Elevation

Elevation

Adult fiction
"In order to allow for the boots and the coat, Bob ran the
counterweight all the way to 250, then worked backward, first sliding
the weight, then nudging it along. The needle of the balance bar
remained grounded at 240, and 230, and 220, which Doctor Bob would
have thought impossible. Never mind the coat and boots; Scott Carey
simple looked heavier than that. He could have been off in his
estimate by a few pounds, but he had weighed too many overweight men
and women to be this far off."
Scott Carey, protagonist of Stephen King's Elevation, has a
major problem. He's losing weight without losing girth. By the time
he visits his retired doctor friend he's dropped 28 pounds. Even
eating like a horse does nothing to change the situation. Neither
does putting on a coat weighed down with pockets full of quarters.
He's terrified of what will happen when the numbers get too small.
But he knows that presenting officially to a doctor will result in his
being poked, prodded, and tested extensively and reduced from sentient
being to case study.
Scott's next door neighbors are married lesbians. This is a bit
too much for many of the inhabitants of their small town. This means
that they may not be able to stay. The restaurant they have staked
everything in starting will go under after the tourist season unless
the year round residents provide them with business.
So what do these two crises have to do with each other? You'll
just have to read the book and see.
Although King is known best for horror and associated with
vampires, haunted hotels, killer cars, and other spine chilling
entities, he is also possessed with a deep understanding of the human
heart and soul. This comes out loud and clear in novels such as Stand
By Me and Delores Claiborne. It is this same powerful quality that
gives such a lift to Elevation.
On a purrrsonal note, precious Joey turned sweet 16 (but don't believe
he's never been kissed!) Saturday. The parts of his fur that used to
be pure black are sporting silver strands. He is going strong and
enjoying life, very much in the game. I hope and pray that he will
have as much time in which to enjoy our world as possible.
A great big shout out goes out to the best little cat in the world.
jules hathaway



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