Elevation (Novel)

Novel name: Elevation
Author: Stephen King
Publisher: Scribner
Page count: 146 pages
Copy write: 2018
Illustrations by: Mark Edward Geyer
Cost: $ 19.95 USA/ Canada $ 24.95

Review by: Allen Klingelhoets

Setting: Castle Rock, Maine and current time period. The reading level for this novel is teen to adult. The author Stephen King wrote this novel in a place known to long time readers of his stories. Castle Rock has been fictional setting for his novels “The Dead Zone”, “Cujo”. “The Body”, “Needful Things” and even recent novel called “Gwendy’s Button Box”. This is all I can think of at moment.

The story of “Elevation” involves a 40 + white man named Scott Carey. Scott weighed about 240 pounds. He steps on weight scale and notices begins to lose weight over course of several months. Here is the problem. The weight he loses is same registered on Scott has heavy clothes on or not. He would still register weight lose almost like not wearing heavy clothes. Scott never looks like he lost any weight even though scale might say really lost 20 pounds. He is also not able to regain weight no matter how many calories he eats.

Scott tells his Doctor Bob Ellis. Doctor concurs that there is no precedence about Scott’s medical condition. There is no reason for Scott’s weight loss to happen. This was not done in hospital staffs but in personal visits. Scott did not want to be prodded by Mayo, NASA or other medical facilities.

I enjoyed how Stephen King mixed in elements about Castle Rock familiar to his longtime readers. It though is not needed to have read his other Castle rock novels to enjoy “Elevation”. He mentioned route 119 becoming Bannerman Road. I recalled Bannerman was long time sheriff from “The Dead Zone” and “Cujo”. Stephen King also made comment about Suicide stair case from “Gwendy’s Button Box”.

Stephen King expertly wrote book “Elevation”. He brought in other controversial characters 30 + something Deirdre McComb (D. D. for short) and her wife Missy. The couple owned a restaurant named “Holy Frijole” which was located at 142 Main Street in Castle Rock.

“Elevation” is about many things like differences in beliefs between D.D. and Missy. Also, how people treated Scott because of his look of 240 pounds. Scott was not 240 inside his body as was reflected by scale. It was a secret that was only told at beginning to Doctor Bob Ellis. No matter how much food ate Scott ate he continued to lose weight. No miracle relation case histories could be found on WEB MD or by going to Castle Rock CVS drug store.

There was no gypsy curse like in Stephen King’s older novel called “Thinner”. There really was no explanation. This was not a little bit of weight. It was almost two or three pounds a Day. No weight was ever regained by Scott. In novel “Thinner” person lost weight with very apparent appearance change. Scott Carey in “Elevation” never looked like lost weight even though precise scale showed he was rapidly losing weight. Scott was consuming up to 3,000 – 4,000 calories a day. He still lost weight. Cancer and diabetes were ruled out by Doctor Bob Ellis. His muscles stayed the same not adapting to actual scale weight. They were muscles of 240 not of scale weight of 212 or lower. There were other things like Scott running 7 and half mile Turkey Trot race. He had no previous experience running any sort of race. He ran in race and was among hundreds of runners. I liked how author brought readers more into town and surrounding areas of Castle Rock. I was able to imagine warmth of November day. This was still before cold of Maine Winter in next couple of weeks after Thanksgiving “Turkey Trot” 12 K. Rain was forecast little later in day by weather reports on television. D.D. was predicted to win. Myra or D.D. did not yet know about Scott’s medical condition. Race also took on special significance for D.D and Scott. He spoke up for D. D. and Missy about sexual orientation. Many in Castle Rock than shunned him as person.

I felt rewarded how Stephen King brought these complex situations into relevant story. Also, what was to happen to Scott who was still inside losing pounds shown each time he stepped on scale.

The conclusion nearly broke my heart. I think I cried for nearly ten minutes. I could feel Zero Day coming for Scott. I knew when one winter day he had tremendous trouble getting out side to his mail box.

What happened in my mind’s eye is Scott’s spirit was leaving his mortal body. This is why losing weight even though looked the same on outside. I also felt like end of Castle Rock. The cover image made perfect sense to me as I read concluding paragraphs. I imagined Scott in chair. Rising out of chair like Mary Poppins without an umbrella. His body weight on scale nearly nonexistent. Going into night sky above View Drive where he had lived as mortal. His friends below watching as Scott lit off fireworks before going fully spiritual. I felt more tears as I recognized Scott was gone from things like same couple marriages. Scott was gone from anything that attached him to Earth.

Thank you Stephen King for writing another castle Rock story. I have been reading stories about Castle Rock since “The Dead Zone”. I really appreciated the effort that went into novel “Elevation”. I even liked how Dee and Dum appeared in story. Dogs did their part in helping connect Scott with Dee-Dee and Missy. Dogs belonged to lady couple.

I have cat named "Blackie". I read Blackie parts of “Elevation” when Bill D. Cat made appearances. This was Scott Carey’s household cat. “Meow” says Blackie to Bill D. Cat. Fictional though he be “salutations”.

I think “Elevation” would make interesting Twilight Zone or that sort of type movie. The questions always will be what really caused Scott to lose weight? Also, will this happen to anyone else in Castle Rock?


Allen Klingelhoets



2/14/2019