Book Review: Elevation

Elevation, by Stephen King

I read this book last year, but I never got around to writing a review of it. Which is a shame, because I liked it so much. So I figured I'd write a review now.

So, of course, I had to read it again.

Right? I mean that would be only fair. Right?

It is even better the second time around.

This is an unusual Stephen King book, yet it's the ultimate Stephen King book. Great characters in a great story, with a little supernatural sprinkled in, as a cook throws in a few handfuls of salt to enhance the food. As The Washington Post put it, King writes "about real people tested by unreal situations."

Yet, except for the main character's unexplained weight loss, the book explores all-too-real situations: Prejudice in its classic form, privilege in not recognizing that prejudice, and understanding and overcoming that prejudice and privilege.

And for a writer whose books often top 1,000 pages, this is a shorty -- weighing in at a mere 146 pages.

It deals with a middle-aged white guy -- Scott Carey, a web designer -- who is unexpectedly dropping weight. He lives in Castle Rock, Maine, a setting of several of King's novels. In addition, Carey -- and the town -- is dealing with his new neighbors, a lesbian couple who opened a vegetarian restaurant. Carey has not gotten off to a good start with the women, who have not gotten off to a good start in the small, conservative town.

For a short novel, it's packed with  characters and issues.

As an added attraction for me, it's also about the glories and benefits of running. Indeed, I could go so far as to say it's a book that elevates running to a spirituality that allows us to explore the beauty and structure in the world.

A key part of the book occurs during the running of a 12K Thanksgiving race. I won't say more to avoid spoilers, but suffice to say that King goes into a lot of detail about a runner's thought process during a race. And he gets it right: The anticipation at the start, the camaraderie of the runners, the excitement of taking off and running alone while surrounded by like-minded people, the torture of the hills, the strategic battles in your head, and the exhilaration of reaching beyond yourself, embracing the suck, and accepting the joy of the run.

"Scott thought of how he'd felt running down Hunter's Hill, when he'd gotten his second wind and the whole world had stood revealed in the usually hidden glory of ordinary things -- the leaden, lowering sky, the bunting flapping from the downtown buildings, every precious pebble and cigarette butt and beer can discarded by the side of the road. His own body for once working at top capacity, every cell loaded with oxygen."

Did I mention that King is my favorite writer?  He's one of the best. The above paragraph, along with many others, is a reason this has become one of my favorite Stephen King books.