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suvata's review against another edition
3.0
I think I’ve become disenchanted with Stephen King’s novels. This one reminded me of Bachman’s “Thinner”.
hollabackrolls's review against another edition
4.0
This was an extremely pleasant surprise. I went into this blind but the story behind Elevation was honestly beautiful and not what i thought i would be getting into. It’s nice to see a different angle coming from King. The second short story didn’t do much for me which bumped down the rating, but regardless, I’m excited to read more things like this from King!
samk2u's review against another edition
4.0
Not my favorite but it is an enjoyable read. It’s short but has heart. I enjoyed the development of the characters and the underlying mystery of the story.
rileyywardd's review against another edition
2.0
This book confused me. I knew I wouldn’t pick it back up if I put it down so I powered through. Nothing in the book was truly explained. Very ehhh for me
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Digital audiobook read by the author
Scott Carey is losing weight, and he confides in his old friend, a retired physician about his unusual symptoms. Divorced, he’s living with just his cat. He’s started a bit of a feud with two new neighbors – Deirdre McComb and her wife Missy Donaldson – because their dogs “leave presents” on his lawn. But it seems that other people in their small town of Castle Rock, Maine, have a problem with the women because they are lesbians. When Scott overhears some derogatory remarks about the women’s new restaurant, he comes to their defense.
This was a delightful novella with an unusual plot device, but that focuses on human kindness and respect. King gives us a lesson on what it means to be a good neighbor, and how to support one another despite our differences. I like the way that they slowly come to know one another and resolve their conflicts. The ending of Scott’s tale is poignant and heartfelt.
The edition I had also included a bonus short story – ”Laurie” – about a widower whose sister gives him a puppy and how he begins to slowly make his way back to the living as a result. Unlike most of King’s work, rather than set this one in Maine, it takes place in Florida. It has nothing to do with horror or science fiction, though grief and natural predators can be horrific. It reminds me how well King writes his characters; how he reveals their strengths and flaws through their actions.
King reads the audio version himself. He’s not a trained voice artist, but he certainly knows what he wants to say, and he does a respectable job of the narration.
Scott Carey is losing weight, and he confides in his old friend, a retired physician about his unusual symptoms. Divorced, he’s living with just his cat. He’s started a bit of a feud with two new neighbors – Deirdre McComb and her wife Missy Donaldson – because their dogs “leave presents” on his lawn. But it seems that other people in their small town of Castle Rock, Maine, have a problem with the women because they are lesbians. When Scott overhears some derogatory remarks about the women’s new restaurant, he comes to their defense.
This was a delightful novella with an unusual plot device, but that focuses on human kindness and respect. King gives us a lesson on what it means to be a good neighbor, and how to support one another despite our differences. I like the way that they slowly come to know one another and resolve their conflicts. The ending of Scott’s tale is poignant and heartfelt.
The edition I had also included a bonus short story – ”Laurie” – about a widower whose sister gives him a puppy and how he begins to slowly make his way back to the living as a result. Unlike most of King’s work, rather than set this one in Maine, it takes place in Florida. It has nothing to do with horror or science fiction, though grief and natural predators can be horrific. It reminds me how well King writes his characters; how he reveals their strengths and flaws through their actions.
King reads the audio version himself. He’s not a trained voice artist, but he certainly knows what he wants to say, and he does a respectable job of the narration.
zironmp5's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jakubb01's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
lubilu42's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.75
So to a certain extent this book is about a middle aged white man learning that lesbians face prejudice. But it’s also about finding community and learning to love yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed it overall.
jillmarlo's review against another edition
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The story of a guy who slowly loses weight without losing mass because gravity stops working on him. Substory is that there is a lesbian couple that have moved into town and everyone apparently hates them because they refer to each other as wives and that’s not ok in a rural town in Maine in 2018. And the guy spends all of his time trying to be friends with them and trying to be a ‘woke’ dude, but also comments on their physical appearance way too much for it to not be creepy. Anyways it’s supposed to be a feel good story at the end of the day which is so unlike Stephen King. He must have written this book in like 10 minutes as a warm up, because it seems so tonally different from a lot of his other stuff. I read it. And that’s all I can really say about it. I read the whole thing in a single plane ride. I’ll forget about it and probably not feel bad about it when I look back.