I’m usually on top of Stephen King’s output but somehow this story from 2018 slipped past my radar. Elevation looks like a chapbook with B&W drawings by Mark Edward Geyer, who previously illustrated King’s first editions of Rose Madder and The Green Mile. There’s plenty of white space.
This novella concerns an incredible situation. In Castle Rock, Maine, Scott Carey faces a mysterious illness which causes bizarre effects on his body and makes him rapidly lose weight, even if he appears healthy on the outside. Carey goes from about 250 pounds to under 200 in a short time with no clue why this is happening to him.
While Carey battles this strange disease with his trusted doctor, he also tries fixing a dire situation involving a lesbian couple trying to open a restaurant surrounded by a disapproving, conservative public.
I’ve read several of Stephen King’s mammoth novels, but I prefer his shorter work like Elevation. Are you a Stephen King fan? GRADE: B
I like King but I find him very hit or miss. I find him very good at the novella length. Some of his novels would benefit from some pruning.
Steve, I agree with you on Stephen King’s output: hit or miss. I do know that Jeff Smith stayed up all night reading UNDER THE DOME.
I’ve been a King fan from the beginning in the 70s, so Yes, I’ve read this. The cover is familiar but the story isn’t, and I had to take a peek at my book log to make sure. Everyone complains about the length of his novels, and so do I. Still, I must admit that some of his longest ones–“It”, “The Stand”, and “Under the Dome”, are among my favorites.
Michael, I’m fond of King’s ‘SALEM’S LOT and many of his story collections especially those with Lovecraft-inspired tales.
I read him quite faithfully for many years. And then I petered out. Not sure why.
Patti, same here. I used to read everything Stephen King wrote but his productively overwhelmed me.
After several attempts at reading his novels, I accepted that King is not for me—at least in long-form fiction. However, I’ve enjoyed some of his short stories and I love his non-fiction such as ON WRITING and the essays he used to write for his “The Pop of King” column in Entertainment Weekly.
Deb, I agree with you on ON WRITING. Great book! And, like you, I’m partial to King’s shorter works.
Most of the “Pop of King” essays made their points well. Relative concision.
I think I’ve got this one as an audiobook.
I got it for Joe to listen to (King was one of his favorites) but he never got to it. He used to joke that the King doorstop titles were “men’s books.”
I’ll give it a try. Even a B-rated King is better than many A-list authors.
Beth, I’m sure you’ll enjoy Stephen King’s ELEVATION. It’s a quick read. And King is a born storyteller!
Yes, I’ve read ALL of King’s shorter works, at least the ones in collections – novellas and short stories. Agree on ON WRITING. Have also read a lot of his longer things as well as some of the massive ones (of which THE STAND remains my favorite).
Surely I’m not the only one who remembers that “Scott Carey” was the name of the hero in Richard Matheson’s THE SHRINKING MAN (filmed as THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN). I’m sure King remembers.
I read this November 30, 2018.
Yes, as Matheson is one of King’s key influences, there would be no accident in the naming of the character.
Todd, Stephen King loves to “tuckerize” the names of his characters. This isn’t the first time he’s done this.
Jeff, somehow I missed ELEVATION back in 2018. I don’t remember seeing any ads for it or reviews.
I have read some of King’s novels (most of them when I was much younger). I did read UNDER THE DOME more recently; I was amazed that I could read a 1000 page book.
I have one collection of his novellas, DIFFERENT SEASONS. Which I really should read soon.
Tracy, I read DIFFERENT SEASONS when it was first published and I remember liking it. Getting people to read a 1000 page book takes a lot of skill!
King’s logorrhea and frequent derivativeness has tended to annoy me; his best work I’ve read, such as ON WRITING, CARRIE, “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” and “Children of the Corn” were exceptions to the rule of such prolix sludge as “The Dark Tower” and “The Cat from Hell” (two of the worst short stories I’ve yet read). DANSE MACABRE annoyed me with a number of bootless assertions, not least that horror fiction is by nature reactionary in every sense. When he’s on, and paying attention, he’s good. His cocaine years rather showed.
Unsurprisingly, his shorter novels do tend to be the better ones, indeed.
Todd, I read THE DARK TOWER series…but it was a slog.
The initial short story, juvenilia finally published in F&SF in ’78, was more than enough for me.