Stephen King Addresses Baby Reindeer's Similarities To His Own Novel Misery & Its Movie Adaptation

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Summary Stephen King shares a glowing review of Baby Reindeer, acknowledging the similarities between the series and Misery.

The author points out that, while the premises are similar, many of the details are different.

Baby Reindeer is created by and stars Richard Gadd.

Stephen King comments on Baby Reindeer's similarities to Misery, his hit novel and accompanying movie adaptation. Released on Netflix last month, Baby Reindeer follows Richard Gadd's Donny Dunn as he deals with an obsessive female stalker. The limited series, which Gadd also created, has earned rave reviews from critics and audiences. The story, of course, about a female stalker obsessed with a known personality, is also the premise of King's Misery, which follows author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) as he becomes stranded with the violent Annie (Kathy Bates) after a car crash.

In a new piece published in The Times, King shares his Baby Reindeer review, praising the show. The author outlines some of the similarities between the two properties, but ultimately celebrates just how effectively the new series puts its own unique spin on the familiar story. One of the key differences, as King points out, is how each property's protagonist deals with their stalker. Check out select excerpts from his analysis below:

Then comes Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning), who appears one day in the pub where Donny works. It’s a showstopper of an entrance, hands down the equal of our introduction (“I’m your No 1 fan”) to Misery’s Annie Wilkes.

The difference between Paul Sheldon (Misery) and Donny Dunn is to some extent physical, because Sheldon has been badly hurt in a car accident. He doesn’t give Annie a cup of tea — in fact would probably only give her a passing glance if she turned up in an autograph line. Donny, on the other hand, invites the devil in, however unknowingly.

In Misery Sheldon — bedridden, held prisoner both by a growing drug addiction and Annie herself — reluctantly comes to the conclusion that Annie is right about his new novel, a departure from his Misery Chastain books. She says it isn’t very good, and she’s probably right. In any event, she burns it. She is the doer; Paul Sheldon is the helpless watcher. In Baby Reindeer Donny finally takes action himself, knocking his sad suitcase of props to the floor and getting honest — brutally so — with his audience.

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Source: The Times