Misery

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. In what genre or genres does Stephen King typically write? What are some of King’s popular works? Are there any topics to which King returns across different works?

Teaching Suggestion: Misery is written by Stephen King, who is well known in the realm of popular fiction as a novelist in the horror, suspense, fantasy, and thriller genres; the book is often thought to be somewhat autobiographical and based on some of King’s experiences as a famous author. King’s Misery addresses some of the horrors of fandom and how these experiences may shape the writing of his protagonist, Paul.

• This article provides a brief biography of Stephen King.
• This 9-minute video describes Stephen King’s childhood.
• This feature from The New York Times Magazine (2013) profiles King’s family members who also turned to writing in their careers.

2. What is believed to be the first horror novel? How did people receive it? What are some of the elements used in the horror genre?

Teaching Suggestion: Misery belongs to the horror genre, and King uses some of the genre’s elements to create suspense in the novel. Students might enjoy brainstorming characteristics of the genre in books and film and speculating on its early representative works before using the resources below or other resources to investigate the topic further. It may be beneficial to discuss elements of the horror genre and create a record of these elements to revisit as students read the novel.

• This 1-minute video from Louisiana State University describes the novel many regard as the first in the horror genre.
• For another take on how horror evolved as a genre, investigate this description and further resources from a public library in Westport, Connecticut.
• This 5-minute TED-Ed video explains how writers make their writing suspenseful.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Describe a time when you had difficulty writing for a class or for some other purpose. What prevented you from achieving the desired result? What obstacles might prevent someone from writing? What tactics have you used to overcome “writer’s block”? More generally, how does inspiration play a role in the writing process?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be beneficial to establish some prereading context before students delve into the questions in the prompt:

Misery is about an author, Paul Sheldon, who has killed off the character (named Misery) in his book series that made him famous. Paul describes himself as relieved when Misery is finally dead, even though the Misery books made him a best-selling author. Until Paul is forced to write about Misery again by his “number one fan,” he is uninspired and suffers frequently from writer’s block.

Allowing students to reflect, through this prompt, on their own experiences with the challenges of writing in general and idea-generation specifically may create a heightened connection with Paul that will translate to deeper empathy—and a more visceral reaction to his plight—as they become immersed in the story.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who require a more challenging contextual experience, consider having them explore of the notion of “writer’s block” and its various types and causes. Students might research famous authors and some of the tips they provide on helping with writer’s block and then share their findings.