Rating: 
Summary: Is it one big story or 5 stories?
Review: Once again, Mr. King gives the constant reader a spectacular work of literature. Hearts in Atlantis is a collection of 5 interconnected short stories and novellas. The story begins in the early sixties and traces the lives of a group of people and the effects of the Viet Nam war on their lives. The first story long enough to be considered a novel, LOW MEN IN YELLOW COATS centers around Bobby Garfield and his coming of age in the Connecticut suburb of Harwich--Bobby's difficult mother, teenage bullies, the recent death of his father, and his growing affections towards Carol. What helps Bobby through this period is his relationship with a strange man by the name of Ted who just moved into the building Bobby and his mother live in. Ted acts as a father figure to Bobby, giving him a birthday gift of LORD OF THE FLIES to read. Ted also just happens to be a traveler from the world of King's fantasy masterpiece, THE DARK TOWER. While the elements of the DARK TOWER are part of this story, nothing is lost if you haven't read any of the DARK TOWER. The title characters are the baddies that Ted instructs Bobby to keep an eye out for. Of the 5 stories in this book, this is the one that has the most supernatural overtones. It (supernatural) works very well in the context of the story so well with Bobby's character being young and very imaginative and open to believing in things not of this world. The second story, HEARTS IN ATLANTIS is one of the best piece of literature that Mr. King has ever written. Pete is a freshman at the University of Maine and with everybody else in his dorm gets caught up in a very distracting card game by the name of Hearts. King evokes such a sense of realism as he tells the story of adjustment to life at college, (sex, drugs, procrastination) with the foreboding war in Viet Nam. This story is linked to the first by means of Carol who gets involved with Pete in this story. This story also shows the way college kids reacted to the Viet Nam war, and the craziness that it put the American mindset into. One of the more striking characters in the story is Ronnie Malenfant, the best Hearts player, who eventually gets kicked out of school and goes over to Viet Nam-the real horror of this book. The interactions and struggles of the characters are so real and genuine, you feel as if you really know the character as if you were a fly on the wall. The third story, BLIND WILLIE set in 1983, tells the story of Willam (?) who was a bully to Bobby in the first story. Willie suffers from multiple personality disorder, as result of his experience in Viet Nam. We see a day in life of this disjointed character(s). I just didn't like this story. The fourth WHY WE'RE IN VIET NAM shows us more of the Vets, circa 1999. The central figure in this story is another one of Bobby's friends from the first story, John. John attends the funeral of one of the guys from his Viet Nam troop. As the story progresses we see flashbacks of John's heroic efforts in Viet Nam featuring some of the characters from the other stories in the book. This story conveys the sense of disattachment and long lasting effects that the Viet Nam war. The final installment is HEAVENLY SHADES OF NIGHT ARE FAILING. Bobby and Carol make their return to Harwich, Connecticut. Not really planning to bump into each other but hoping that they do, their brief meeting helps them catch up on some lost times before a final farewell. It has pretty much everything you would expect from a King book: Superior children characters, a little bit of supernatural, americana, and an overall excellent story. Looking forward to seeing Anthony Hopkins play Ted Brauting in the film.
Rating:
Summary: Even a horror-baby can read it
Review: Although I read a lot, I had never read a Stephen King novel. Why? I guess it's for the same reason that I stay away from horror movies. I'm a horror-baby. Guess the effects of the first Dracula movie I saw forty years ago are still hanging around. (And I was afraid to look in the mirror for a few months after "The Picture of Dorian Gray." And I still have PTSD about those big ants in "Them.") So I was probably the only person in the U.S. to never read a Stephen King novel. That means his annual income has been $64,999,995 instead of $65,000,000. Sorry, Steve. But, you know, this guy may have a future. This guy can write. He's never going to win a Nobel but he is one helluva story teller. In "Hearts of Atlantis," he almost writes out of his genre. Certainly, this has to be one of his more unhorrifying novels. Which is good if you're a horror-baby like moi. The only thing you have to look out for is "low men in yellow coats." You know, like Mickey Rooney selling for Century 21. But what it lacks in horror it makes up for in humor and heart. "Hearts of Atlantis" follows up and flowers from the close friendship of three children, two boys and a girl, who pal around in the late fifties. Then, in five unique narratives, not necessarily via their point of view, it twists and weaves through that terrific and terrible decade of the 60s. By far the most unforgettable section is the title piece. Here, King switches to the first person viewpoint to cover the chaotic college years of the 60s. It's hilarity with heart, and the narrative voice is reminiscent of J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye." My only criticism is the end. It's a little complex and a lot sappy. But the bottom line is that "Hearts. . ." is a tremendous tale for baby boomers - even horror-baby boomers like myself - that is VERY well told. I'm sold. Steve will make $65,000,000 next year.
Rating: 
Summary: Hearts in Atlantis was great!
Review: This is a great book! I could not put down King's latest, Hearts in Atlantis. What can I say? Few of King's novels have ever disappointed me, and this collection of interrelated stories was truly compelling. I'd write more here, but why waste your time? I highly recommend this book. Others I recommend: anything by Tom Piccirilli, You Come When I Call You by Douglas Clegg, Graham Joyce's Indigo, and Peter Straub's Mr. X.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful style, lacks plot
Review: "Hearts In Atlantis" marks merely the second King novel I've read("The Green Mile" being the first). I started this book unfamiliar of what it was about(the back of the book gives away little) and what to expect."Low Men In Yellow Coats"(the first story of 5) was my favorite. It had the most story line and was written beautifully. And although I didn't understand the 'low men', I loved what King did with eleven-year-old Bobby's experiences with Ted, Carol, his mother, etc. I agree with another reviewer on the title story, "Hearts In Atlantis", in that it was written like an essay from a 1st person view. Although interesting to see what these students went through, I failed to see the point of it. The only reason I could think of that King would put it in there was to include an autobiography(cause that's sure what it read like) and to incorporate Carol and update her charachter. What I want to know is why King titled his novel after this story. It had a weak, quik ending, as well. Putting all that aside, though, the style in this story was definately the best(even better than Green Mile) of the book. "Blind Willie" seemed like it was just...there, although I liked the minute-to-minute format King wrote it in. And the final two stories summed it up fairly well, although leaving many questions unanswered. I am giving it four stars for the outstanding style and that little bit of plot at the beggining and end. All in all it was a good novel, and a very enjoying novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Hemingway he ain't.
Review: Well folks, I've noticed a great deal of people seem to feel the need to jump to the 'King's defense lately. I wonder why exactly that is? I figure that is it because the illustrious, untouchable Mr King is no longer toying with the genre that made him a household word. He certainly has no claim to being the "King of horror" anymore. This tome doesn't do anything to contradict that point of view, either. Not to 'whine', as one of my more terse collegues put it in an earlier review, but as fictions go, this one is not too bad, nor is it anything to bother calling your old college literature professor about, either. The word "milquetoast" comes to mind. Occasionally there is a phrase that sticks to your mind, but nothing like the passages of Hemingway, or even even Hawthorne. So I guess Stephen King is not trying to be a major part of 'high literature', and if that's where he wants to be, who am I to argue? 'Hearts in Atlantis' is a nice collection of novellas (not a novel, thanks). They are vignettes taken from a common cloth and culled from the sixties experience which clearly the author lived through and remembered a great deal about. Five tales of the decade of hippies, Vietnam, and turmoil. They are all nicely done in King's inimitable style, and I have to agree that 'Low Men in Yellow Coats' is probably the best of the lot because it deals with the innocence and unavoidable disappointments of youth. The rest of the book is well worth reading, but if your're looking for vintage King horror, better look elsewhere. I must say I'm rather annnoyed by people who seem to think that we are reprehensible who are saddened by the loss of one of the truly great horror writers to this whole cross-genre experimentation business. Do not mistake disappointment with stupidity. I realize that Stephen King is a good writer in any genre, but it is horror at which he excels. Argue with that if you want. Nowadays Koontz, Saul, or Higgins-Clark are the names that guarantee a chill. Not King. I absolutely believe that if Stephen King wants to publish ordinary fiction, then more power to him. Just don't be surprised if the results show up in the sales figures eventually. And don't expect those of us who yearn for good horror (a rare animal indeed) to give him our blessing. In closing (now that I'm off from my soapbox), this is actually a good book as long as you just like to read. Well-written, never boring, with a few twists just to keep things interesting, I'd have to say it's worth reading, but not worth keeping. By the way, I have read everything King has written since 'Carrie', so I feel qualified to offer an opinion. I still think 'Insomnia' is his best book, though...
Rating:
Summary: It's the best thing he's ever written
Review: Far from having lost it, King continually changes, pushes his boundaries, finds new directions to take his insight into the American character and the wonder and horror of childhood. This is a wonderful book, evocative and rich-textured. The first "chapter" of this loosely constructed novel, "Low Men in Yellow Coats," resonates with the paranoia of the fifties. The rest evoke the restlessness and disllusionment of the subsequent 60s, 70s, and 80s. If you're looking for a good Holiday read, or a stocking stuffer for someone, look no further than this book. If other King books haven't been to your liking, check this one out.
Rating:
Summary: A window glancing back
Review: It is said that you can't go home again, but reading this book takes you darn close. Though a thin supernatural thread runs through the stories comprising the book, the central theme is rites of passage and coming of age amid the social upheaval of the 60's in the shadow of the specter of the Viet Nam war. The characters are as flesh and bone as any ever created by King. Their stories cover nearly 700 pages and I still wasn't ready for it to end. This is a must-read for those of us who grew up in America in the 60's and have brought with us into the 21st century a social conscience and fond memories of great music, bell bottoms, and "sparrow tracks."
Rating:
Summary: Heart Of Atlantis
Review: The Heart Of Atlantis is one of the greatest books I have ever read and It will make you want to read more. Stephen King mesmerizes reader with fiction deeply rooted in the Sixties, and explores-through four defining decades-the haunting legacy of the Vietnam War. King probes and unlockes the secrets of his generation for us all. The book is full of danger, full of suspense, and most of all full of heart. It will take you to a place you have never been and a place you will never able to leave, completely.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful for everyone
Review: Another one of King's 'serious' books as they are called by horror despiters. Here he proves that he can write them as well as horror books. Maybe even better. This book is about war. Of course it's about Vietnam especially but where is the difference here? The book is divided into five stories which are divided into years. Except the first and the last, they are not really connected except in this strange way King connects all of his stories. The first in 1960 is a story about a boy who gets to know a man who becomes his best friend, but has strange problems. I won't tell more for surprises but Dark Tower-fans should read it! The second in 1966 is the best one, a story about a young man and what he experienced when he was in university in this year. Since Vietnam began here, war begins to play its first role in this story. It's funny and sad and wonderful. The third in 1983 is about a veteran who has a very strange way to earn his daily money. Nothing more told here too. Very unusual. The fourth in 1999 is about another veteran and how he has to fight with his traumatic experiences in Vietnam. Very unexpected things happening here. Great story! The last one is also in 1999 and is connected to the first one. King says wonderful things about war and since he never was fighting in Vietnam it's even more surprising how good he writes about it. This one gives me hope again that King can still write unusual great books and doesn't think to much of money. A must!
Rating:
Summary: The Story of My Generation
Review: Stephen King has done a rare and marvelous miracle. Its name is "Hearts in Atlantis." It is real and heartbreakingly sad and joyous and bittersweet almost beyond bearing. It is the story of the generation I now feel so fortunate to have been a part of. There is a luminosity on each and every page. I can't believe anyone will ever write a better, more sensitive, more complex, more heroic book about the people I grew up with. The fear of Vietnam. The terrible brutality of the imminent shadows of Chicago and Kent State. And a wise writer's eyes on how humanity can overcome so much. The tenacity and courage of the young and not so young. How good it makes me feel, this book, to be a person who has been scalded by those years, and molded by them. I simply cannot recommend this genuine masterpiece highly enough. I've had problems in the past with other King books. But this one--soars. It seems so amazing that any one writer could have gotten so many disperate things so accurately, and has knitted together the fabric of those years-magic, childhood idealism, fantasy, friendship, water color drug dreams, trust, and death, and keening for the dead, and those so fortunate to come back to life again--so expertly in language that is lyrical and filled with poetry, and so much closer to reality than non fiction could ever be. It is impossible to read this book and not to weep. It contains the pure heart of childhood and how remembering that heart is so needed in adulthood, but so often forgotten, and the winnowing process of high school and college and war and coming back to a world that is so sadly different, and so sadly the same. Congratulations to Mr. King for giving a road map to anyone younger or older who would like to know what the Age of Aquarius and what came after was like. And to remind us who were there. It does not stint on criticism of the phoniness of those years. It explores Vietnam right in the jungle pain and grotesque death tableaus. But it is sweet and it is at heart, the resurrection of a lost kingdom, a now dim and forgotten Atlantis that King remembers fully, bell bottoms and roach clips and all, for good times and bad. And persons who were soul bled and built up again by Morrison, Dylan and Stevens and the Stones and ideals that just had to be real. That, as in King's novel, we would make it so, because we were there. We were just so sure--flower children and love that embroiders King's book that is just such a mammoth love song, so heart felt, though so clear eyed as to see the realities of back there, a tribute to that era and those who populated it. We just knew we would be young and protest always. King has not forgotten what it was like. And all of us readers are so fortunate he has not. The book links me in its images to my own. The crucifixion of that first casualty in Vietnam that I knew--a boy I remembered from the seventh grade, always now in my mind a boy. They sent children there to die. King does not lumber in this. His characters gradually come to realize death is real. And war. Too real. And he shows compassion to those of us who hid as best we could. He paints a portrait, all his own,colored somehow by our own memories, that is far beyond love beads and hair length. It is the core of us. And the mark of a great novel when we see our friends, our loves, our dead, in these characters, and when we finish the book, I, at least, weeping uncontrollably at that flower tender sunshine and autumn sky and sadly dressed for Fall conclusion. Thinking, he got it right. And I for one am intensely eternally grateful.
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