Rating: 
Summary: Dark Tower Fans - Here's another tie in
Review: I've listened to this audio book twice and I'll listen to it again. King's story telling mastery shines in this one tieing the world of the "low men in yellow dusters" (agents of the Dark Tower's Crimson King) who search for and finally catch Ted (an escaped breaker - psychics who are captured by the Crimson King and forced to aid this monster in trying to destroy the tower - the object of Roland's quest in the Dark Tower series); with the world of Bobby, a young boy just entering his teen years who lives in the same rental building where Ted takes up residency while trying to hide from the low men. Bobby strikes up a friendship with the much older and mysterious Ted who hires Bobby to read the daily newspaper to him and to watch the neighborhood for signs that the low men may be close by. When Bobby starts seeing the signs he is supposed to watch for, he doesn't tell Ted because he knows that Ted will flee the low men if they are near. Bobby's two closest young friends are Carol and Sully John who also are drawn into Ted's wierd and mysterious circle of influence. Before he is captured by the low men Ted uses his abilities to help heal the injured Carol when Bobby carries her home after she is beaten by the neighborhood bully boys with a baseball bat. In the later short stories tied into this book so smoothly by the King, Bobby and Carol are reunited during their college years after being separated following Ted's capture when Bobby's mother abruptly leaves the neighborhood for a new town and a new job after she was horribly attacked and sexually assulted by her boss and 2 of his croonies at a real estate convention where the ambitious and not so gullible mother has manuvered herself leaving Bobby in Ted's care while she is gone. Bobby's life in the college dorms is a nostalgic trip for those of us who entered college during the Viet Nam era, and his passing reunification with Carol has a striking resemblance to the ships-passing-in-the-night relationship between Forest Gump and the love of his life. The beginning and ending of this book involves Bobby's return to the old neighborhood to attend Carol's funeral. For those who are Dark Tower junkies like me, the timing of this book fills in some vital facts about what is wrong with the Tower which King has not yet revealed in the Tower series books. You can also pick up more insights regarding the cause of the problems with the tower in Insomnia, and Black House. In all this is another great story by the master story-teller of our time with magically vivid characters and richly described worlds for them to live in. NOBODY but King could take 5 short stories and tie them together so smoothly while revealing as yet untold details for an entirely different series of Books which he has been creating over the last 30+ years. Amazing.
Rating:
Summary: Another Link to the Dark Tower Series
Review: People that typecast Stephen King as a horror author obviously have not read 'Hearts in Atlantis'. As the writings of Stephen King progress over time we learn that there is much more to the genius than just haunted hotels, and demonic automobiles. 'Hearts in Atlantis' is a fantastic read for those looking for just a story, but furthermore it is another "link" in Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' series. Those who came of age in the sixties, lived in the turbulent seventies, and faced reality in the eighties will definately enjoy this book. Everyone else who reads this will transcend time and become apart of atmosphere represented in this magnificent story. A definate must read for all fans of fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Low Men in Yellow Coats
Review: This was a very strange book to read, because of the shifts in the stories, which kept a previous character from one of the previous novellas and further enhanced our understanding of him/her and the troubles that have besaken him/her later on in their lives. The first story in this collection, essentially a novel(it weighs in at 323 pages),Low Men in Yellow Coats, is one of the most touching and brilliant stories ever made. That is why I am giving this book 4 stars, because really only the 1st and the last story you should read,which I think Mr.King should put into an independent book, as I would assuredly give it however many stars are allowed.Low Men revolves around Bobby and his tenant, Ted Brautigan, and weaves a story of coming of age and learning to love even under the harshest of circumstances.This novel also surprised me with a connection to another one of King's writings, but I want say because it was a genuine surprise to me. After this story it goes downhill, and there is really no point to reading the middle stories unless you want to learn what happens to the characters or just have to read the whole thing( like me), but it is imperative that you read the last story, because it is a very good follow up to the first story. Also after finishing this book, see the also very good movie, with one of the most obvious roles for Ted Brautigan, Anthony Hopkins.ENJOY!!!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: You probably had to be there
Review: Hearts in Atlantis started out as a very interesting novel. As always, King is superb when dealing with the feelings and thoughts of a child (the main character of part I is an eleven-year-old boy). Everything "realistic" works just fine. The fantasy part of the story, though, did not work for me - and that's probably because although I'm a King fan I haven't read the Dark Tower books, and as a result certain plot details and some of the dialogue felt very unfamiliar to me.
Moving on from part I, I felt less and less interested in this book. Maybe because this particular take on the Viet Nam war and its effects on the US didn't really reach out to me (I'm a Swede). Maybe you had to be there, had to live it, to fully enjoy King's book. I can't say "That's just the way it was" or "No, that wasn't the way it was at all". In short, I'm not sure if King has captured the essence of that era or if he hasn't.
The prose is, as always, terrific, but the novel itself left me feeling disappointed. Not only because I didn't feel it touched me, but also because the first part is decidedly the best part. That's never good in a book.
Rating: 
Summary: SK reaches maturity
Review: In "Hearts in Atlantis" Stephen King reaches the maturity every author tries to achieve during his career. Along the five stories existent in the book, King blends in his fantasy magna-opus with some touching tales about discovering life during the sixties in US, and how some of the people of that generation deal with the aftermath. The book contains five stories. Although they cover a forty-year span, they are all linked together, even if the main characters change in each story. The first story is "Low men in yellow coats", which was adapted to a movie starring Anthony Hopkins. This is the story of a summer in Bobby Garfield's life, in 1960, when he met a strange fellow, Ted Brautigan. Ted is much more than he seems to be, and he is running from something he can't tell Bobby about. "Low men..." is the longest story in the book, and, as previously stated by other reviewers, Dark Tower fans will be delighted to know yet another part of this amazing fantasy saga. Readers who are not aware of Dark Tower may think the story is strange and unbelievable, but it may also be a starting point to get to know Roland and his quest companions. "Hearts in Atlantis" is the second story, and the best one in my opinion. The main character is Pete Riley, a freshman in UMaine, coping with a new reality - the Vietnam war - and its developments: is the war right or wrong? On what side should he be? The portrayal of entering adult life in the sixties is very good and the character development is, once again, excellent. The fantasy elements don't appear in "Hearts...", and this story is as "reality" as it can be. The two next tales, "Blind Willie" and "Why we're in Vietnam" are not as compelling as the first two, and much shorter. In each one of them, there's pratically only one character, and the stories deal with experiences and post-war consciences. "Heavenly shades of night are falling" is the last one, only twenty pages long, and here we meet Bobby Garfield again, now as an adult that comes back to his childhood town. It's a good wrap-it-up story to the book, but could be more developed. As happens with everything concerning the Dark Tower, there are lots of unanswered questions, leaving the reader in near-despair concerning the conclusion of the saga. Stephen King delivers in "Hearts in Atlantis" a different pattern of writing. A step up the ladder. Grade 9.2/10
Rating:
Summary: WHY???
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Inconsistent
Review: "Five stories"?? The first "story" was 282 pages. It started well then slipped into some bizarre fantasy. Originally it captured well the youth of a boy in 1960, but then it went over the edge. The second story is an interesting tale of the awakening of a college freshman in 1968. The next two stories (progressively shorter) deal with two veterans from the neighborhood of the boy (who tangentially come in contact with the college freshmen). The four stories all have a girl in common. She is never a main character, but is always around the periphery. The last story is a feeble attempt to bring all five together that again bumps up against the fantasy. The reason this book gets three stars is that the writing is good and I thought two of the stories were good, one fair and two weak. TO be honest, I do not enjoy fantasy/sci fi, maybe those who do would not be so put off by those aspects.
Rating:
Summary: The best Stephen King
Review: I really, really liked this book; however, despite the somewhat happy ending, I think beneath it all there is a very dark, disturbing message -- we are all basically damned by our own human nature. The bridges to all of the stories is "Lord of the Flies" and Carol Gerber. Carol could have fit right on that island with the rest of the boys in "Lord." Her eventual loss of innocence and descent into violence is very similar to Golding's characters. It also has its genesis in events completely beyoond her control just as the children on the island. Because of the tragedy that befalls Carol, her "ka" is to be at the center of violence for the rest of her life (until her rebirth as Denise). There is nothing she can do about it. She can only go along for the ride and hope that all works out all right. In the end, like all of us, she will make it off the island, but will be much worse off for the experience. Carol is typical of all of the other characters in the book. In one way or another all of the characters fall victim to their most base instincts, and in one way or another, attempt, with varying degrees of success, to overcome the hells they have created for themselves. In the end, none are completely successful and almost all are just one cigarette away from completely spiraling toward a self-destructive end. Another theme running through these stories is that the very people charged with caring and prtecting for children, adults, almost always do harm to those children. This is most clearly embodied in the unseen old men who send other people's kids off to die in wars that have nothing to do with those actually compelled to do the dying. However, a more subtle take on this theme is seen through the Ted Braughtigan character. Ted is certainly not a monster and would never willfully hurt any of the children in the opening story; however, Ted very much did hurt Bobby Garfield. By touching Bobby in spite of his best instincts he opens Bobby up to the true horrors of the adult world to which no child should ever be exposed. On the surface, ted never did molest bobby, but symbolically Bobby is an abused child and develops the behaviors of an abused child. This is Bobby's demon to overcome. There are few truly likeable, decent, adults in any of these stories. All have been molested, and like many of the molested, go on to be molesters themselves. In the end, one has to ask two questions about "Hearts in Atlantis." First, is the ending happy or sad? Second, who will save us (adults) from ourselves? The answer largely depends on your outlook on life. Great book with great words.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Read
Review: I gave this 5 stars and I mean it. I loved this book, and plan to read it again. It's different for King, so people who are looking for his usual stuff may not like it. But it got me back into King's work. The characters and settings are vivid, and the story and writing are outstanding. Some may have differing opinions, but to me, it was a joy to read. Not to mention the book is far better than the movie could ever hope to be.
Rating:
Summary: Starts out good but then it's a fight....
Review: This book starts out really good but severly drops off at then end. I do kind of like how he showed how different people's lives intertwined based on 60's events but overall I think the book lacked. I think if he just would have stayed with the characters in the begining and not gotten into the side stories it would have been a much better book. However I am sure any who grew up in the 60's would probably really like this book, myself on the other hand did not.
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