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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
A man dies graphically at the start; Jessie's self-injury to escape is depicted in detail
Language
A lot
Strong language throughout
Sexual Content
Some
Childhood sexual abuse surfaces in memory and is depicted; the marital situation has coercive elements
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
Extreme psychological content: repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse, the long aftermath of that trauma, and the psychological survival strategy of a woman facing death alone
What this book is about
Stephen King's 1992 novel follows Jessie Burlingame, who is handcuffed to a bed in a remote Maine cabin after her husband dies of a heart attack. Alone, with no help coming, she must survive — mentally and physically. The novel is one of King's most intense psychological studies, exploring repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse that surface as Jessie fights to survive. The horror is almost entirely internal. Gerald's Game requires a strong stomach for psychological abuse content but is more restrained in external violence than most King.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Childhood sexual abuse recovered in memory
Graphic self-injury to escape
Isolated woman in extreme peril
Reader Verification
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