Stephen King has published more than 50 books during his decades-long career (Image: Stefano Guidi/Getty Images)
Stephen King is one of the most renowned and beloved authors of the past 50 years, achieving tremendous success with works including The Shining, IT, Cujo, and numerous others. However, some of his novels never quite achieved the recognition they merited, partly because King chose to publish under a pseudonym.
Under the name Richard Bachman he authored Rage (1977), The Long Walk (1979), Roadwork (1981), The Running Man (1982), Thinner (1984), The Regulators (1995), and Blaze (2007). One of my all-time favourite books was published with Bachman’s name on the cover, and while current editions of this tale are now published under Stephen King’s name, at the time, nobody realised it was he crafting these novels. So, which books left me weeping, completely inconsolable?
They were Blaze, and Elevation, and I hadn’t anticipated shedding tears over either of them. Naturally, I wept at The Green Mile, you’d have to be heartless not to, but these two took me entirely by surprise.
Blaze
All I can say is please, please, please, disregard the 3.77/5 review score on Goodreads and give this one a chance. If you’re somebody who only picks up books rated four stars and above, I’m going to need you to trust me on this one, because it’s absolutely worth it. It’s not my favourite Stephen King novel of all time, but it pulled at my heartstrings in a manner I’ve never experienced before.
The empathy I felt for Blaze was extraordinary. His childhood was difficult, and as a consequence, he’s found life challenging as an adult.
You ought to despise him and everything he’s done, yet King’s prose compels you to delve a little deeper. Look beyond the surface of life and consider the reasons behind people’s actions and behaviour.
The world needn’t always be seen in stark black and white terms, and it is within those grey areas that we discover the greatest empathy for our fellow human beings. One Goodreads user wrote something that resonated deeply. They shared: “This book is now definitely in my top 10 favourite King books (if not the top five). Seems like this one is even frequently skipped by King fans – please, stop skipping and read!
“This book has a great story and great characters. It is quick and easy to read and kept me interested on every page.
“Blaze is a flawed but easy to sympathise with tragic hero who doesn’t really know what he is doing, but thinks he is doing it for the best. The course of his life is driven by unfortunate events, and I am left wondering how much different it would have been if the cards hadn’t been stacked against him.”
Elevation
Carrying a modest 3.63/5 rating on Goodreads, many readers might be tempted to overlook this title entirely, but that would be a mistake. Particularly given that it claimed a Goodreads Choice Award in 2018 for ‘Readers’ Favourite Horror,’ which is somewhat puzzling, as it reads far more as a tale about humanity than a horror story.
Given its length, it reads more like a novella, yet an extraordinary amount is crammed into those pages, and the conclusion caught me completely off guard, leaving me utterly devastated. It will undoubtedly tug at your heartstrings, particularly given how profoundly the central character evolves in such a brief span.
What I drew from this work is that nothing should ever be taken for granted. It may sound trite, but you must embrace each day to its fullest extent. Whether you’re heading into the office for work, find beauty in every aspect of your existence – because eventually, we’ll all be gone.
One Goodreads user wrote: “Cherish your friends and defend them until the end of time. Do what makes you happy. Elevate yourself to new heights by following your heart. These are just a few of the feelings I had when I finished this novella.
“It was a great break from my usual horror and was a memorable read that I will never forget. That ending? Surreal.”
I couldn’t agree more. It left me weeping, yet strangely optimistic in a manner that only King’s prose can achieve.