Gerald's Game

Published: 1992

Gerald's Game (1992) begins when Jessie Burlingame's husband Gerald dies of a heart attack during a bondage session at their remote lake house, leaving her handcuffed to the bed with no hope of rescue. The novel unfolds almost entirely within Jessie's mind as she battles dehydration, starvation, and her own psychological demons while attempting to escape. Flashbacks reveal childhood sexual abuse that connects to her current predicament, while hallucinations—including a terrifying figure she calls the Space Cowboy—blur the line between reality and delusion. King conceived the novel as a challenge to himself: could he create suspense with a protagonist immobilized for the entire narrative? The result is one of his most claustrophobic and psychologically intense works, with minimal supernatural elements. Upon publication, Gerald's Game received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its psychological depth and feminist themes while others found its limited setting repetitive. The novel sold well but not at the level of King's most commercial works. For years considered 'unfilmable' due to its internal narrative, it was finally adapted as a 2017 Netflix film directed by Mike Flanagan, earning critical acclaim particularly for Carla Gugino's performance as Jessie. King has described Gerald's Game as one of his most challenging books to write, both technically and emotionally, given its unflinching examination of trauma and survival. For readers, the novel stands as one of King's most divisive works—some consider it a masterpiece of psychological horror and feminist storytelling, while others find it too constrained by its premise. The book is paired thematically with Dolores Claiborne, published the same year, with subtle connections between the two narratives. Together, they represent King's most direct examination of sexual trauma and its long-term psychological effects.

Themes

• Survival
• Sexual trauma
• Memory
• Hallucination
• Self-reliance

Adaptations

• 2017 Netflix film starring Carla Gugino

Collector Notes

Often paired thematically with Dolores Claiborne, published the same year. The two novels share subtle narrative connections and both explore trauma from different perspectives.