Reviewed by Kristin
Scott Carey has a bit of a problem. He’s losing weight, though usually that would
be welcome for the middle-aged, mostly-sedentary web designer. A loss of a pound or two a day seems unusual,
and the even stranger thing is that his clothes aren’t fitting any
differently. In fact, the clothing seems
to have nothing to do with his weight.
Scott can step on the scales fully dressed with his heaviest parka or buck
naked; the scale will display the same number.
And that number is going down daily.
Scott shares his puzzlement with his doctor friend, Bob
Ellis. Doctor Bob doesn’t believe that
it’s possible, but sure enough, Scott can step on the office scales in his
skivvies or fully bundled for the oncoming New England winter and still weigh
the exact same amount. Plus, he’s
feeling lighter and more energetic these days even after consuming a full plate
of pasta and chocolate cheesecake for dessert.
Castle Rock, Maine has seen more than its fair share of supernatural
oddities as the scene of many of King’s works.
The small town setting feels genuine and familiar. Scott eats at the local diner, tries to make
friends with his new lesbian neighbors, hands out candy at Halloween, and signs
up for the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot.
He’s just a regular guy with a puzzling condition, one that he’d rather
keep to himself. What use is there in
being poked and prodded by some specialist?
Stephen King seems to write as effortlessly as he breathes,
and this small volume may simply have tumbled out of his stream of
consciousness. This is not to say that Elevation
is not well-written. The plot is brief
but tight, and the characters spring to life fully developed with just a few
strokes of King’s proverbial pen. At a
mere 146 pages, (and small, widely spaced pages at that,) King has crafted a
fine story showing the strength of friendship and community.
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