Misery & Mr. Mercedes

Posted April 19, 2023 by Carole in Reviews / 14 Comments

Misery & Mr. MercedesMisery by Stephen King
Narrator: Lindsay Crouse
Published by Simon and Schuster Audio, Viking on June 8, 1987
Genres: Fiction / Horror
Length: 12 hours 11 minutes
Pages: 310
Format: Audiobook, Hardcover
Source: Library, Purchased
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five-stars

The #1 New York Times bestseller about a famous novelist held hostage in a remote location by his “number one fan.” One of “Stephen King’s best…genuinely scary” (USA TODAY).

Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has finally met his number one fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes, and she is more than a rabid reader—she is Paul’s nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also furious that the author has killed off her favorite character in his latest book. Annie becomes his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house.

Annie wants Paul to write a book that brings Misery back to life—just for her. She has a lot of ways to spur him on. One is a needle. Another is an axe. And if they don’t work, she can get really nasty.

“Terrifying” (San Francisco Chronicle), “dazzlingly well-written” (The Indianapolis Star), and “truly gripping” (Publishers Weekly), Misery is “classic Stephen King...full of twists and turns and mounting suspense” (The Boston Globe).

Wow! This was good. Beyond good. It was one of those books that reminds you why you enjoy reading. This book has been sitting on my shelf for years. Unread and probably feeling ignored. I am kicking myself for waiting until now to read this book. I don’t know why I was ignoring this book. I saw the movie when it first came out and remember liking it. I wasn’t worried about spoilers because let’s face it, I watched this movie over 30 years ago and I can barely remember what I was doing this week. (Yes, I am old). I guess the moral of this story is that I should actually try to read some of the books that have been collecting dust on my shelves. This book was easily a 5-star read. I spent my morning unable to do anything else until this book was finished because I was so mesmerized by the story.

Writer Paul Sheldon celebrates finishing his new novel with a few drinks. He ends up getting in an accident and the next thing he knows he wakes up in Annie’s house. Annie knows exactly who Paul is and considers herself to be his #1 fan. Paul is in bad shape so he is completely at Annie’s mercy. Some days with Annie prove to be better than others. Annie is one of those characters you just can’t forget and I couldn’t imagine being in the situation Paul finds himself in. I have to admit that I was pretty nervous for Paul throughout most of the book.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Lindsay Crouse did a wonderful job with this story. Paul and Annie were the only two characters throughout most of the book and I felt like she was able to bring them both to life. I found myself wanting to listen to this book for hours at a time without taking a break. I do believe that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of this story.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. I had a fantastic time with this book and am only mad that I waited so long to read it. I can’t wait to read more of King’s work.

Misery & Mr. MercedesMr. Mercedes by Stephen King
Narrator: Will Patton
Series: Bill Hodges Trilogy #1
Published by Gallery Books, Simon and Schuster Audio on June 3, 2014
Genres: Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Length: 14 hours 21 minutes
Pages: 413
Format: Audiobook, Hardcover
Source: Library, Publisher
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four-stars

WINNER of the EDGAR AWARD for BEST NOVEL and #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

In a high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from murdering thousands. “Mr. Mercedes is a rich, resonant, exceptionally readable accomplishment by a man who can write in whatever genre he chooses” (The Washington Post).

The stolen Mercedes emerges from the pre-dawn fog and plows through a crowd of men and women on line for a job fair in a distressed American city. Then the lone driver backs up, charges again, and speeds off, leaving eight dead and more wounded. The case goes unsolved and ex-cop Bill Hodges is out of hope when he gets a letter from a man who loved the feel of death under the Mercedes’s wheels…

Brady Hartsfield wants that rush again, but this time he’s going big, with an attack that would take down thousands—unless Hodges and two new unusual allies he picks up along the way can throw a wrench in Hartsfield’s diabolical plans. Stephen King takes off on a “nerve-shredding, pulse-pounding race against time” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) with this acclaimed #1 bestselling thriller.

This was fantastic! As I am slowly working my way through my collection of Stephen King’s books, I am noticing just how versatile of a writer he is. I have had multiple people tell me that they won’t read King’s work because they don’t read horror. This book was violent at times but it fell firmly in the thriller category. I had a great time with this entertaining story.

I liked Bill a lot and was completely taken with this case. I wanted to see this retired detective solve this case and loved the fact that he seemed to be willing to do anything to make that happen. I had no idea how Bill would be able to catch this criminal so I found the book incredibly hard to set aside. The parts of the book that are told from the criminal’s point of view were sometimes brutal which helped the reader feel the urgency of catching him before he does anything else. I loved the supporting characters and thought that they added a lot to the story as well.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Will Patton did an excellent job with the story. I thought that he did a great job with both the male and female character voices. I was pulled into the story through his narration and I thought that he added just the right amount of emotion to his reading. I do believe that his narration added to my overall enjoyment of this story.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. I am glad that I finally gave it a chance and met this incredible cast of characters. I look forward to reading the next installment in the trilogy very soon.

14 responses to “Misery & Mr. Mercedes

  1. I haven’t read Mr. Mercedes, but I did read Misery when I was in high school and I remember loving it! I’m glad it worked so well for you too, Carole 😀

  2. I do need to get back to reading Stephen King. I have so many of his older works some of which I have yet to read. So glad to see you loving his books.

  3. Oh glad you got some oldies off the shelf Carole and I agree King is a very versatile writer but for someone like me who isn’t a fan of horror I need to wait until I see other reviews to see if I should step into the murky waters of one of his books.

    • I do understand that. I guess that I am lucky that I have never really been bothered by anything that I read.

      I have encountered a lot of people in my real life who don’t realize that he writes books that are not horror.

  4. I’ve never read King but it’s reviews like thse that make me want to try. Mr. Mercedes would probably be the one that interests me more. I’m not a huge horror fan but I like a good scare. 🙂

  5. Yeah, Stephen King is definitely more than horror. I read Misery back in high school (not for school – a friend loaned me it) and I liked it. Mr. Mercedes is one I’m really curious about.

  6. If I ever pick up either of these books I will definitely go the audio book route. I’ve seen the movie for Misery and then a few years ago the local theater did the play and it was amazingly good. I am tempted to read the book – especially seeing that you enjoyed it.