Misery succeeds on so many different levels. The characters are so very well developed. In trying to figure out how to deal with Hurricane Annie, Paul also learns much about himself while he is trying to survive. Misery is filled with lots of symbolism-especially in the writing of his new book, Misery Returns. King also gives us a good look at the art of writing. He talks about the difference between a hack, a popular writer and a literary writer. While King is certainly a popular writer who is sometimes accused of being a hack, Misery reads more like a work of literature. We see what sometimes motivates a writer to write, and we can only imagine the rabid, crazed fans that any popular figure must contend with. It's also interesting to see how readers take ownership of fictional characters, and how distraught they can become over their demise. Also, as gruesome as much of this book is, Sheldon still can see much humor and irony in his situation which lightens the load just a bit.