Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King (2011-08-04)

The first story is the only good thing about this book.
For you Dark tower fans, You must buy these book, you will find some information that have to do with the Dark Tower.
About the other Stories they are awful, depend on the perspective you see them, i totally disagree with the Vietnam war, so this will show you how sad, and depress had the Young and old people got, and how they tried to stop and stay out of that WAR.

Most "Constant Readers" I know only see how this book ties into Mr. King's Dark Tower series...what people don't seem to realize is that nearly everyone of Mr King's standalone books are intertwined together into an intricate mesh of genius. Deadlights, Crimson King, ka, The Turtle, Flagg...All are in different books, but reside in the same world(s). "Hearts in Atlantis" is just another wonderful book by Mr. King, seething with possibility that some of those other worlds will be revealed to us soon by the true master of modern-day fiction.

There are great themes about childhood and the destruction of innocence by adult experience. Most people will never understand the insightful ideals set forth in this book. The Movie "Mulholland Drive" is an excellent accompaniment to this book.

Please rename the book, "The Men Who Loved Carol Gerber" as it is about as exciting as "Tom Gordon". If you have never read King before, please select a different book, or at most read only the first story and put the book down!

I was always intimidated at the thought of reading anything by Stephen King...Can't exactly say why, but have found that I am unable to put the book down...the imagery is very compelling...and the interaction of the characters shows heart, even when those interactions are difficult and painful. I am not finished reading my book yet, but will be searching for my next King novel as soon as I do.

Hearts of Atlantis weaves a poignant tale tracing the lives of 60's children to the present day. A rich commentary on the human condition, social values, and especially meaningful to those of us who lived through these years. An epic tale at King's best. I couldn't put it down.

Contains every demeaning and ignorant cliche there is about the Vietnam war and those of us who fought there. If you read this thing, please buy "Stolen Valor" and "After Tet" and read them for some balance.
Mr. King, you're cordially invited to come and stay with us as my guest in Cambodia so you can see the results of the abandonment of the people of Sourtheast Asia due to the antiwar protests you find so neat and cool...you should be ashamed of what you have written.

This storey has a couple of sections, linked by recurring characters. The first story was suitably Stephen King, with spooky twists and cosmic action that was highly engaging to follow. The rest of the stories did not contain that element of supernatural. Though they were nicely written, they were just nice stories about people you met in the first chapter. No razz, no unexpected cosmic turns. I was a little disappointed!

This is an excellent story that takes place over about 40 years. It's a lot better than the movie (some parts in the movie are different, too, so it's not predictable). You are able to see inside the characters heads and feel the psychological horror that some endure. But, parents beware! This is not a kid friendly book like the movie was. About 1/3 into this the profanity starts up and by the end there's hundreds of F-bombs. If there was a Kindle Kids Edition that would flag certain words and replace them with gibberish, this may be ok for kids. But the content is PG-13.

I wanted to read this after seeing the movie because the movie raised unanswered questions that the book did a good job in bringing to fruition. Stephen King is a great writer and I look forward to reading more of his works. I would recommend this to adults.

Stephen King's best novels come from the heart. Hearts in Atlantis certainly was one of those, as well as Bag of Bones. Both books ended well, wrapping up all sections in the end, generally better than his horror or thriller novels.

Hearts in Atlantis is a book that examines five different characters, that are tied together by the kids from the beginning section. The main characters, John Sullivan, Bobby, and Carol all go through rough times becoming adults, losing their innocence. The big question was whether they would lose hope as well. The times of change in the 1960's seemed to mark this transition. Even though the story was never told through Carol's eyes, she was woven into every section, giving the reader a unique insight into her character. Despite what each character lost, there was a great sense of understanding in what had been most important in their lives: the bonds formed between them as kids, and nostalgia for the past.

Hearts in Atlantis was a tough book to read at times, and one must wonder how hard it may have been to write. Definitely a book to read, especially if you are a Stephen King fan.

Very good stories, well connected with likable characters, Vietnam was before my time so I couldn't relate much to the political climate, but, as he does so well, Mr. King puts you right there, up front and center.

When I started Hearts in Atlantis, all I knew about it was that it was written by Stephen King and there was a movie of the same name that was likely based on it. As I began to read, I found myself enthralled by the coming-of-age story that presented itself. I had no idea it connected to the Dark Tower series, but that detail was almost ancillary, a neat little connection into a bigger picture. Having made it half-way through the book, I wanted to follow the main character’s development into adulthood but, then the story suddenly stopped.

Instead of following a story that had engaged me, the focus shifted to a completely different character, only loosely tied to the events in the first half of the book via one of the characters, who was now in college. Almost in a fractal fashion, this story was half as long as the first, with each successive story growing shorter and shorter, while still being connected to the first narrative in some way, no matter how loose that connection might have been. Finally, the story returns to the main character of the first section, but only stays long enough to say goodbye.

I absolutely loved the first story in this “collection,” and by its strength alone, I would recommend this to anyone. However, the second half of the book felt too disjointed to be interesting, especially with all the emotional energy I had invested in the first story. Sure, they were somewhat interesting in their own ways, showing the relentless march of time toward the modern era, but they simply lacked that fantastical little spark from the first story (incidentally, the same spark that was connected to the Dark Tower series).

A great story with almost unnecessary add-ons, I give Hearts in Atlantis 3.5 stars out of 5.

King was raised by a single mother in New England under a great deal of financial strain. This book's time frame follows his growing up years to his age at publishing time (1999). It's basically King's coming of age story. Although King did not get drafted to fight in Vietnam, the thread of draft was hot and heavy among college age men at the time he attended college (1966 to 1970). He must have heard a lot of stories from his college buddies and other male friends about Vietnam and the horror of war. He also had lived thru that era and some.

King has a terrific way to mingle the world at large (or the country) with personal stories. His later book about Kennedy Assassination is another example. His book Desperation came out of his biking across country, drug addiction, and alcoholism. Shining and Dr Sleep also lean heavily on alcoholism. Mr. King must be a precocious and proceptive child growing up. Bobby Garfield has it in this book in order to connect telepathically with Ted, read what's on adults' mind, and see the Low Men and their cars with clarity. Danny Torrance and Abra Stone are also children with some sort of psychic ability.

Reading this book gives me more insight into Mr. King's mind. It also makes it clear to me how events shape world view and life in big and small ways. There is not a boomer came out of Vietnam War era without being touched by it, changed by it, or damaged by it. There are already many fictions using 911 as backdrop.

Outside his Dark Tower series, Hearts in Atlantis is the first Stephen King novel I have read, and I loved every page of it. The novel consists of four interconnected stories along with a short epilogue at the end, detailing the lives of several people who grew up during the Vietnam war.

The first story is called 'Low Men in Yellow Coats', and this part is classic King. The story details the summer 11 year old Bobby Garfield struck up a friendship with an 70 year old man, who was pursued by...some kind of horror. Bobby learns lessons about life and love that will stick with him for the rest of his life. The best part of this story is how much personality gives to his young characters, which most writers just leave as blank slates.

The second story gives the novel it's title "Hearts in Atlantis". Set several years after Bobby's story, this is where the Vietnam connection really comes into play. Peter Riley is the focus of this story, a man who gets caught up college partying to an unhealthy degree. The focus here is on the protest movement, college life, and on the ever present urge of humanity to shoot itself in the foot. As a twenty year old college student, I relate to this story so much.

The third story is 'Blind Willie', a story of repentance. I can't really say too much about the plot without spoilers, but know that this is a day in the life of a character who has a lot to repent for, and a rather unconventional way of doing it.

Finally, we have 'Why we're in Vietnam', as a war veteran reflects back on his time fighting in Vietnam, and what that experience has done to his life. Again, can't avoid spoilers when discussing the plot, but it is a very moving piece of fiction.

This is some of Stephen King's best work, and I would highly recommend it.

“Hearts in Atlantis” by Stephen King was a weird book. Not that you would really expect anything less from Stephen King. The book was divided up into three parts. Each section was its own separate book with its own setting and a different main character. There were a few crossover characters, which was the only link between the different sections.

The first section of “Hearts in Atlantis” was my favorite. The main character Bobby makes friends with an older guy, Ted that takes him under his wing and also recruits him to keep an eye out for the “low men”. I loved their interactions with regards to reading and books. “There are also books full of great writing that don’t have very good stories. Read sometimes for the story, Bobby. Don’t be like the book-snobs who won’t do that. Read sometimes for the words – the language. Don’t be like the play-it-safers that won’t do that. But when you find a book that has both a good story and good words, treasure that book.” (Hearts in Atlantis, pg 28). I loved this advice personally; there is nothing more fun than branching out to read different types of books.

Bobby soaked up everything that Ted was willing to teach him and embraced him as a good friend, and although he did treasure their friendship he became selfish in his desire to keep Ted in his life. The “low men” were an interesting blend in my mind of the bad guys in “Insomnia” and “Tommyknockers” and Bobby ignored the signs as long as possible in an effort to keep Ted – his grownup friend – in his life. “What if there were no grownups? Suppose the whole idea of grownups was an illusion? What if their money was really just playground marbles, their business deals no more than baseball-card trades, their wars only games of guns in the park? What if they were all still snotty-nosed kids inside their suits and dresses? Christ, that couldn’t be, could it? It was too horrible to think about.” (Hearts in Atlantis, pg 153). I really liked this quote. I think it illustrates well Bobby growing up a little, and the frightening reality that comes with adulthood.

Would I recommend this book? To those that enjoy Stephen King yes, but this isn’t something I would recommend to first-time Stephen King readers. It was an entertaining book, but there were some rather graphic parts that may turn off other readers. I do think that the book starts off very strong and might have peaked a little early, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.

“Low Men in Yellow Coats” This was my favorite. 5 stars. I’m a Dark Tower lover and enjoyed getting info on Breaker Ted Brautigan. We follow Bobby Garfield and his friends Sully-John and Carol when they are 11 in the 1960s.
“Hearts in Atlantis” This was my least favorite in the book, 2 stars, also the title story. It was way too long for me. We are immersed in Pete Riley’s time in 1966 in college addicted to the card game Hearts. He lets the game take precedence over school work even though the treat of being drafted into the Vietnam war hangs over him if he is not in college. This is during a time when people are starting to go against the war and the peace sign emerges. Riley dates Carol from the 1st story
“Blind Willie” is about Willie Shearman in his triple life. Willie is a childhood bully of Bobby and his friends. He is a Vietnam vet and giving “penance” for his past. Didn’t really get into this one and the ending didn’t “end” anything. 2 stars
“Why We’re in Vietnam” This was much better, 4 stars and follows Sully-John at a funeral for a Vietnam friend. He meets up with his lieutenant and they discuss what happened on Sully-Johns last day in the battle. We are visited by a ghost of a Vietnamese woman that was killed in the battle. This was more King-like with hints of supernatural.
“Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling” was very short. 5 stars Bobby from the first story returns home to attend a funeral of a childhood friend. This was a good ending and tied back around from all the other stories in the book.