Stephen King, whose first novel, Carrie, was published in 1974, the year before the last U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam, is the first hugely popular writer of the TV generation. Images from that war — and the protests against it — had flooded America’s living rooms for a decade. Hearts in Atlantis, King’s newest fiction, is composed of five interconnected, sequential narratives, set in the … narratives, set in the years from 1960 to 1999. Each story is deeply rooted in the sixties, and each is haunted by the Vietnam War.
In Part One, “Low Men in Yellow Coats,” eleven-year-old Bobby Garfield discovers a world of predatory malice in his own neighborhood. He also discovers that adults are sometimes not rescuers but at the heart of the terror.
In the title story, a bunch of college kids get hooked on a card game, discover the possibility of protest…and confront their own collective heart of darkness, where laughter may be no more than the thinly disguised cry of the beast.
In “Blind Willie” and “Why We’re in Vietnam,” two men who grew up with Bobby in suburban Connecticut try to fill the emptiness of the post-Vietnam era in an America which sometimes seems as hollow — and as haunted — as their own lives.
And in “Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling,” this remarkable book’s denouement, Bobby returns to his hometown where one final secret, the hope of redemption, and his heart’s desire may await him.
Full of danger, full of suspense, most of all full of heart, Stephen King’s new book will take some readers to a place they have never been…and others to a place they have never been able to completely leave.
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I read this right after SK’s On Writing and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. (It was my Stephen King phase) I read the first part—loved it more than I can tell you—turned the page to the next part and was in a completely different world… all except for the presence of a girl from the first part. When I came to the end of that part, once again, the world changed… and there was just the mention of the girl again. And then again with the last part, there was the boy from the first part. I was so puzzled. The stories were all very good. Radically different in tone and genre, but excellent. Then, to my complete shock, I finally read the cover. Hearts in Atlantis: New Fiction. They were novellas, link ever so slightly by the presence, or mention of a girl. But still, a hell of a good read.—Alice Bello is the author of Holding onto Hope and Better off Dead.
Two great stories rolled into a wonderful book.
This is a great book made into a very good movie.
Another home run for the King! Wonderful characters. That is one thing you can always count on with King. Characters that you will laugh with, cry with, and bleed with. Great story telling, always,.
It was a great read!!!!
Five out of five ghosts!
Three stories woven together beautifully. I got this book from a magical man in a van at a flea market. He said he was always there & would always be there but I never saw him again. He also sold me my first copy of The Stand (I wrote an article about this in more detail if you’d like to read it. Link in bio). I’ll never forget the experience & the inspiration Stephen King has brought me.
Definitely a good read worth the length of the novel
In a weird bit of synchronicity shortly after finishing the book I caught the film, so I’ll probably slip some comments in on that one. The book is really broken up into five parts that focus on essentially three kids from one summer. The first section is excellent! It quickly became interesting with rich characters and then when Ted Brautigan started having direct ties to King’s Dark Tower series, it became that much more engrossing. A must for followers of Roland the gunslinger. The next section followed Pete, a college student who goes to school with Carol, one of the three kids, and while not as engrossing I did find myself pulled in and curious as to what would happen. section three seemed to have nothing or little to do with the overall story. It was only when finishing the book that it fit in as semi-necessary background. Sections four and five refer directly back to the first and close the loop. Overall I would say that the book was OK, not great, and the major pull would be the first section for fans of King’s Dark Tower books. Now as for the movie, it was bad. It focuses on the first and last sections but since it leaves out so much of the characterization and since it modified and lessened the threat of the low men (the “bad guys” in section one), it leaves viewers more confused than anything else. Definitely a movie to avoid.
Expands on his dark tower connection
Great book.
I have read almost every Mr. King has written and can honestly say that I loved every one.
The first story, Low Men in Yellow Coats, was phenomenal…vintage King. The rest was forgettable…boring. He should have stopped after the first one.
Through an interesting and evocative collection of stories (or novellas), Stephen King masterfully captures the loss of childhood innocence, the 60’s generation, the role of the Vietnam war on the psyche of that generation and how traumatic events that happen during our childhood spiral out of control and have far reaching, life changing and devastating consequences for those involved and uninvolved.
One character, Blind Willie, has become so devastated by his experience in the Vietnam war and the childhood bullying of Carol Gerber, in his adult life he has gone insane, assuming three identities, paying penance by writing words of apology daily to the victimized character (although the words never get to her), while the same day donning a blind man disguise and begging for spare change on the streets of New York. When he’s done, he changes again and assumes the role of happily married working class husband.
King offers up a scathing criticism of the Vietnam war and shows in descriptive detail the huge psychological toll it has taken and continues to take on the veterans of that war and the families and friends associated with them.
One can say that the title, Hearts in Atlantis, refers to the Hearts card game the students play at university during the Vietnam war, but the title operates on different levels. It also references the broken hearts related to Vietnam and the broken hearts of many of the characters as they grow from children to adults.
Stylistically, the work is interesting as King writes in the past, switches to the present tense and also writes with a knowledge of the future that takes on an eerily prophetic tone.
In typical King fashion, his characterizations are rich, the dialogue crisp and believable. He is able to evoke emotion with his prose and sometimes you feel like you are actually there and not reading at all.
My only criticism would be the use of the alien story line in the beginning of the book. It’s never really developed fully and does not tie in with the rest of the novel.
But overall, it’s a great read that goes a long way to chronicling the psychological and physical casualties of Vietnam. I would highly recommend it.
Not on of my favorite s
One of my favorite Stephen King books
After many years, I decided to re-read this book and find out if it stood the test of time. I absolutely love the way King writes about childhood and the sixties. Hearts in Atlantis is touching and spellbinding with plenty of the usual suspense. Flawless and spellbinding, a must read.
A wonderful engaging book. One of his best.