Reviewed by Miriam Stone, Learning Resource and Access Specialist
In the fledgling stages of his career, Stephen King made a living by writing about horrors that even horror lovers had not imagined. He amassed a following of loyal readers and, wherever his name appeared, the word horror inevitably showed up.
Over a span of years, he branched out into other areas. The horrors he wrote about were not supernatural in nature; they were the base perversions of human beings at their worst. His popularity suffered a little. People loved to read about monsters not of this world, but less than thrilled to face the possibility that the monster about whom King was writing might live next door.
Still, King climbed the bestseller list with every title published. Good, bad or indifferent (and some of his titles hit the ground like a safe), his fans rushed out to purchase his next adventure.
This book, “Elevation," is a departure for King. It doesn’t have the heft or feel of a King book. It can’t be used as a doorstop or a lethal weapon. Its pages number 146 and there are no present or visible monsters, either human or inhuman. It is the story of Scott Carey, a likable guy with a huge problem. He is losing weight but not getting thinner. The scale registers the same whether he is in clothes or out of them, whether he has his pockets weighted down with rolls of pennies or with no pennies.
He is involved in a feud with the couple from down the street whose dogs are doing their business on his lawn. This married, lesbian couple, already finding the town of Castle Rock to be more than a little backward, have opened a Mexican vegetarian restaurant and are barely keeping it afloat. As Scott’s strange affliction progresses, he forms an unlikely alliance with this couple and they, in turn, give him assistance in determining his fate.
Rarely has a book provoked such extreme reactions from its readers. It has been called one of the most prophetic works of this decade. It has also been called a complete waste of time.
The naysayers seem to be upset about the amount of money they spent on this book and the audacity of its publishers to call it a novel when they consider it to be a novella, or worse, a short story. They have labeled it terrible, saccharine, boring as hell, a pathetic political statement. They argue that the characters are not legitimate or believable and their interactions feel forced. It is odd that, with such negative reviews, this readership wishes the book were longer.
Supporters of “Elevation” call it amazing and brilliant; they believe that King has outdone himself, writing a novel about community, friendship and acceptance of one’s fate. They find its message to be awesome, with lyrical value and substance and a lesson in how we can all get along. Many have said that after reading this book they came away with an overwhelming feeling of hope.
This book perfectly illustrates the concept of a glass being half empty or half full. I am thinking that a good reviewer would let the audience know to which glass theory she subscribes. That isn’t going to happen. Currently, “Elevation” can be found on the New Books shelf on the second floor of The Yocum Library. For anyone looking for the book after it moves from the New Books shelf, here is the call number: PS3561.I483 E44 2018.
Still, King climbed the bestseller list with every title published. Good, bad or indifferent (and some of his titles hit the ground like a safe), his fans rushed out to purchase his next adventure.
This book, “Elevation," is a departure for King. It doesn’t have the heft or feel of a King book. It can’t be used as a doorstop or a lethal weapon. Its pages number 146 and there are no present or visible monsters, either human or inhuman. It is the story of Scott Carey, a likable guy with a huge problem. He is losing weight but not getting thinner. The scale registers the same whether he is in clothes or out of them, whether he has his pockets weighted down with rolls of pennies or with no pennies.
He is involved in a feud with the couple from down the street whose dogs are doing their business on his lawn. This married, lesbian couple, already finding the town of Castle Rock to be more than a little backward, have opened a Mexican vegetarian restaurant and are barely keeping it afloat. As Scott’s strange affliction progresses, he forms an unlikely alliance with this couple and they, in turn, give him assistance in determining his fate.
Rarely has a book provoked such extreme reactions from its readers. It has been called one of the most prophetic works of this decade. It has also been called a complete waste of time.
The naysayers seem to be upset about the amount of money they spent on this book and the audacity of its publishers to call it a novel when they consider it to be a novella, or worse, a short story. They have labeled it terrible, saccharine, boring as hell, a pathetic political statement. They argue that the characters are not legitimate or believable and their interactions feel forced. It is odd that, with such negative reviews, this readership wishes the book were longer.
Supporters of “Elevation” call it amazing and brilliant; they believe that King has outdone himself, writing a novel about community, friendship and acceptance of one’s fate. They find its message to be awesome, with lyrical value and substance and a lesson in how we can all get along. Many have said that after reading this book they came away with an overwhelming feeling of hope.
This book perfectly illustrates the concept of a glass being half empty or half full. I am thinking that a good reviewer would let the audience know to which glass theory she subscribes. That isn’t going to happen. Currently, “Elevation” can be found on the New Books shelf on the second floor of The Yocum Library. For anyone looking for the book after it moves from the New Books shelf, here is the call number: PS3561.I483 E44 2018.
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