Misery

This has always been one of my favorite books, mainly because it seems that King was working out his own fear with just how crazy fans, particularly those who claim to be the "number one fan" can be.  I will also say that this is one of the best movies made from one of his books - even though some of the facts are changed - that is to be expected I believe.

This novel centers around an author Paul Sheldon who has just written an entirely new and different novel from his usual work, the Misery Series which is a sort of romance adventure series of novels.  He has a habit of writing part of his novels in a hotel in Colorado, and having just completed this book, Fast Cars, he decides to drive back to L.A. rather than fly. (Mistake #1) Before setting out he has too much champagne (#2) and does not check the weather (#3).  He hits a snowstorm in the mountains and his Camaro is not equipped to handle that so off the road he goes, wrecking the car and shattering his legs in the process.  Along comes Annie Wilkes, the number one fan, who pulls him from the wreckage and takes him home to nurse him back to health.  (That should be the first clue that she is crazy, as a normal person would have called for help)

She proceeds to fix his legs, sort of, and fills him with dope while he starts recovering.  She decided to keep her pet writer when she realized it was "thee" Paul Sheldon, famous author of her favorite books.   She is in the process of reading his most recent Misery book, in which she dies, when she discovers that she freaks out on Paul, forces him to burn his book Fast Cars, and then makes him write a new novel "Misery's Return".  To say that she is good at getting her way would be an understatement.  She has ways of making him work and of keeping him where she wants him.  He ends up spending 6 months locked in her house during which time he suffers more than any person should, he discovers that besides being a nurse in her past she is also psychopathic and that he is never going to let her go.  He makes many more mistakes which cost him dearly, but in the end he manages to get free.  Whether he is sane any longer is a much bigger question.