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Misery. Kathy Bates and her iconic portrayal of Annie Wilkes is now the first thought that comes to mind for most people who see this title, but Stephen King's brutally intense page-turner has more to offer than this memorable villain figure.

In a story that is all about the perspective, King introduces us to the mental torture games that Paul Sheldon, the leading point-of-view character, has to endure. The nagging knowledge that whatever comes next is unpredictable begins to torment the reader as much as the protagonist as the novel runs its course: this is a story that has become so ingrained in pop culture that it's almost impossible to not know what it is about at this point, yet the increasingly terrifying revelations of the lengths both characters are prepared to go never cease to be shocking.

King has a history of writing about writers, seemingly taking inspiration from the saying that you should write about what you know. And empathizing with the writer's perspective is something that King certainly knows how to do. Paul Sheldon never really becomes likeable; but he does not need to be, for what is done to him is something we would not wish on our worst enemies.

Yet, perhaps the most interesting aspects of Misery arise when King focuses on the creative aspects of the writing process, on the struggles and concerns of writing a book, the pressure, the doubts. Outside of the premise of the kidnapping, obviously, I strongly suspect that King infused this story with many autobiographical elements, be it his own experience with writing, or his drug-related history that heavily plays into the narrative of Misery as well. To my surprise, King went into some significantly darker and bleaker places than I originally anticipated, but there is no denying that he instilled the story with all his concentrated passion as a writer. It's a thrilling page-turner, yes, but also allows a fascinating look at distorted perception and morbid obsession.