INCOMPLETE REVIEW PLEASE IGNORE
"Hearts in Atlantis" is one of Stephen King's most accomplished collections. This is in main due to the fact that it is not a horror collection. All too often King is pigeon-holed as a horror novelist but it is when he ventures away from the horror genre ... Read review
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"Low Men in Yellow Coats," about Bobby Garfield of Harwich, Connecticut, who craves a Schwinn for his 11th birthday. But his widowed mum is impoverished and so ...
"Low Men in Yellow Coats," about Bobby Garfield of Harwich, Connecticut, who craves a Schwinn for his 11th birthday. But his widowed mum is impoverished and so ...
"Low Men in Yellow Coats," about Bobby Garfield of Harwich, Connecticut, who craves a Schwinn for his 11th birthday. But his widowed mum is impoverished and so ...
"Low Men in Yellow Coats," about Bobby Garfield of Harwich, Connecticut, who craves a Schwinn for his 11th birthday. But his widowed mum is impoverished and so ...
"Low Men in Yellow Coats," about Bobby Garfield of Harwich, Connecticut, who craves a Schwinn for his 11th birthday. But his widowed mum is impoverished and so ...
"Low Men in Yellow Coats," about Bobby Garfield of Harwich, Connecticut, who craves a Schwinn for his 11th birthday. But his widowed mum is impoverished and so ...
A review by dididave on Hearts In Atlantis - Stephen King March 3rd, 2005
Author's product rating:
Would you read it again?
Absolutely
Story
Good
Characters
Outstanding
Readability
Excellent
How does it compare to other works by the same author?
Excellent
Advantages:
Coming of age story works well, nostalgic feel .
Disadvantages:
The Dark Tower element feels almost "tagged on" .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
INCOMPLETE REVIEW PLEASE IGNORE
"Hearts in Atlantis" is one of Stephen King's most accomplished collections. This is in main due to the fact that it is not a horror collection. All too often King is pigeon-holed as a horror novelist but it is when he ventures away from the horror genre for which he is infamous that his writing comes to true fruition. Those who would argue look at the big screen success of "The Green Mile", "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Stand By Me". Completely removed from the trappings and clichés of the horror genre King seems to write more naturally, with more freedom and as a result with much more expression.
"Low Men In Yellow Coats"
In the first story King follows the life of a ten-year old boy growing up in the sixties. Leading a relatively mundane life and starved of affection from his widowed mother, Bobby longs for excitement and seeks this in the books he reads. When Mr Ted Brautigan turns up in the flat above Bobby, all scruffy with his possessions in paper bags Bobby's mother immediately dissaproves while Bobby is intrigued by this wizened old stranger. An odd friendship is struck between them were Bobby learns the difference between reading for fun and reading for the challenge. But why does Mr Brautigan have blank spells were he talks of mysterious figures known only as "the low men" and why is "tempus fugit" so true?
This novel for me is all about atmosphere and relationships. King puts great amount of description into the time in which Bobby lives and it is often he uses his own childhood experiences to create the sixties America to which we the reader are treated. Be it the Schwinn bicycle Bobby lusts after or the references to Kennedy the nostalgic feel is prevalent throughout. A familiar theme to King seems to be the importance of childhood friendships and this is explored throughout with Bobby's relationships with his pals and his coming of age via his friend cum girlfriend Carol Gerber. Those who have seen "Stand By Me" or read "The Body" will be familiar with these themes and wear them like an old coat. Those who are not will be relieved to hear this is not the be all and end all of this particular novel.
King placed great emphasis on the differences in relationships between Bobby and his mother and Bobby and his new found friend Ted Brautigan. Whereas Bobby craves affection from his mother and rarely gets it Ted Brautigan seems to show an almost fatherly concern for this lonely yet fiercely intelligent boy. It is a heartwarming experience watching their relationship develop made all the more poignant by a surprising twist. Indeed the twist to this novel is what makes or breaks it. Bobby is a very likeable, real character whose trials and tribulations will strike a chord with most of us. Similarly Bobby's mother's coldness is deemed understandable in light of her experiences and struggles and you feel a real empathy for both of them. In fact while it is a heartwarming experience to see Ted and Bobby's relationship it is heart-wrenching to watch Bobby reaching out to his mother and his mother wanting to, but being unable to respond.
If there was one thing that this story lacks it is a coherence. Undoubtedly well written its links to "The Dark Tower" series which were obviously intentionally incorporated are tenuous at times. It becomes harder and harder to believe Ted is anything other than the old man he is perceived to be which perhaps is the fault of the author. As a straight tale of human relationships this novel rivals that of any other but by veering off into realms of fantasy the novels credibility suffers.
However, perhaps King intends the reader to dismiss this as a fantasy piece? After all King makes a scathing reference to those who are to snobby to read outside the classics and others who stick to one genre. He seems to be challenging new readers out there to not dismiss him as a schlock horror writer and appears disappointed at some readers habit of dismissing "popular" fiction.
Advantages: Wonderful historical fiction Disadvantages: The supernatural element and the forced Dark Tower connection weighs down the narative
...hardest genre to write, but HEARTS IN ATLANTIS does it admirably. It takes someone who is late in life, perhaps, to write so well on Vietnam, to lend us the experience of mellowed hindsight, and this insightful novel was long-simmered and worth waiting until the close of the century for. If, like King, you were a child in the fifties (IT) and a college student while the sixties raged, you have more perspective than say, I (born a year after 'Nam ...
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Advantages: Great reud, up to Stephen King's usual standard. Disadvantages: Some may not like the way it is written
...they may be around.
Hearts In Atlantis
------------------
This 2nd story is set in 1966. It cenres around Pete Riley going to university. A craze of playing Hearts is sweeping the dorm he is living in, and has a bad effect on all of their grades, so much so that some drop out completely. Also a main aspect of this story is anti-war protests. There is an uprising in the university of anti-war supporters, much to the dislike of the principal, who ... ...of the students who are left end up supporting each other and standing up against the way the place is run.
Blind Willie
------------
The 3rd story is set in 1983. It is about Bill Sherman who leads a double life as a blind beggar. It tells of parts of his life, notably his time in Vietnam. In this story things start to tie together witht the previous.stories.
Why We're In Vietnam
--------------------
The 4th story, set in 1999 is about John ...
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Advantages: Hearts in Atlantis is a great tale Disadvantages: The rest are rather poor, and won't be considered in the below reviews.
Hearts in Atlantis is a mixed bag of 5 stories from the man whose recent books have been very hit and miss, Stephen King.
The first, "long men…" is a treat for Dark Tower fans and may leave casual readers entertained, but feeling that they are missing the big picture.
The second, "Hearts in Atlantis", is the books ace and it truly is worth buying the paperback edition of this title just to read this tale of obsession with a card game set against ... ...more closely to Vietnam, I found hard to identify with, but all are competently written and will probably strike more of a chord with someone who lived through the war.
On the strength of the "Hearts in Atlantis" tale and the Dark Tower tie-in, I'd give this book 4/5. ...
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Advantages: The title story is excellent as is 'Low Men in Yellow Coats'. Disadvantages: Other three accompanying stories are a bit hit and miss.
First off, if you have seen the film don't let that effect your judgement of the book, in fact try to wipe it from your memory completely. As usual the silver screen has masacred the writings of a great author. This book comprises of five stories, the first of which being title 'Low men in Yellow Coats' is about the life of a ten year old boy named Bobby Garfield and the last great summer of his childhood, his best friends Sully John and Carol Gerber ... ...own troubles and prejudeces which are evident when an old man moves into the empty flat upstairs with his possesions in paper bags. The new arrival is a man named Ted, who is soon to become a special friend of Bobbies, and also a teacher of specialist subject such and literature , illegal gambling and life downtown.
Ted also becomes the father figure so obviously missing from Bobbies life since the death of his father.
Much of this story will be ...
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Advantages: A beautiful book Disadvantages: no one
...creatures and supernatural events.
Hearts in Atlantis is something different, but the difference is so subtle that you can hardly have it.
This is an horror book, but the horror cames from the daily life.
The horror of a lost generation, of the end of the American Dream and the loss of the naivety.
King tells us about his generation, that was at first divided and then destroyed from the Vietnam war.
They found themselves in front of a sort of ... ...to stay at home to challenge against this war. But at the end they all found only desperation and the loss of any possible hope.
After the Vietnam America waked up from a nightmare to discover that nothing, never, should have been the same. Thruogh this war America grew up and became another place, a new country.
In this book King tells us this history, that's also his personal history, mixing it with a bit of supernatural events, in four wonderful ...
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Advantages: Not too thick so you will finish it pretty quickly. Disadvantages: Loads....
...I brought and read this particular book a while ago; it’s not the “thickest” book I’ve ever read, little fewer than 300 pages. To say I thoroughly enjoyed this book would be a lie but it was entertaining enough to keep my interest to some degree.
I had wondered before, after reading HeartsInAtlantis, whether StephenKing had lost his flair and run out of his really good ideas, and this book actually confirmed it for me.
I may be wrong he may have a little something up his sleeve and just waiting for the right time to bring it out but, after reading all but three of all the books he has ever written and enjoying all of them, some more than others, I found myself feeling cheated after reading the final chapter. I’m used to (9 times out of 10) being left feeling refreshed and wanting more after...
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Advantages: The stories are quite good Disadvantages: They are now also available in printed form
...characters at the start of the story, and distinguishing between them would be very difficult if this were read as, say, a script, rather than as a story. There is very little variation inKing's voice between the three. This is a much better story to read than to listen to, although it is a good story to have if you do not own a copy of that anthology.
I would not consider myself disappointed with this collection, even after paying £14.99 for it in WHSmith's a couple of years ago, as it's useful to have for StephenKing fans, especially for "1408", although it is currently listed at an RRP of £17.50 on Amazon (available for £15.75), and I would baulk at that, knowing what I do now. Additionally, there are far more talented readers, and it is this which lets the collection down. This has also put me off buying the audio version of "Heartsin...
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helpful 08.01.2003
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