Rating: 
Summary: MUCH BETTER THAN THE FILM---
Review: Deeper and more involved than the film--a great read even if you saw the film already---
Rating: 
Summary: A Decent Story Hurt by Storytelling Weaknesses
Review: Like any longtime Stephen King fan, I was dismayed when I heard he will soon quit. HEARTS IN ATLANTIS, while enjoyable, made me think he may be quitting at the right time. Like George Lucas before him, he is nearing self-indulgence. Although I am tired of hearing about the 1960s from aging Baby Boomers reliving their youth, I was intrigued to read King's take. I knew he would write, at least, a great coming-of-age story, and at most, a new take on the 1960s -- something rarely seen in the Boomer nostalgia marketing. I was right, but still disappointed.Many characters receive short shrift, most notably Carol Gerber. In his early days, after CARRIE, King idealized his female characters so they were two-dimensional. However, in recent years, especially in DOLORES CLAIBORNE, King seemed have outgrown that problem. Here, it returns. Carol's two most important turning points -- her savage beating as a child and her involvement with a radical group as an adult -- are vaguely described second-hand. Worse, the explanation for her second turning point seems incongruous with what little we know of her. If the stories are treated individually, the problems become more apparent. The first, "Low Men in Yellow Coats," starts as a gripping story of Bobby Garfield's loss of innocence. The seeds of Bobby's disillusionment have been sown by the time he befriends mysterious Ted Brauttigan. Few authors capture the magic and awe of childhood as well as King, but his story unravels as he reveals Brauttigan's connection to THE DARK TOWER. Removed from the context of the Spaghetti-western-meets-Conan-the-Barbarian epic, the elements seem, in this realistic setting, more like dopey fantasy novel mysticism. By the time King stops the action at his climax for DARK TOWER exposition, Bobby's story has been muddled to the point of incomprehension and annoyance. This hackneyed set-up weakens all that follows. The second story, "Hearts in Atlantis," is the best. Not only is it a dark, funny portrait of addiction and self-destruction, but it presents a side of the 1960s often glossed over in the nostalgic fairy tales. King stops where most retrospectives linger: the point when students protest on campuses, grow their hair out and paint peace signs on their jackets. His story reveals how they got to that point in a span of mere months. As a stand-alone story, "Hearts in Atlantis" is almost as compelling as the game it depicts. The last three stories are all short. His slice-of-life "Blind Willie" is well written, but its premise of a Vietnam veteran posing as a wounded vet in penance nonetheless borders on implausible. "Why We're in Vietnam" is a preachy historical analysis interspersed with a decent war story and a haunting surrealistic fantasy. Finally, "Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling" barely wraps up the main plotlines of the book. Overall, HEARTS IN ATLANTIS is a frustrating read -- some great ideas hindered by King's exposition, pointless interweaving of outside stories and half-baked supernatural mumbojumbo. First-time King readers will be lost, and longtime fans will often be left disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A great book,that lost my interest halfway through...
Review: The first half of Hearts in Atlantis is no doubt one of the best pieces of writing I have EVER read.It is about a boy,Bobby, who has become friends with a mysterious old man (Ted) that lives on the floor above them.Bobby deals with new friends,old friends,his mother,and many,many changes,but Ted is always there.He is like a father/friend to him.But Bobby notices throughout the first half of the book that Ted is a little different.He has blanks and mumbles about nonsense sometimes,and as the heart of the story unwravels,you will discover the meaning for it.
The second half of the book is another story...literally...
It had nothing to do with the first half,and lost my interest very fast.It did not have the same kind of story and writing to it that made me interested in the first half,and i was disappointed.
Although the second half did not catch my eye,this book is definently worth picking up,whether your a stephen King fan or not.
Rating:
Summary: Stephen King triumphs
Review: As any afficionado of the horror genre can tell you, Stephen King has always gotten a bad rap, critic-wise. At first, it was a knee-jerk reaction to the genre itself; outside of classics such as FRANKENSTEIN, any purveyor of serious literature would do well to steer clear of any novel wherein a reader might feel just a tad frightened. However, King's reputation has evolved, in some quarters, to a presupposition against the successful; while he has swayed many of his past naysayers, there remains a large contingent of critics who believe that surely nothing this popular could ever possibly be any good. Despite the elitist snobbery of these individuals, the fact remains that King has become, not only a supreme storyteller in the classic sense of the word, but a first-class novelist in every sense. His characters are vivid, detailed creations; he generates tension and atmosphere that linger in the mind long after the books are closed. And, not to disparage other fine authors, but King's works often have an element that other works of 'higher' literature lack; re-readability. I'd hazzard a bet that King's novels are re-read far more often than most authors, precisely because they are terrific stories that the reader cannot wait but revisit. HEARTS IN ATLANTIS, a series of five shorter pieces in King's oeuvre, should help to cement King as one of the finest authors in American literature working today. Circling around themes and events of the 1960's, as well as several recurring characters, King presents the reader with tales of loss; loss of innocence, loss of love, and ultimately, loss of life itself. This may be King's most touching collection to date. The first and longest tale, 'Low Men in Yellow Coats,' allows King to work with characters he seems to understand more than any others, those of children. Bobby Garfield is a young boy who strikes up a friendship with Ted Brautigan, an elderly gentleman who moves into his tenement. As Bobby gets to know Ted, through Ted's advice concerning what books to read and what men to watch out for, he begins to learn that adults sometimes don't have all the answers; sometimes, they are the most confused at all. A touching rendition of the end of innocence, King, through the relationship, shows how knowledge of the world effectively ends childhood, but never ends the mystery. King values the supernatural too much to abandon it completely, and manages to weave his DARK TOWER mythos into the fold. Yet who or what Ted is, is ultimately not important; what matters to Bobby, and to the reader, is the fundamental understanding that, in the end, nothing can be understood. All we can do is manage, somehow, to survive. The second story, 'Hearts in Atlantis,' jumps ahead in time to 1966, and life in the first year in college. A group of freshmen become obsessed with the card game 'Hearts,' and slowly lose all perspective in their maniacal pursuit of the Queen of Spades. 'Atlantis' is darkly, blackly comic in its intensity; King fathoms all too well the seductive nature of addiction. As the narrator slowly comes to his senses, watching other students eventually drop out of school because of their fetish, he realizes that what he is ensconced in is an insane battle for his very soul. 'Blind Willie' is a rivetting piece of pulp fiction. A Vietnam veteran, following his own unfathomable plan, raises astounding amounts of money through an intense facade, trying all the while to outwit, or outrun, his demons. This is King at his grittiest, a small jewel of a story Andrew Vachss would likely be proud of. 'Why We're in Vietnam' is King's only misstep, minor though it is. Vietnam veterans gather for a funeral, and try to come to grips with their actions in the Vietnam War. King's miscalculation is in allowing himself to wear his heart on his sleeve; where the other tales present ideas and themes through the story, here King is blatant in his attempt to present his views on the war, and its effect on those who fought it. These are important issues, but King lets the issue overwhelm the story, which lessens its impact. It comes across as hamfisted, rather than elegant. However, sandwiched between the preaching is a surrealistic traffic jam that helps elevates the story from the blunt sermon it comes across as. Finally, 'Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling' is a tiny, graceful elegy, a revisit to Bobby Garfield and the magic that his life once contained. HEARTS has been presented as King's view of the 1960s as a whole, but it is something more. While he acknowledges that America lost much of its innocence in the '60s, through Vietnam, Cuba, JFK, and Nixon, he knows that those who participated in the '60s are not unique. Everyone has their own stories to tell, their own moments of clarity and chaos. King lived through the '60s, but he is a child of every age. King has allowed himself the opportunity to grow with time, but his newly mellowed nature should not be mistaken for a laxity in his writing. It remains as finely hewn as ever; the man who started with CARRIE has come a long way, in both his talent and in the breadth of his range. HEARTS may have its detractors; there are many who will object to his moral and political beliefs which infuse much of this set. If you cannot see past that, so be it; you are missing a high point in an extremely prodigious and inspiring career.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best of King
Review: Hearts in Atlantis is definitly not King at his best. If you have the time, and only if you have the time, you should at least try to read it. Maybe you'll like it.
Hearts in Atlantis is about three best friends and their story growing up. Learn how you should stand up for what you believe in and that life shound't be wasted doing things you may regret later in your life.
If you don't read this I don't blame you. The first couple of sections were pretty well done, but through the rest of the book I had to force myself to finish.
Rating:
Summary: Hearts in Atlantis
Review: Hearts in Atlantis is about the story of three best friends and how they started their lives and how their lives really turned out.
Hearts in Atlantis is a book that teaches you some of lifes greatest lessons. In it you will learn that you should find out who you really are and not be afraid of it. Find out why life shouldn't be wasted and that you should stand up for what you believe in.
Hearts in Atlantis is a pretty good story, not one of Stephen Kings best, but still pretty good. If you have the time you should look into reading, but it isn't a must read book. Also, if you are afended easily by either swearing or sexual things then this is not the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: It Is Good
Review: I liked the interconnectedness and the references to other books. I liked that you take things away from your childhood and the idea that time means everything and nothing. I liked the vague idea of something mystical and magical, the way I felt a part of decade I never actually saw and I liked the way he tied everything up at the end. Nice.
Rating: 
Summary: It's certainly not the movie!
Review: This review is for the UNABRIDGED audio cassette version. If you first saw the movie Hearts in Atlantis, you probably felt happy being on the 'inside' of the book - listening to the details of Ted, Bobby and the kids. All the magic that was left out of the film was waiting for you here in the book. Then, as the book progressed, I am certain that you were wondering what the heck was going on!... If however you read the book first before seeing the film, then I'd imagine you were hoping, outta your mind mad. I know I would have been. I saw the movie first and then listened to the unabridged (don't EVER listen to anything abridged) audio version. The book is read by William Hurt and Stephen King. The beginning is read by Hurt. The book was slow to start and there were several times I thought I would put the book up - it just could not keep me interested-even though these were the details that were missing in the movie. The pace was so slow, particularly for a King novel. However - a few weeks before I listened to this book, I listened to Stephen King's "On Writing," and he said he likes to tell a story slowly sometimes... and because I adore his pen, I continued on. William Hurt is Bobby Garfield in the book (and the grown-up Garfield in the film). His voice and animation deserves some sort of audio book award - it was captivating (and the reason the audio version is 16 tapes!). I felt a true range of emotions from all the characters in the book from Hurt's voice and tone. The first part of the story progressed slowly - the parts with early Bobby, Carol, Sully, Ted, Bobby's mom and the barking dog (which Hurt barked out for us). Then, it switched gears - and King took over the reading. I was fascinated at his description of Hearts, and enjoyed listening to them 'Chase the [female dog]'. Old characters and new characters intertwined by fate and circumstance. The third part of the book, a graphic account of Vietnam took me to the Green and we meet up again with old and more recent characters in the book. Again, their lives twisting together with time and places. At the end of the book, Hurt once again is Bobby Garfield. I felt the age of Bobby (in his 50s) in his voice. The union of two 'first love soul mates' was a nice touch from King. Again, Hurt's acting and animation of the characters deserves an ovation. With each book I read of Stephen King, I feel him as a person. I must say, listening to him read his own words is like chasing the [female dog] to me.
Rating:
Summary: This is a book from my era...
Review: I figured out as I read this book, that Bobby was born about 1949 and I was born in 1946...yes, one of the first of the "baby boomers". The time period of this book was my time growing up, the innocence of the 50's and yes, the 60's till about 1967. I graduated college in 1968 and learned that the boy I had a crush on in elementary school died in Vietnam a year before. (I have been to the Wall in Washington DC and found his name) Staying in college as in "Hearts in Atlantis" was the thing to do if you were a male at that time! I have read MANY Stephen King books and like many others could not put this one down! As always, his characters draw me in, I care about what happens to them! He weaves these five stories in and around the main characters and I felt very satisfied with the ending... And lastly, King certainly brought back to me all the grusome Vietnam news footage they showed us on the nightly news. I was struck most by a quote near the end of the book by Dieffenbaker, a Vietnam vet, talking about the war. "...we never got out.We never got out of the green. Our generation died there." That was my generation, and my only hope is that we remember that horror...and do not repeat it.
Rating:
Summary: King of Hearts.
Review: From someone who has read most of King's novels, including the recent Dreamcatcher, Green Mile, Insomnia and the Dark Tower series, it is enjoyable to see a great writer bloom into a greater one. Hearts in Atlantis caught me off guard, showing a side of King that I have never seen... the emotional one. I don't want to scare the fans of the earlier, darker King books away , but the moment I began this paperback, I could not stop reading. It's the most interesting and original narraration that I have read in a long, long time.
The book follows a bunch of friend's from children to their golden years, each separate story following from the point of view of another character. We get the Vietnam War , the college, the protests (ups and downs) and come out feeling refreshed, with a hit of nostalgia in your vein.
If you've seen the movie, it's nothing like the book. In fact it's only a little similar to the first 90 pages.
Also for the Dark Tower fans, (a group composing of anyone who has read the series), inside is some really interesting information.
Happy Reading. and for further reading check out Scott Smith's "A Simple Plan".
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