his own experience of fans who wanted only one kind of story.
| Character | Who they are |
|---|---|
| Paul Sheldon | Novelist trapped in Annie's house |
| Annie Wilkes | Former nurse and obsessive fan |
| Misery Chastain | Heroine of Paul's novels |
| The state trooper | Officer who comes searching for Paul |
How does Paul end up with Annie?
Paul finishes a serious novel he hopes will free him from the Misery books, drinks to celebrate and crashes his car in a storm. Annie pulls him from the wreck, sets his shattered legs and keeps him in her isolated farmhouse, giving him strong painkillers. She tells no one he is there.
↑ Back to the topWhat does Annie force Paul to do?
Annie reads the newly published last Misery novel and discovers Misery dies. Furious, she makes Paul burn the only copy of his new manuscript and orders him to write a book bringing Misery back. Working at an old typewriter missing a letter, Paul finds himself caught up in the story despite everything.
↑ Back to the topHow dangerous is Annie?
Paul learns Annie's moods swing violently. Crawling through the house while she is away, he finds a scrapbook showing she was suspected in many deaths, including patients at hospitals where she worked. When she discovers he has left his room, she punishes him horribly, cutting off his foot with an axe and burning the wound. Later she takes his thumb. When a young state trooper comes looking, Annie kills him and hides the body.
↑ Back to the topHow does Misery end?
When Paul finishes the book, he tells Annie he will burn the manuscript, then sets fire to a fake stack of pages. As she tries to save it, he fights her, smashes the typewriter on her and forces burnt paper into her mouth. Annie flees to the barn, where police later find her dead. The book Misery's Return becomes a bestseller, but Paul is haunted by nightmares of Annie and struggles to write. At last a new story idea comes to him, and he begins writing again, weeping with relief.
↑ Back to the topMore about Misery
This summary reveals the whole plot, including the ending.