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Summary: Much better than the recent failings...
Review: ...in which King weaves a unique tale that is four tales in itself. He takes the general themes that made up the sixties and spins a tale around each of them, questioning Viet-Nam while making fun of the senseless patriotism of the era. Besides, the first story of the book; "Low Men in Yellow Coats" is the latest add-on The Dark Tower chronicle, writen in a much different style that deliciously resembles "It", albeit in a milder way. Maybe Blind Willie should have been left out, but that makes up for a gap in the overall story. Read...you'll not be disappointed.
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Summary: low men was the best
Review: this book was great. i loved it. i wasn't the regular Stephen King book though. it was king of a love story with some other things also. i would recomend this book to anyone who has just started reading Stephen King books. if you are just looking for a horror story, try "IT" (although "IT" is unbelievably long) or "The Shining".
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Summary: All things serve the beam....
Review: Im still thinking about the Low Men. Im unconciously looking for 'Lost pet' signs on poles/posts and chalk marks on the ground. Thats what the King does to you. I can here the Low Mens voice on the phone speaking to Bobby. "Bobby?", "Bobby." no longer asking... I think these Low Men are gonna play a big part in the Dark Tower series. We'll wait and see. Keep up the good work Stephen.
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Summary: Something for Everyone
Review: Although there is some continuity of character in this cycle of stories, "Hearts in Atlantas" works best as a collection of short stories or novellas. The first section comes closest to what we would have called "a typical Stephen King novel" five or ten years ago (he has since become too versatile for that judgment to have any relevance). It deals with the occult lying just underneath the reality and a young boy's fascinated horror as he discovers it--and I'd rather not get more specific. The second passage is part and parcel of the sixties and owes its oomph to college kids overwhelmed by their freedom, their studies, and the Vietnam war and their youthful inability to reconcile all these things. The third part is really strange--not impossible, I guess, but really strange. There also shorter sections. What results is a kind of Stephen King Whitman's Sampler--diehard fans as well as newcomers will enjoy it and even literary sophisticates may be impressed at how King can vary tone and voice to fit each new situation. Is it his very, very best work? No. But you're going to like at least part of it.
Rating:
Summary: Sooooo Good!!
Review: Oh my, oh my. I can't begin to explain to you how good "Hearts In Atlantis" was! Please do not think of this book as five separate stories because they are not. All of the stories connect at the end and in the book. You feel yourself as many of the characters. The books ending was so good you must read it over another 100 times to get the full extent of the end! Stephen King is a God! This book will truly stay in my heart forever. -Alex
Rating:
Summary: King of the hill
Review: Stephen King has an ability, or a talent, to tell a story which involves the reader to live, feel and breathe the emotions and surroundings his words describe. This book is the perfect example. King brilliantly takes you to childhood, college, middle age in such a swift and dramatic way that each of the seperate stories relate and feel like vivid memories. The seperate tales follow the standard King formula, good, bad and the moral qestion of what is right. But King in this novel manages to create new feelings and details from story to story that you actually feel like each one was written by a different author, but related to the same common story. Some reviews have proclaimed this novel as a one story book, with 'Low Men in Yellow Coats'. This is a great story and, as Ted tells Bobby, worthy of reading on after the first quarter. But for any one who has spent time in a dorm or bording situation, the second story shows how well this man can bring memories of fun, hardship, friendship, girls, the misfits and the feeling of being in a single sex college or dorm so vividly and brilliantly that you feel like hanging your drying washing out your window than on the line. King can scare the hell out of you with make belive monsters or supernatural abilities, but he can just as well scare you with realities or warm you with wit and compassion and humour that only the great authors can do. This is why this is a great read and a well added title to a great writers work.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I have been an avid reader of Stephen King since I was in high school (my favorites being "The Stand" and "It"), but my experiences with his more recent works have been less than satisfying. Unlike a previous reviewer, I found "Bag of Bones" to be rather unimaginative--like a standard Harlequin romance with supernatural undertones. When I saw "Hearts in Atlantis" in a bookstore, I thought I'd give Stephen King another shot. Initially, I found the style of this novel refreshing--it lacked the usual gore of King's previous novels. The story really pulled me in--I love his depictions of childhood antics. But just when I was hooked on the character he developed for approximately half the book, the story abruptly stopped. To my dismay, I would never find out what happened in the young boy's life. And I would never discover what the significance was of the references to "the beam" and the men in yellow jackets (lucky for me, though, I'd read "The Gunslinger" novels, so I wasn't competely confused). Suddenly, what started out as a great novel turned into a string of novellas with very loosely related themes. In addition, every one of the novellas left you hanging. The final chapter tried to tie all the short stories together, but it seemed rushed and lacking. If you want a truely original and gripping King novel, try "The Stand".
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Summary: Something different and great!
Review: I used to read Stephen King a lot when I was younger, The Shining, Cujo... I kinda stopped reading it. But I liked Bag of Bones, and it seemed different. I just finished reading Hearts in Atlantis, and it was totally different from any other King book that I've ever read- and I loved it! It was one of the best books I've read in a long time. I thought the stories dealing with Vietnam were very touching and strong and the ending brought tears to my eyes. It was wonderful! I would recommend this book, even to people who haven't read much Stephen King.
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Summary: Read This Book
Review: For many years I stayed away from Stephen King. One of my friends read him extensively and highly reccomended his work. But, I was never into the horror genre. Finally, I picked up a copy of "The Shining". I was hooked instantly! King can scare you, but he can also pull on your heartstrings and other emotions as well. What attracts me most is his developemnet of the characters. By the books end, you feel that in finishing the novel, new friends are leaving after a long visit. His insights into personalities of different people in different difficult situatioons is remakable. "Hearts In Atlantis" is exactly like this. While this is not the type of book you would expect from King, you are pleasantly surprise. Having grown up in the time frame of these stories, it was quite a sentimental journey for me. A long book which I read quickly. I hated to arrive at the end. Several short stories held together by a thread of characters common to all of them. Well written and capivating.
Rating: 
Summary: A more realistic Stephen King book...
Review: The book is made up fo 5 different stories - some quite long, some quite short, and are meant to handle the "Vietnam" generation - the guys that fought there, or just stayed at home. The book starts off with the story of an 11 year old boy, Bobby Garfield, who befriends an elderly new neighbor who suspects that "low men in yellow coats". Bobby doesn't believe him at first, but of course he eventually gets the chance to witness these peoples and their signs in the area. Even though I've read some people commenting these stories were a lot like the "Gun Slinger" (??) which I haven't read, but I still enjoyed this part, which was actually my favorite. The next 3 parts are more related to the war itself: a story of a college student during that era, with the war in the background as a threat to anyone dropping out of school, the story of a veteran doing pennance for his sins, and a story of a meeting of 2 war veterans years later. These stories feature 3 characters from Bobby's story: his 2 best friends, Carol Gerber and "sully" John Sullivan, and a catholic - school boy they had known in their childhood. The final story is the reuniting of Carol and Bobby in "Sully John"'s funeral. It seems that the main thread connecting the book, besides the fact that all the characters belong to the "Vietnam Generation" are the 3 friends: Bobby, John and Carol. That made me feel the stories were somehow artificial and forced, instead of just flowing naturally - even though this "characters in common" thread might have been added to give them more depth. I didn't like the division into loosely related sub stories - even though the first two were relatively long, the last 3 stories were too short for me to fully get to know the characters and their motivations.
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