Bracket #5: Misery (1987)

[mae]

Misery, 1987
http://www.thedarktower.org/gallery/data/510/medium/Misery_face.jpg

Please vote for Misery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misery_(novel)) using the following scale:

5: I loved it
4: It was good
3: Average
2: Only so-so
1: I didn't like it

If you haven't read this book yet, please vote Never Read. Feel free to discuss your votes in this thread.

[Tito_Villa]

A great book - 5!

[Kronz]

One of King's absolute masterpieces. Short and to the point, without a wasted page. Five from five easily.

[Daghain]

I'd give it a 6 if I could. As it was, I had to settle for a 5. :D

[Jean]

I'd give it a 6 if I could.
So would bears.

Was in my top 5 until supplanted by Duma Key.

[divemaster]

5 no doubt. Another great example of King getting onto the mind of his characters. It's a testament to his writing that you basically have 2 people in a house for several hundred pages, with so much of the "action" being psychological rather than razzle dazzle, and you are hooked from page one. Even the book within a book story of the Misery romance novel is interesting, and I have no use for romance novels as such. King = genius.

(For an extreme opposite example of King failing miserably at the same basic approach, see Gerald's Game.)

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

5. One of only 4 or 5 books that I have sat down and read the entire thing nonstop.

[Sam]

Great book. Gave it a 5.

[mae]

5. One of only 4 or 5 books that I have sat down and read the entire thing nonstop.

How is that even possible :pullhair:

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

5. One of only 4 or 5 books that I have sat down and read the entire thing nonstop.

How is that even possible :pullhair:

To do it? Or to only do it 4 or 5 times?

[mae]

To just do it. I'm a slow reader, plus I maybe have an hour or two a day to read.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

The books I have read in one sitting were read either on a long trip, or in an all-night marathon.

Of SK's novels that I have read in one sitting, I remember reading Carrie, Misery, The Shining and most of the novellas in this fashion. I recommend reading the novellas in one sitting if possible, it greatly enhances the story for me to have no breaks in it.

[Brice]

I've read many the same way. When It came out I even read it in one sitting. With a great book I become deeply absorbed.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I read It in about 3 sittings the first time. You should lay off the meth Brice. haha

[mae]

When It came out I even read it in one sitting.

Do you have one of those time-stopping watches?

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

*sniff* wha? *sniff*

[Brice]

No, when I was young I'd read for a couple days at a time minus short breaks to grab a snack (no, not meth :rofl: ) or for the restroom. As a child I'd read about 800 or so pages in a day. Into early adulthood I'd not read at such a pace, but I could read much longer. Now it's hard for me to find that sort of time for it and I am distracted much easier.

[Hannah]

I can do that as an adult. Put the kids in cages with grandma, grab a cup of coffee, turn off the tv, wrap myself in a blanket and waste the day away reading. I take days off work just to do that.

Oh, and I'm probably going to be tarred and feathered for this, but I gave Misery a 3. I just didn't like it that much.

[Mrs. Underwood]

Definitely a 5, no question! Annie was probably one of the scariest antagonists he's ever written, and it was just such a powerful subject with so many thematic implications to it. I adore books of that magnitude.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

The only thing I didn't like about this book, and I think this was pointed out last year, was the "book within a book" thing. I could have done without reading ANYTHING about Misery Chastaine herself. The only thing about that that I DID like was the missing/filled in "n"s.

[Kronz]

I don't mind the manuscript parts, they're so badly done and over the top that it speaks a lot about Paul's cunning and will to survive. The book might have been nearly as good or better without them but I found they gave depth to Paul's character. The n's are great too of course.

[vacant lot]

This one left horror images embedded in my mind forever. Great read!

[mae]

The poll has closed. Misery has earned a FAS (final average score) of 4.379746835 or 87.59%, placing 3rd in this bracket. It will not be moving on to Round 2. In 2009, Misery also placed 3rd with a FAS of 4.400000000, so it lost 0.020253165 (-0.46%) this time.

[Tito_Villa]

Thats a shame because i really like this book!

[mae]

Well, keep in mind after Round 1 is done, six wildcard spots will then be promoted to Round 2. If Misery's earned enough to get into that group of six, it moves on. It did last year.

[Tito_Villa]

Oh ok i didn't realize that as i wasn't around last year!

[mae]

Yeah, check out the 2010 announcement (http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?t=10118) thread for details (specifically post #14, for this issue).