From legendary master storyteller Stephen King, a riveting story about ”an ordinary man in an extraordinary condition rising above hatred” (The Washington Post) and bringing the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine together–a “joyful, uplifting” (Entertainment Weekly) tale about finding common ground despite deep-rooted differences, “the sign of a master elevating his own legendary game yet … own legendary game yet again” (USA TODAY).
Although Scott Carey doesn’t look any different, he’s been steadily losing weight. There are a couple of other odd things, too. He weighs the same in his clothes and out of them, no matter how heavy they are. Scott doesn’t want to be poked and prodded. He mostly just wants someone else to know, and he trusts Doctor Bob Ellis.
In the small town of Castle Rock, the setting of many of King’s most iconic stories, Scott is engaged in a low grade–but escalating–battle with the lesbians next door whose dog regularly drops his business on Scott’s lawn. One of the women is friendly; the other, cold as ice. Both are trying to launch a new restaurant, but the people of Castle Rock want no part of a gay married couple, and the place is in trouble. When Scott finally understands the prejudices they face–including his own–he tries to help. Unlikely alliances, the annual foot race, and the mystery of Scott’s affliction bring out the best in people who have indulged the worst in themselves and others.
“Written in masterly Stephen King’s signature translucent…this uncharacteristically glimmering fairy tale calls unabashedly for us to rise above our differences” (Booklist, starred review). Elevation is an antidote to our divisive culture, an “elegant whisper of a story” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), “perfect for any fan of small towns, magic, and the joys and challenges of doing the right thing” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
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I think this is a pretty good book. The common criticisms I’ve read of it are all true, but…King’s heart was in the right place when he wrote this. And I think that’s important.
However, I feel like King has been a massive, world-famous uber-celebrity for so many decades that he now struggles to write about “common” folk — hence the one-dimensional characters and awkwardly contrived conversations/interactions in this book. Often, the best writing is inspired by or informed by the author’s own experience, and I wouldn’t believe for a second that King is basing these characters or the way they interact on real experience. They seem more inspired by well-meaning ideology than by reality, hence the flimsy (and predictable) character development of Scott, Missy, and others. I like the characters, but I struggle to care about them the way King intends me to.
Also, King’s north of 70 now; generational differences probably also contribute to the dismissal of this book by younger readers, and King’s difficulty in connecting with them.
That said, I can’t fault King for attempting to use his stature to write an uplifting story about unity, reconciliation, and finding common ground with those with whom you are at odds, even if he misses some marks along the way. Fortunately, this is a quick, easy read — you can breeze through it, and in classic Stephen King fashion, he keeps your attention all the way through with a quirky, imaginative plot and some interesting concepts. King retreads on “Thinner” ground here, yet he somehow comes up with a completely different tale.
The book can be read in about 2 1/2 hours, tops, so if you’re looking for a quick read, that alone makes it worth checking out.
Scott Carey has an unusual problem. He has always avoided the scale, because his big 6’4” frame always carried a few too many pounds. But he has been losing weight at a regular rate, no matter what he eats. What’s even stranger is that, as his weight goes down, his body does not change. After forty pounds weight loss, he still has his paunch. As Scott continues to lose weight, he finds himself making changes in his small Maine town of Castlerock, changes that make his town better for all.
I love Stephen King’s characters, because they are always so well developed. The same is true here. I felt like I knew Scott, the women who live next door, and Dr. Ellis. This is yet another unforgettable tale by this author.
The messages in this story are also valuable! It tells of the power of compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, and friendship. It also tells how we can rise above our ordinary lives to find beauty and joy in the ordinary, commonplace things we take for granted.
The audio version is read by the author himself. It is very enjoyable!
One of the best yet!!!!!
A great read about a character suffering from an inexplicable condition. That’s the terrifying part. The uplifting part is what he does with his remaining time. The protagonist proves that acts of kindness and self-sacrifice can heal deep fissures in our society. King tells this story with his signature grittiness and intensely real characters.
I purposefully did not read reviews for Elevation so I could decide for myself. This is a short read, incredibly quick, and yet so powerful.
Stephen King is a master at making the reader feel they are there inside the story. I could see the falling leaves, hear the trick-or-treaters, and feel the falling rain. What a joy to read this story today. I am blessed,
Completely unlike most of his books. Read it all in one sitting.
Interesting concept; very short read.
I listened to the audio version of this book, which was narrated by Stephen King himself! I enjoyed the hell out of this short story even though it wasn’t a horror story.
I’m not sure I like the story behind this book, but it was entertaining enough to keep me reading it. Short book, easy to ready and has some sort of moral lesson. No matter how the world treat other people, we may have the ability to change things around for them.
Great author
This is a little different read for me by this author but I loved it from beginning to end. I read this book in one sitting, it is fast reading. The story is engaging and I loved the characters. They are all supportive to each other and watching them grow thoughout the story made the story feel real. Scott is a man who is losing weight without any answers to explain it. One of my favorite things about this book is how Scott is able to bring the town together and try to improve relationships. I highly recommend this book, I didn’t regret picking this book up and neither will you.
2.5 Stars
Full of irony, paradoxes, elements of sci-fi and real human emotion.
This is not what King fans have come to know him for, but there’s no genre bias in this review, as I haven’t read too much of King’s works yet, and am open to different styles.
I would call this story cute. It did evoke real human emotion in me, and I did end up tearing up near the end. That letter was just so dang cute.
I’m a sucker for puns and irony, I enjoyed those qualities and the highly believable characters. As a small town girl, I could relate alot to the soul shattering mindset of certain communities, despite these role mofels being head of church groups, leaders of the community etc. King really does touch on some important topics here.
This was a very quick read for me, I think the audience for this book will be limited. I’m rating it 2 or 3 stars because I have no desire to re-read it, or recommend it to all my friends. It was just alright for me, nothing special, not good nor bad, just alright. I wanted to enjoy this more but for me, it just wasn’t there. Nothing against the story, I could have just gone without fear of missing out.
PASS.
Not bad the only disappointing thing was it was to darn short. Paid for a full length book and got a long short story. I did enjoy reading it.
A book which grips you and drags you along through the pages. I would highly recommend this novel!
Not his greatest work, in fact a little silly in places, but enjoyable with a fine message. Very short, so it doesn’t feel like you’re wasting your time.
What a different story from Stephen King!
When I sit to read king book, I expect to be scared shitless. I at least figure he will take me to a scary place that is twisted and unique. Well, I got the unique part, and frankly, didn’t miss the scary part.
It was such a cool little story because of the strange phenomenon that happens. It really made me wonder, ‘what if?’.
This story is now one of my favorites. The emotions I had mixed with master storytelling makes it a fantastic read! You should definitely read it too!
Very unusual Stephen King novella. Love his range!
This book was easy to read, but neither creative nor original. It’s an exact copy of Richard Matheson’s book Incredible Shrinking Man or The Shrinking Man. I’m disappointed King would resort to this.
I haven’t read Stephen King for a while, choosing to branch out a little, try different authors for a while. But it was great to dip my toes into a King story again. I received this novel for Christmas, and as novels go, this is surprisingly short, especially for Stephen King. But what the novel lacks in length, it more than makes up for in story, laser focused, often times poignant. In fact, this is the first King novel in recent memory that made me shed a tear. The premise is clear and it doesn’t take long to envision the end in general terms. As always, it’s the characters and their interaction that makes this book a home run. Highly recommended.
Classic King (relatable characters, outstanding storytelling, imaginitive circumstances) while also a divergence (short novel, doesn’t truly fit in the horror genre). A lovely, heartwarming story of shared humanity overcoming differences.