The master storyteller Stephen King is back with a brand-new novella (released 30 October 2018), Elevation. While the out-and-out horror stories may be gone, the writing and storytelling talent of Mr King still remains.
Elevation is set in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine (regular Stephen King readers will be familiar with this town) and tells the story of small-town bigotry, bringing a town together, same sex marriage, changing attitudes, friendship and death.
Scott Carey is overweight (200 pounds plus) but he has a problem, he is losing weight at the rate of 1 or 2 pounds daily. He has a big of weight to lose so not a big deal? Wrong! No matter how much weight he loses, his body mass and shape stay the same, he just does not get any thinner. If that wasn’t so much of a phenomenon, everything he wears or puts in his pockets doesn’t change his weight on the scales! (he could step on the scales holding another person and his weight would remain the same). At the rate of weightloss he is experiencing it will soon become terminal!
Meanwhile, his closest neighbours, Deirdre and Missy (or known locally as the “lesbeans”, are struggling with their restaurant in town because of narrow- and closed-minded people. The townspeople could just about tolerate being in a same sex relationship, but they really can’t cope with the fact that they are married and flaunting it!
With Scott’s weightloss giving him lots more energy he decides to enter the local 12k marathon, which has a magnificent effect of the town, the people and the attitudes of a majority of people.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novella. At only 132 pages long it is a short read of around 90 minutes but is a great magical story as only Stephen King can conjure up. It not only shows the mentality and closed mindedness that still exists in today’s society, but also the damage it can cause for the abused (albeit in a simplified manner to fit a short story), and the how small things such as kindness and acceptance can change people’s thinking and attitudes and how the strangest of circumstances can bring people together and create new friendships.
Stephen King writes some fantastic, absorbing books and this is right up there with them.
Elevation is an excellent, thought-provoking, eerie, charming, sad and uplifting read.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £14.99 (Hardback) / £9.99 (Kindle)
Available to buy from Amazon here. For more information about Stephen King and his books visit www.stephenking.com.
