Elevation is one of the novellas by Stephen King which was released to the public in 2018. Unlike most of King’s horror fiction which mostly leans towards the dark and grotesque, Elevation is a rather comical and self-reflective tale with some aspects of magical realism. Set in the well known fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, Elevation touches on issues of society, love and the weird bonds formed by people in strange situations. It is about a man who goes through something he does not understand and is compelled to take stock of his life, people around him and himself.
Synopsis
The narration depicts the action of Scott Carey, a middle aged male who has recently gone through a divorce and comes into a sudden realization that he has been developing an odd compulsory physiological trait, even though his status quo remains the same: he is gradually losing weight and this state remains stronger over time, regardless of his meals, or his cloths. Even more bizarre, when he lifts weights, for instance, if he picks up a dumbbell, this weight does not seem to add any burden to himself at all.
After Scott went through an internal turmoil, he found solace in his close friend cut, Bob Ellis the doctor. Bob seemed perplexed by Scott’s condition. As time went by, Scott was shedding weight at a high velocity and experiencing a never before feeling of liberation within himself and as a result, he started changing his priorities. During this period, he also met Deirdre McComb and Missy Donaldson, a lesbian couple living in Castle Rock who suffer prejudice and loneliness from their conservative surroundings. Scott’s care for them and his worth goes to demonstrate the sensitivity and love that is too often hidden in small towns.
There is something contradictory about the book. For instance, even though Scott is looking thinner, he feels a mix of anxiety and calm, knowing that he is about to be elevated for the last time. However message in commands driven by this thought is quite overwhelming. It is lifted up all the spirits but leaves behind a pinch of sadness as you can see Scott evolving into this person whom you have grown so close to and start realizing how kind humanitarian people are across the world who would always shine lights into a dark space. There are elements in this world that time and even physical legislation cannot restrain.
KEY THEMES
Compassion And Empathy: The theme of elevation borders quite close to the self-inflicted drive of Scott whose only concern has always been to impact positively everyone who is around him despite his struggles. For instance, his friends Deirdre and Missy showcase how kindness, even in the simplest forms, can aid people in finding common ground within bigotry experienced throughout the communities.
Accepting Death: Scott’s foreign ailment can be taken as a symbol of how one can be brave enough to ward off the fear of the unknown. Rather than giving in to melancholy and despair, Scott now has more meaning to life and the people around him.
The Community and Change: The town of Castle Rock itself witnesses a change in transformation through Scott’s engagement. Ripples of change are created through his journey as one’s outlook is able to touch that of a community at large.
Style and Tone
Owing to the optimism in the themes of restoration found in the text, “Elevation” is said to break the Haunting features present in the works of King, “Scott’s alteration becomes a passive approach into inspiring love to those that are in need.” The pace is gentle, introspective as Scott seems to take as rather more humbly as a journey himself and not just a story that Viele explored. The pace finds a contrasting quiet, instead of action and horror elements, focusing on character movement and interactions that advance the plot.
Reception
So was Elevation, more than strength lies in what the critics describe as a ‘feel-good’ story with great underlying themes. Some sticklers were however disillusioned given how uncharacteristic King was, relying on an aspect so far removed from horror. Burden when focusing on themes of loving one another and tolerating differences wrote the critics, showcased King’s ‘genre busting’ attributes. To many readers, the end of the novella came as short yet profound and enough for King’s work for it to be considered an additional interesting story to his repertoire of numerous other works.
Similar Recommendations
If Elevation is the type of work that intrigues you, then you may appreciate:
The Green Mile by Stephen King – A story of kindness, humanity and mystery; it also touches on the themes of the supernatural and the tenderness of human connections.
Every Day by David Levithan – This tells the story of a person who wakes up everyday in a different person’s body, chamging voice and dealing with the themes of being different people, and how to deal with that and the issue of acceptance.
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf – A rather subtle, albeit touching plot about two very old neighbors who become close and fight their feelings of being alone, integrating the idea of togetherness and appreciation of oneself.
Elevation is a rather interesting, cheerful once read that certainly leaves one with a powerful message regarding one’s purpose on this earth. The blend of magical realism with King’s well-done characterization makes this quite a beautiful and also quite beautiful.
