Hearts in Atlantis

by Stephen King

Although it is difficult to believe, the Sixties are not fictional:

THEY ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

No matter the format, Stephen King's work is spellbinding because the author himself is spellbound. The first hugely popular writer of the TV generation, King published his first novel, Carrie, in 1974, the year before the last U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam. Images from that war -- and protests against it -- had flooded America's living rooms for nearly ten years. In Hearts in Altantis, King mesmerizes readers with fiction deeply rooted in the Sixties, and explores -- through four defining decades -- the haunting legacy of the Vietnam War.

As the characters in Hearts in Atlantis are tested in every way, King probes and unlocks the secrets of his generation for us all. Full of danger, full of suspense, and most of all full of heart, Stephen King's new book will take some readers to a place they have never been able to leave completely. (back cover)

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Short Stories, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

673 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 14, 1999

About the author

Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still my fave Stephen King book. This is now the third time I've read this and I think I finally get why I love it so much. But first the book.

'Atlantis' the mythical continent that sunk, is in this book, standing for anything that is slowly ending or falling apart like childhood, university, memories, the Vietnam war and what America stands for, and our lives - these themes are explored in the two amazing novellas and three short stories within. 'Hearts'? - this is a group of stories about the hearts and minds of people in times of change. On the face of it I always thought 'Hearts' referred to the card-game featured in one of the novellas, but I swear it means more. What do you think Constant Reader? Right get a cuppa... real review coming up..

The opening novella - Low Men In Yellow Coats, is simply an exquisite and remarkable coming of age story for young Bobby Garfield, which King manages to not only write formidably as a stand-alone, but also deep-tie it in with The Dark Tower, whilst tearing the skin off of what it was like to be single parent in 1950s America, and indeed to be a single unattached old man. A phenomenal piece of writing on par with King's The Body

Seriously! The second Novella - 1966, Man We Just Couldn't Stop Laughing, sees more King genius, ten years on from the first story, we're on a campus where an almost demonic obsession with playing the gambling card-game 'Hearts' is the elephant in the room, in a story of first (not in-love) love, as well as a campus view of the growing schism in America over Vietnam. Some great characters in this novella, including a wonderfully multifaceted and non cliched leading female character!

The final three short stories cover Vietnam and its legacy for our cast of characters (from the first two novellas), and some of their past and new acquaintances. A superb King read that has a message about an America that was at crucial turning points in the 1960s and 1970s; but did it take up the chance to truly change? One of the key The Dark Tower books, one of the key King 20th century historical fiction books and a masterclass into intertwining separate stories over decades and the bringing of them together as a cohesive whole. 10 out of 12. Still the only King read I've ever given 10 out of 12 for!

2019, 2006 and 2003 read

[megs_bookrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

**4.5-stars rounded up**

My first time reading Hearts in Atlantis, if Goodreads had existed, I probably would have given it 3.5-stars. Alas, it was the Stone Age. It didn't.

Those were dark times, my friends. Dark times.



Many years have passed and I think the fact that I now have age and experience on my side, allows me to view this work from a completely different perspective.

While this most likely explains the significant jump in my rating, I think the fact that I have now read the first six books in the Dark Tower series, also contributes.

There are a lot of interesting references and connections between this book and those.



While the Hearts collection is more understated, it is very powerful. There's a lot of food for thought and I think every Reader will take a little something different away.

I really enjoyed how each story follows a different child of the 60s at different stages of their lives. So, while it follows different people, it still keeps that classic coming of age vibe.



I think the collection as a whole fits very well together.

I won't claim to understand every nuance of these stories, but I do feel like I got a significant amount of meaning out of it this time around.



I would love to read this again someday; maybe in another decade or so. I'm sure it would affect me differently at that time.

This feels more introspective for King. One for his generation. It's impressive, it's beautiful, it's powerful and it's definitely worth picking up!

[LTJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Hearts in Atlantis” by Stephen King is one hell of an anthology I regret not reading sooner. It might not have the usual amount of horror found in King’s novels, but it's still an incredible story that comes together perfectly. It's broken into mini-stories, and how it all came together is pretty wild. It was nothing short of sheer brilliance.

Before I start my review, I found two main trigger warnings while reading. They were…

- Bullying
- Rape

If either of these triggers you, please do not read this novel. Right off the bat, I loved how King dropped some incredible references throughout these stories. I grew up with “Lord of the Flies,” and seeing that theme throughout “Hearts in Atlantis” was awesome. I also grew up with that legendary 80s movie “Flash Gordon,” which was a great reference to read, and “The Exorcist,” which still produces nightmares.

This starts with the short story “Low Men in Yellow Coats,” which was my favorite since it helped fill even more gaps in my journey to The Dark Tower. In case you didn’t know, I am in the process of doing all sorts of pre-reading before finally reading the entire Dark Tower series. If you’d like to do something similar in your reading adventures, after extensive research and speaking to some of the biggest Constant Readers I know, here’s my exact reading journey...

The Stand
The Eyes of the Dragon
Insomnia
Hearts in Atlantis
‘Salem’s Lot
The Talisman
Black House
Everything's Eventual (The Little Sisters of Eluria)
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
Charlie the Choo-Choo
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole
The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower

Going back to the start of this anthology, I enjoyed Bobby’s character the most, as he was so relatable as a kid. To see his development throughout this anthology was wonderful. Don’t worry—I would never spoil anything for anyone—but seeing some recurring characters throughout each story was a great touch by King.

I also loved all the subtle graphics in the chapters, adding another immersion layer. Besides, this had some horror mystery vibes trying to figure out what was happening with these mysterious “low men” in their yellow coats. It’s a genuine page-turner, and even though I would have wanted more scary moments, it’s still a fantastic story from beginning to end.

Besides Bobby, Ted was another intriguing character who left me baffled for the most part. His development was also prominent since this journey to The Dark Tower has built up many character connections with me from the books I’ve read. Being a Constant Reader for over 25 years, I love all these connections, potential tie-ins, and, hopefully, return appearances by these incredible characters in the future. I’m so excited!

This is especially true since all the references to The Dark Tower, The Crimson King, and even Randall Flagg found in “Hearts in Atlantis” were great. I love learning about all these characters and what will prepare me for The Dark Tower. I would consider this “required reading” for those also traveling there.

This was a fantastic read, and King once again proves why he’s a master storyteller, even without copious amounts of horror. It’s an excellent anthology with recurring characters for one hell of a connected story that, in the end, filled me with joy. It was an incredible and memorable reading experience that I’ll remember for many years.

I give “Hearts in Atlantis” by Stephen King a 5/5 for being another anthology that delivered and then some. I would have loved more horror here, but there’s still enough to enjoy it. As a reminder, pay close attention to all the main characters you encounter in each story as their journey continues into the next one. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I see some of them, as they could be awaiting my arrival at The Dark Tower. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m done trying to find low men in yellow coats since it’s time for my next reading adventure. I already read “‘Salem’s Lot” in 2021, so I’ll skip that and search for a Talisman.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one has ever written the joys of boyhood better than Stephen King. That's not what people talk about when they talk about him, but it's true. It's a subject that needs to be written about entirely without pretense and absolutely free of language too large for ball games and playing in the mud. Between this one, The Body, and It, the good reader will find himself transported into the actual moments of young pleasure, before girls take over and ruin the perfect freedom of true youth. Not that girls are bad, of course, just that something breaks at the moment when boys become aware of them and it never comes all the way back. Often, I wonder about how much of a man's life is spent trying to dance between the moment before and the excitement that comes after the discovery of girls. This small gap is the space that King covers in several of his books and all of them are delightful and thrilling in the way that only a carnival can be to a young boy. Moments of the supernatural and plot aside, it's this subject that draws me to the book.

For reasons I can't fully explain, I've read the first 200 pages of this one half a dozen times over the years but never finished it. I've purchased the audiobook twice (by accident) and bought the paperback two or three times (lost copies). I've decided to finish it this time because it's been hanging there, a desire that's been unfulfilled and dangling over me for years. Somehow, I need to be free of it, or at least have passed the experience into the history of my reading pleasures. So here I go.

William Hurt was a good choice for the audiobook. There's something about his voice that's trance-like and lulls you right in. I'm glad I've decided to finally and fully experience the book in just this way.

King himself read the the next two stories in the book. Some reviewers suggested that the other stories were boring, but that wasn't my feel at all. I quite enjoyed them, especially the title story. I can see, however, that someone whose only reason for reading King is action/horror excitement may not find much of value in a book that's mostly composed of nostalgia and a look back at the turning points that shaped us as people. It's not exactly the stuff of horror lore. If you're that sort, you might want to shuffle on and find another book because this one is far too delicate and filled with entirely too much longing for the adventure seeking reader.

Hurt returned for the final story. By now, the crossover between all the stories and characters was wrapped up tight and everywhere. It seemed almost like a novel with shifting perspectives over the years. Depending on your point of view, the interconnections could come across as overly-coincidental or just a tidy way of letting us know where things ended up with various people we'd come to know in their youth. I prefer the latter. Actually, I loved touching in on people years later, finding out how they'd turned out without the direct story of it ever really being the point of the story itself.

The plain fact is that this book got to me far more than it should have. It was a beautiful novel shaped like short stories and made of youth lost and memory unwound. Maybe it took me so long to actually read it because I needed the years between to lose more and more of my past into the old fireplace of time. Maybe I needed to remember only enough to know how much I'd lost and how beautiful so much of it had been. Maybe it's a book that can only be understood when your life has made the same sorts of strange turns and you look back, wondering, lost, wistful.

[Court Zierk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always wanted to throw a duck at a man, but the situation hasn’t presented itself… yet.

I didn’t live through the 60s, but I share the sense of collective, generational failure that is so central to this book. I think every generation should examine their role, and their relative success within that role, in how it advanced the greater social order. Did we capitalize on opportunity and make sacrifices to enable a propulsive and material progress? Or did we operate selfishly, and make parochial choices aimed only at improving personal circumstance? Let’s just say some generations have been more successful than others with this.

This book is very good and like King says in its first story, “good books don’t give up all their secrets at once”. Each story within this collection moves the overarching theme forward at its own pace, and with its own thematic significance.

This isn’t your typical King book, although I’d argue that there isn’t a true King archetype because he approaches each book without genre in mind. But this feels exceptional and apart from anything else he’s done.

Yes, there are tie-ins to The Dark Tower, and yes much of the book is focused on the very familiar themes of lost innocence and side-stepped opportunity, but this is King operating at a different level, and it’s a level that everyone should really experience for themselves.

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's been a month and I am still reading it!
Am I enjoying it ? No not at all.
But I don't wanna dnf it coz only 80 pages are left!
It's a short story collection right,so I want to lay individual comments on each one!

Low men in yellow coats:- 4.5/5
Heart in Atlantis:- 1.5/5
Blind Willie:- 2/5
Why we are in Vietnam:- 2 /5
Heavenly shades of night are falling :-2.5/5

Here is one more thing, this is my last book by Stephen king because I think his books are just not for me !

Though I have huge respect for him, but you know it's about taste !( So please don't come to me)
........

Finally finally finally !
After like 18 months of buying this book I am gonna start reading it !

It's not like I didn't wanna read it it's just like there were other books which lured me than this!

Untill yesterday I was randomly saying to my mom what should I read next and she instantly pointed " read that thick one there it's been sitting there for over an year, and the pages have turned yellow too! "

So yeah here we are!?!

[AMEERA · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite 💜💜'

[*•MJ•* · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an emotional roller coaster 👏💘

•Let the old women live, old women never hurt anyone as a rule, but old men were more dangerous than rabid dogs. Shoot all of them, then douse their bodies with gasoline, then light them on fire. Let the children join hands and dance around the blaze, singing corny old Crosby, Stills and Nash songs•

Except Ted, the breaker ❤️

[Andrew Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do the parts make a whole? I’m not sure. But does it even matter when the totality adds up to something that held me totally enthralled from start to finish.

The parts are made up of two novella length tales, two short stories and an epilogue that seeks to tie up loose ends. The uniting theme here is, I guess, the Vietnam War, although maybe it’s more about growing up and discovery and friendship and pain. I suppose it’s for the reader to decide.

The stories flow chronologically and the first is set in 1960. We follow the plight of eleven-year-old Bobby Garfield who lives with his protective mother in Connecticut. King paints a nostalgic picture of that time and for the most part it feels like a standard coming of age tale. But Bobby befriends lodger Ted, who we gradually start to understand is a little odd. Ted introduces Bobby to Lord of the Flies and other books; he opens Bobby’s eyes to a world Bobby’s not seen before and a kind of hero worship begins to grip him. But the events take a darker turn as Bobby’s mother sets off for an ill-fated business trip. And what of Ted, what is to be made of the strange requests he’s now making of Bobby?

The jump to story two is sudden and disconcerting. We’re thrust into the world of college students in 1966. Pete Riley is a freshman who needs to keep his grade average up to prevent himself from flunking out and, potentially, being shipped off to Vietnam via the draft. But he becomes sucked in to a mania for the card game Hearts that is rampant within sections of the college. He starts to stay up late playing the game, avoiding classes and study. Before long he’s in trouble: his grades are falling and and early exit is starting to look like an inevitability. This is a very different story but some continuity is provided by the inclusion of a girl named Carol Gerber, who appeared briefly in the first story as Bobby’s first girlfriend.

In the two short stories that follow we meet up two Vietnam War veterans. One spends his time impersonating a blind veteran, begging on the city streets, and the other is a salesman haunted by the violent death of a Vietnamese woman. The uniting elements here are that both continue the war theme and characters from previous stories are drip-fed into the narrative of the second of these. In the final section Bobby returns to the town of his youth, a town he hasn’t visited in 40 years, to attend a memorial service for a childhood friend. This is really a continuance to or closure of the first story in the book.

I listened to an audio version which was read by a combination of actor William Hurt and the author. Hurt did a superb job and I can’t help feeling that this version would have benefitted from having had him read all of the stories. But I’d have been happy to listen to a dozen more and I was sad when the I’d finished the book. I’m not going to get too hung up on the worth of each particular element here or whether the epilogue was a useful add-on, I’m just happy to spend time with stories from this brilliant writer. I’m already searching eagerly for my next Stephen King fix!

[Theresa (mysteries.and.mayhem) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. My heart. I must watch the movie immediately.

I went on a literary journey of a lifetime with Bobby Garfield and his friends (and one of his enemies) throughout the stories included in Hearts in Atlantis. We started with a young Bobby and his best friends Carol and John, and a new neighbor, Ted. The year is 1960. The story is Low Men in Yellow Coats. As the stories progress throughout the book, we see the world change through the eyes of Carol in 1966 (Hearts in Atlantis); Willie's memories of fighting in Vietnam (Blind Willie); John's memories of Vietnam and his perspective on the war (Why We're in Vietnam); and finally the story that wrapped them all together, which you will just need to read for yourself (Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling).

This book was a beautiful character study of what happens to young friends as they become adults. It's a story about how life has a way of changing us when we aren't looking. And it's a story about how we will always cherish our childhood memories. It certainly brought back some golden memories of my own and it made me wonder quite a bit about my dad's experiences in Vietnam, which I've never asked him about.

Low Men in Yellow Coats also pulls upon things that take place in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I felt the urge to pull those books from my shelf and make another visit to the tower with Roland.

I have absolutely nothing but good things to say about this book. If you plan to read The Dark Tower, don't read Hearts until you've read the series. But if you haven't read the series, and don't plan on it, you can still enjoy Hearts without any prior knowledge of The Dark Tower, no worries!

Obviously, after all of this gushing, I'm giving Hearts in Atlantis 5 stars. I'd give it more if I could. I'm going to have a heavy book hangover for a while now.

[Johann (jobis89) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hearts can break. Yes, hearts can break. Sometimes I think it would be better if we died when they did, but we don't."

Hearts in Atlantis is quite an unusual book is that it is comprised of 5 interlinking stories (technically 2 novellas and 3 short stories) that contain the same recurring characters and take place chronologically. The stories refer to events that take place in the 1960s, primarily the Vietnam war. I also feel like this will be quite hard to review without spoiling, so bear with me!

Low Men in Yellow Coats is the first novella and was actually my favourite part of the entire collection. It tells the story of a young boy Bobby Garfield, who comes into contact with a strange man who moves in upstairs, Ted Brautigan, who possesses some physic abilities. This story contains amazing Dark Tower references and connections, and as a DT junkie, this was SOOO exciting.

The next novella was the self-titled Hearts in Atlantis, which focuses on the story of Peter Riley, who gets addicted to playing the card game Hearts in the dorm when he is a student at the University of Maine. This addiction interferes with his studies, which leaves him open to the possibility of being enrolled in the war. Again, I really enjoyed this one!

The last three short stories (Blind Willie, Why We're in Vietnam, Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling) are focused on veterans and fallout from the Vietnam war. The first two short stories are decent enough, but I only really enjoyed the last one. Mainly because it involved Bobby Garfield!

One of my favourite things about this collection is the relationship between Bobby Garfield and Ted Brautigan. King writes these kind of relationships so well. You can just feel the love and admiration Bobby has for Ted, it's absolutely beautiful. Ted becomes a surrogate father figure for Bobby. Their discussions about books and literature are so heart-warming, it's necessary for every child to have this kind of person in their life - the person who ignites that passion for reading. But not only is Ted under possible attack from the Low Men, but also from Bobby's mother, who has her suspicions about their blossoming friendship.

I kinda feel like a main theme within this book is that of survivor guilt. Those who either avoiding fighting in the Vietnam war or those who went and fought and came home alive. In Hearts in Atlantis, the university students who become addicted to playing Hearts are basically flunking themselves out to war. The main character just keeps getting closer and closer to the edge of that cliff until he forms a relationship with Carol (from the previous novella). Blind Willie is focused around a veteran's penance for his previous actions (in the first novella of course!). Why We're in Vietnam is about two veterans basically discussing how their generation squandered the promise of the 60's and their resultant commiserations. The last short story is kind of more of an epilogue than a story, revisiting both Bobby and Carol from the first novella. A touching moment as they reminisce about the past.

This was definitely a very enjoyable read, more so the two novellas than the short stories. It makes you think about this period of time and the Vietnam war, and how savage and pointless war can be. Especially when you look at the impact it has on people who are living through it, as well as those who come out the other side. Hard-hitting and emotional. Great work by the King!

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

1960. 1966. 1983. 1999. 2000.

Low Men in Yellow Coats

When I first read Hearts in Atlantis, as soon after the paperback copies came out in print, Stephen King had not yet written the final Dark Tower books. Those three novels would be written back-to-back to complete Roland's quest, and only three short years away. King may have known he would write them in succession at this point, but I don't think so. He has stated that everything he wrote during this period of time had been turning towards the Tower. It was simply on his mind and coming out of him. Hearts in Atlantis, Black House, Everything's Eventual, From a Buick 8. All of them had become Dark Tower related in one form or another. But when I opened the pages to the first story in Hearts in Atlantis, I didn't know what to make of these Low Men. They were something new, something strange, and as Jake would say, “from a world other than this”. The Low Men would return within those later Dark Tower books, but in this book they were more frightful than they would ever be again (my feeling anyway). Regulators in yellow dusters wearing the skin of men, in an effort to hide whatever lay underneath, and carrying the eye of Sauron. Their cars were not simply gaudy, chromed land cruisers with dice. They were alive. Keep in mind though, that besides these elements, this was not a horror story. First, there was time to meet Bobby Garfield and Ted Brautigan. I liked them immediately, and more so as the story progressed, so I worried for them. With Bobby, it was childhood, the known and unknown fears ahead of him, because he had come to love Ted. In the span of only a few short days, this stranger with a heart of gold had become a father figure, and a friend, one Bobby hadn't realized he needed desperately. Now, in this recent reading, I worried for them once again. And loved it for that.

“A week from now, I won't remember what was so neat about him. A year from now, I'll hardly remember him at all."
Was that true? God, was that true?
No, Bobby thought. No way. I won't let it be.

Hearts in Atlantis

Hearts. Love, of course. Feelings. Unexpectedly, there's a little card game named Hearts too. All three seen through the eyes of Pete Riley in his first year of college. A character from the first story makes her way into this second. The twelve year old life of Carol Gerber is a distant six years in the past, along with the 1960 America, replaced by the fervor of the middle 60's. H ow did I forget a majority of this story? Must be father time again. This is heartfelt King. Sentimentalism permeates this story as it does much of this book. There also may be a few things out of King's own past within these pages. Certainly he knew young hearts, a game called Hearts, and the prevalence of the Vietnam War. Once again horror doesn't apply here, excepting the fear of dying across the sea, and the loss of love.

Blind Willie

If you're counting the years Vietnam should be long gone, but no, it's closer here, living both sporadically and constantly in the memories of Willie. This is the third story addressing the boy William Shearman, the first you'd hear the name Blind Willie. Climbing a ladder, Willie leaves Bill one floor down to enter his other self, the Harwich of long ago, and the regrets that are more complicated than they appear. This is the only story in the bunch that doesn't click with me.

Why We're in Vietnam

Sully's turn to remember one horrifically painful day in country, and how war changes everything. It changes more than one life, that is certain. I had not remembered Old Mamasan. She haunts Sully, and has been since that one day in Vietnam. To know, you got to read it of course. Mostly, this is a “trying to get through fuckin' life” story. The closing pages are wild and a little wondrous. I appreciate the adult Sully far more now.

Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling

Open with Bobby. Close with Bobby. It can be no other way.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5*......For trying, and succeeding in a new concept. Individual stories interconnected by a string....

I loved this book! This is, by far, one of Kings deepest books--delving into the time period, one of tension and fear... and the humanity of the characters...their coming of age, their trials, their sanity, and even deaths. It is far more than a collection of short stories, as there is a continuation of characters throughout the book in some way in each story. I'm not saying that this is like a novel, it's a book with a string holding the stories together in a unique way. We are able to see how a lot of the characters introduced in the novella that starts the book developed--including one who seemed to get what was coming to him after attacking Carol Gerber brutally in the first story. Nice touch--I don't remember ever reading a set of short stories that were all linked together this way. This book stands out from all of Kings other works. Not a novel. Not a group of great, but unrelated stories...I will say some of the stars are for even trying this new method....but that's not all, by far.

One Note: King writes masterfully, interconnecting the stories beautifully, trying something different and succeeding in my opinion--but the people who are looking for horror and gore aren't going to find very much of it here.... You are more likely to find a few tears and some anger. Mr. King, you are brilliant...able to write anything....your creativity never ceases to amaze me...

The Vietnam war also plays a big role in this book as the characters age (King was busy righting Carrie as it finally ended, so it is a time period he knows well, much better than me, as I did not live through it and love getting the fictionalized tales from that period of history I missed...I find it interesting that he grew up during the time period the characters in these stories did, from childhood through adult--this book not only follows King's time frame, but other similarities are here...he was raised mostly in New England, by a single mother, the threat of the draft was undoubtably a heavy topic with his college friends. I love how much of his own life is mirrored in this and other stories, such as fighting alcoholism, etc. ). It certainly comes across as ANT-Vietnam war....so if you don't feel the same (and you certainly did not have to live during the time-period in question to have feelings on this one, since it's a huge part of recent history) well, it just may make you mad....just think of all the relatively small "wars" we've been involved in, and you can imagine how angering to see people you were in school with (or could have been) coming home in countless numbers in boxes. It was a horrible time to be young in I imagine...a fearsome time, in which being in college, or having young children protected you a bit...And of course the ties to the dark tower are here....this book was written right after the fourth Dark Tower book and would be the perfect read then, as these events and even the character Ted Brautigan from the opening novella and closing story is in the DT books, being hunted, and escaping,and getting caught--as we get a glimpse of here....(which makes me furious at Liz, Bobby's selfish, albeit troubled with many things, mother in Low Men)

The opening novella, Low Men in Yellow Coats, was by far my favorite and is the story--along with the final one in this book, Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling--which the movie Hearts in Atlantis was really based on....But the story Hearts in Atlantis had nothing to do with it.....strange. I guess it just sounded better, though it made no sense--at all. I still loved the movie....though I wondered where Atlantis came in.

The Novella Low Men in Yellow Coats begins our interlocking string that winds through the rest of the book; including all the characters that will appear in the rest of the stories with a tale of children coming of age--Bobby Garfield, with friends Carol Gerber and John "sully" Sullivan playing the biggest roles, dealing with bullies, then a touch of the supernatural when an interesting older man rents the room upstairs in Bobby's house; Ted Brautigan. A wonderful man, who loves books, and gives Bobby a copy of The Lord of the Flies. Liz Garfield claims they are poor, and cannot buy Bobby a bicycle, though she constantly brings home beautiful new dresses for herself...Bobby's birthday gift: a library card. (Granted Liz is an extremely well-written and complex character,with A LOT on her plate). Knowing of his need for money, Ted hires Bobby to read him newspapers, as he claims his eyes are weak. Bobby is given another job--to watch out for "low men" who are stalking him by putting up fliers for a missing pet and leaving chalk drawings on the ground. Bobby does know of Ted's psychic power, because he passed some on to Bobby once by touching him. Only we, as King readers know how dangerous these Low Men (the evil can-toi) really are. Bobby knows Ted will leave if the men chasing him find him, and he's so attached that he doesn't take this request seriously until it's just about too late. In the meantime Carol (the thread winding throughout the book) Is attacked, held down by Richie O'meara and Willie Shearman (remember this name...) while Harry Doolan beats her with a bat. Bobby finds her and carries her to his house, where they think her arm is broken, and with his mother Liz gone, he summons Ted to help. Ted has to cut off her shirt to get at the arm, and after examining it realizes it is only dislocated and uses his magical hands to put it back in place.

More to come soon......

[Ɗẳɳ 2.☊ · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★☆☆☆½

Before you go casting aspersions on this review, please note that I'm not a big fan of short story collections, and I only read this for the Dark Tower tie-ins, which the first story delivered in spades.

In Wolves of the Calla, Father Callahan shared some of his story with our ka-tet. Part of which involved his travels down highways in hiding and the relentless pursuit of the Low Men in Yellow Coats. So I was eager to learn more about these mystery men through the first story in this collection.

What better way to kick things off than with this perfect little time capsule of 1960, and those sublime childhood days at the start of summer vacation with a couple of your best friends in tow. Where there are seemingly new and exciting adventures waiting to be discovered, around every corner, and those friendships are sure to last forever. Everything’s just peachy until a mysterious old man moves in upstairs, and those Low Men in Yellow Coats come sniffing around. Sing it now . . . ♫ It’s a cruel (cruel), cruel summer, leaving me here on my own. ♫

Such an awesome short story that drew the curtain back on the Low Men. Easy 4+ stars.

Next, we fast forward to 1966 for the titular story Hearts in Atlantis with the addition of some funny new characters. We follow along as these freshmen struggle to adjust to college life, during a period of great turmoil in the US, only to end up mired in the Hearts tournament from hell. The story started off strong enough, but then slowly devolves into a hippy drippy diatribe railing against the Vietnam War. Sadly, once this can of worms was opened it became quite evident that this was to become the main focus of the rest of the stories. I get it, brother, war is hell. Especially ones we should have never gotten tangled up in to begin with, and doubly so when they're drafting unwilling participants into the shit-storm. Live and let live, put John Lennon's Imagine on an endless loop, that’s my motto. So please forgive me while I bury my head in the sand, but I don’t care to spend so much time mulling over a war that could have/should have been avoided, and all the lives lost to it. This story fell to a low 3 stars, for me.

The last three stories are all extremely short in comparison to the first two, and, excluding a couple of scenes with minor Dark Tower relevance, there's nothing too noteworthy. Therefore, I’d rate each of these 2 stars.

There are a few reoccurring characters that tie all the stories together nicely, making the book much more interesting than it would have been otherwise. Nevertheless, my overall average for the entire collection adds up to a paltry 2.6 stars. Loved that first story and parts of the second, but I could have done without much of the rest.

[Maciek · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give six stars to this book, I would. And seven. And eight...And nine. And ten...

[Mike Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always think after reading a Stephen King that I should read more. They are not all the stereotypical horror genre. The last I read was Billy Summers - not a monster in sight. And this book has only the hint of a monster in the opening short story. But monsters in memory and nostalgia lurk in all five stories.

The first was my favourite. The story of an 11 year old boy growing up and meeting an older man with psychic powers who is being hunted by beings from another dimension.

All the stories link characters and capture the sense of the 1960’s and the Vietnam war. I really enjoyed the book and yes…I need to read more Stephen King😉

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

So... This is not one of my favorite King books. The first time I ever read it, I did so without realizing that it was a collection of inter-related short stories, and not having read The Dark Tower series (though, Ted wouldn't have made an appearance in that series way back when anyway, so...), but either way - it didn't really do much for me.

On subsequent reads, the confusion regarding the format is not there, but the stories just don't really grab me like I want them to, and how I'm used to King's stories grabbing me. I will say that they are much better appreciated by me now, at the age I am, and with the experience I now have, than it was when I first read it as a teen.

The first story is by far my favorite, and the one I always think of when I think of this book. It's the one that speaks to me the most out of the whole collection. I love Ted Brautigan's character, and seeing him in his little "vacation" to Connecticut is always interesting - but definitely more so now that I know where, and to what, he's taken by the Low Men in the yellow coats. I like Ted's interaction with Bobby, and I like the way that the story kind of feels like a nightmare that's just getting going - shifting between confusion and horror (Liz's experience, the Low Men, etc), and normal summer reality for an 11 year old.

I also really liked Bobby, and I both liked, and pitied, the way he lost some of his innocence that summer. He stopped seeing the world through a child's eyes, and as a result, his whole life shifted. His relationship with his mother became a wary tightrope walk, when before it was simply Liz Rules The Roost. Now Bobby has an understanding of things... and though he still needs her, and loves her in his way, he doesn't like her much, and certainly doesn't respect her. And she knows it.

I do pity Liz, though... to a point. She's raising a son on her own in a world where women are tolerated in the workplace - allowed to get men their coffee, and answer the phones, and they better not complain if there's a little bit of a roaming eye or hand from the boss... not if she wants to keep her job, that is. I am sure it was hard. But my grandmother did it... and she had six kids to raise on her own. That woman made miracle dinners from canned peas, butter, and crackers. She made it work, and so, while I do appreciate that Liz was in a hard spot and I could understand her miserly ways - I could only feel sorry for her to a point.

And then she completely ruined any pity that I had for her by being... well, Liz. She's judgmental, hypocritical, manipulative, greedy, and cruel. She jumps to conclusions, and doesn't care if she's wrong, and her fear and anger lead her to make decisions that she should regret... but probably doesn't. She's too selfish to regret on anyone else's behalf... even her son's.

I do like how the story mirrors, in parts, The Lord of the Flies by William Golding. It has a certain tone that causes dread, even if you don't know why yet.

The other stories... well, they just don't really do much for me. There are characters that we recognize in each of them, and honestly, the subject matter in the remaining stories (except the very last) should speak to me more than it does. These are stories about the Vietnam war, and protesting it, and how that war changed an entire generation of people. It should feel important... but I found it just dragging on.

I will say that King writes an amazing story... even when I'm feeling the drag and not really feeling the story, the words on the page still paint a vivid picture and I can see it clearly in my mind. I love that aspect of King's writing... I'm never at a loss when it comes to seeing what he wants to show me, it's just that sometimes I'm not as interested as I feel I'd need to be in order to fully appreciate it.

[Wayne Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is nowhere near being one of Kings scariest books, but it may possibly be one of the deepest novels he has written.

Being a child of the 60's, having grown up in the Vietnam era, this book really hit home for me. But it wasn't just because of the war itself. This was a look into the hearts of man (and woman).

Interestingly enough, I started out in the first story being entertained in the fantasy of a tale that not only took me back to a time of my childhood but was also connected to King's Dark Tower series, a series I consider a masterpiece. So yeah, I was having a good time... but by the time I reached the fifth and last story of the book I was angry; angry at war, angry at the man, angry at the government, angry at the system, angry at the atrocities of life and angry at the cruelty of my fellow human beings.

King's mastery in weaving a tale really begins when he introduces William Golding's Lord of the Flies as the book that Ted gives young Bobby to read. Throughout the five stories we see the the same theme take place in the characters that Golding gave us in LOTF. We have our young boys, stranded on an island to fend for themselves, slowly being overcome by their instincts, wildlings, feral. Chasing the pig, wanting to stick the spear up its ass, and finally when that doesn't quite satiate the hunger of the beast, they turn on one another.

And so now, even though the boys (and girls) of King's story have all moved on...aged, they still carry the scars, the nightmares. Mamasan was murdered out there in the bush many years earlier but she still sits in their presence, forever staring with her accusing dead eyes. Eyes that last stared at them when they ran her through with a bayonet. Kill the pig...stick the spear in its ass!

I can see where some might consider this a platform for King's politics, and even I have to restrain myself from using this review as a venting point. But I did say in the beginning that this book was deep. The 60's are long gone, Vietnam is history, but here we are again. When this was written the attacks on 9/11 had yet to happen. King delved deeper into just the moment. He shows us the beast.

If you think vampires, ghosts and rabid dogs are bad, watch what happens when we put the controls of video games in the hands of our children, sit them down in front of televisions where they get to watch Hollywoods glorified war movies and then hand them M-16's and tell them to go and fight. Pretty soon Mamasan will be sitting in their livingrooms with dead eyes while they scratch at the scars on their bodies and the scars on their minds. Now, that will be one hell of a horror story.

[Heidi (can’t retire soon enough) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nobody can climb inside a boy's head better than Stephen King... regardless of whether it's a horror or thriller... like the kids in Stand By Me, King does a wonderful job of telling this story thru the eyes of the main character...definitely one of my favorite non-scary King books.

And the movie wasn't so bad either!

(Reviewed 5/17/08)

[Constantine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Mystery Thriller

Hearts of Atlantis is a collection of five short stories written by Stephen King that are all related to one another and take place in the 1960s in the United States. Each of the short stories in this collection covers the life of a different individual and addresses issues such as coming of age, dealing with the loss of a loved one, and the aftereffects of the Vietnam War.

The stories are written quite well, yet many of them are extremely upsetting. Characterization is one of King's strong points. The main characters in each of his stories are colorful and have many different sides. His style of writing is poetic and detailed, and it paints vivid pictures of the people and the places they live. Although each tale stands alone as its own adventure, taken together they form a more comprehensive account of events. It is a remarkable and profoundly moving compilation that might stick with readers long after they have finished the book, to different degrees.

The book connects with The Dark Tower series by introducing an important mysterious stranger named Ted Brautigan, who will later appear in The Dark Tower series. One of the biggest drawbacks of this book is that, at times, it felt confusing, which is due to its nonlinear structure and numerous flashbacks. The other thing is that I am personally not too keen on stories that deal with the aftereffects of war. I find them disturbing. Hearts in Atlantis was not an exception. If this was not part of my Dark Tower reading plan, I might not have picked it up. I don’t feel the open ending in this book served it well, as many questions were left unanswered. It is still a decent book, but keep in mind all the trigger warnings if you are going to pick it up.

[Tim Null · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beware, Bobby, evil lurks!

[SAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this on my book shelf since March. It was one of the Stephen King books i was less bothered about reading because of a very stupid reason: the Anthony Hopkins film. A film i have never even seen but there's something about the ridiculous movie poster with a wizened Hopkins holding his palm out that put me off. Shallow me. Turns out the book is one of the best Stephen Kings I've read.

The first story is the longest and has a connection to the dark tower. I felt a nerdy shiver of joy envelop my spine when i read the phrases 'all things serve the beam' and 'other worlds than these'. The story is about a beam breaker who has escaped from Algul Siento and is now being hunted by the low men (or Can-Toi to the initiated). He moves into the apartment above Bobby Garfield and befriends him.

The second story is a weird combination of the card game Hearts and the Vietnam war. I guess it's a coming of age story with a couple of links to story one. The other stories are a lot shorter but are more heavily linked to story one. 'Blind Willie' and 'Why we're in Vietnam' tackle PTSD and the last story is a superb finale. I've read a couple of reviews that comment on the loose links between each story but i would have to disagree. The book is one complete story split into five sections over a forty year period.

A great book and i didn't even hesitate giving five stars. Who cares if it isn't a horror story, Stephen King is just a great story teller. The best.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read. I like the Dark Tower connections snd how King drew all the five stories together. Other reviewers have better descriptions of the themes and connections of the story. Vietnam, the 1960s, war and life on campuses during that period.

One critic described Hearts in Atlantis as "the Great American Baby Boomer Novel". King at his best with Bobby, Carol and Sully with the elderly mysterious Ted. Peter Riley and Carol with the addictive Hearts card game and the burgeoning protests on campus over the Vietnam War.

[Χρύσα Βασιλείου · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5 αστεράκια.

Οι "Καρδιές στην Ατλαντίδα" είναι ένα μυθιστόρημα που με προβλημάτισε κάπως. Οπωσδήποτε μου άρεσε,αλλά δεν μπορώ να πω πως το κατατάσσω στα προσωπικά μου top αγαπημένα βιβλία του King.

Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο δεν έχει να κάνει με τον τρόμο,αλλά αποδεικνύει το πόσο ταλαντούχα είναι η πένα του King,και το πόσο επιτυχημένα μπορεί να γράψει Φαντασία,Τρόμο ή κάτι άλλο. Εδώ λοιπόν επιλέγει να ασχοληθεί με ουσιαστικά διαφορετικές ιστορίες,οι οποίες διαδέχονται χρονικά η μία την άλλη. Ξεκινώντας από τις αρχές της δεκαετίαςα του '60 και με ήρωες τρία μικρά παιδιά που είναι φίλοι μεταξύ τους,ο συγγραφέας ξεδιπλώνει ένα λογοτεχνικό κουβάρι που καταλήγει ιστορικά στα τέλη της δεκαετίας του '90. Από την παιδική αθωότητα των 60ς στα χρόνια του πανεπιστημίου των 70ς,της πνευματικής αναζήτησης και του προβληματισμού για τον πόλεμο του Βιετνάμ κι από κει στα ίδια τα πεδία των μαχών και τελικά στη δεκαετία του '90,όπου ξανασυναντούμε τους ήρωές μας να διερωτώνται για τις επιλογές,τις ζωές τους,το παρελθόν και το μέλλον.

Το βιβλίο είναι 'αφιερωμένο' στην γενιά της δεκαετίας του '60 και του '70 και πραγματικά πιστεύω πως όσοι τις έζησαν από πρώτο χέρι θα πρέπει να ανακάλυψαν ένα μέρος του εαυτού τους μέσα σ' αυτό το βιβλίο. Και να συγκινήθηκαν ΠΟΛΥ. Εγώ ως προς αυτό δεν ταυτίστηκα καθόλου,μου ήταν πολύ ξένο,αν και ομολογώ πως συγκινήθηκα. Κάπως. Επίσης,βρήκα το δεύτερο μέρος κάπως 'φλύαρο',ομολογώ πως σε μερικά σημεία του ψιλοβαρέθηκα. Αγάπησα όμως για μια ακόμα φορά τον γενικότερο τρόπο του Βασιλιά να δίνει ξεχωριστή σημασία και στο παραμικρό γεγονός,να κάνει το μικρό να φαίνεται μεγάλο και το μέτριο σπουδαίο και να δίνει το δικό του,μοναδικό χρώμα και ύφος στο γραπτό του. Αυτό του το χάρισμα νομίζω πως είναι ζηλευτό και ταυτόχρονα σπάνιο στον χώρο της συγγραφής. Ακόμα και αν δεν σου αρέσει πολύ κάποιο βιβλίο του,το αποδέχεσαι και υποκλίνεσαι μπροστά στο ταλέντο του.

Οι "Καρδιές στην Ατλαντίδα" δεν ξέρω αν θα είναι ένα βιβλίο που θα συγκλονίσει ή θα σημαδέψει τον αναγνώστη του,νομίζω όμως πως αξίζει να διαβαστεί από φανατικούς και μη του King. Για την εμπειρία και μόνο. Και για τη διαφορετικότητα.

[Brian Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

HEARTS IN ATLANTIS is one of Stephen King’s more critically acclaimed novels. Perhaps critics missed the genre references in the opening story. But they are correct to herald it. I was moved by the story and its characters.

As I stated earlier, I can’t stand to listen to hippies wax nostalgic about the 60s. I’ve read enough and studied enough and examined the decade without romantic attachment. I’m much happier to have grown up in the 1980s and Reagan’s America.

However, King does not romanticize. Each of his characters emerges from the decade broken somehow. King is perhaps too hard on his generation when, as the novel winds down, he criticizes them for trading peace and love for junk bonds and cocaine. As much as I used to enjoy occasionally baiting my late mother into an argument about how her generation was the most spoiled in history, the Baby Boomers deserve credit for bringing about positive cultural, political, and social change.

King is right to not spare his generation’s most radical members in his story. The Weathermen Underground is one of the most despicable groups ever to form in the United States – and it is clearly the Weathermen Underground that King has in mind when he recounts Carol’s life journey. Perhaps their was a touch of the Symbionese Liberation Army in there, too. But as much as the sixties were about peace and love on the home front, there was as much disorder and harm created by the movement.

Certainly, we can interpret the demise of John Sullivan as the death of the Age of Aquarius as he is bombarded with household furnishings and other possessions that the Baby Boomers sought to acquire as they grew up and abandoned their ideals.

As much as Ray Bradbury chronicled pre-depression America with his tales of Greentown, IL, Stephen King is a chronicler of his generation with books such as this and It which masks a tale of growing up American in the 1950s with a horror story. Bradbury broke the barrier that has held back three generations of genre fiction writers from being recognized as “serious” writers with something important to contribute to literature. Perhaps King will one day get his due. With HEARTS IN ATLANTIS, he certainly earned it.

[Franco Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 estrellas.

Corazones en la Atlántida es esa clase de obra que cuando la terminás, resultás una persona diferente a la que eras cuando la empezaste.

Los corazones pueden romperse. Si, los corazones pueden romperse. A veces pienso que sería mejor si muriéramos cuando lo hacen, pero no lo hacemos.

Este es uno de los libros de King que más me gustaron. Las cinco historias presentes en esta novela me parecieron grandiosas. Todas tocan temas delicados, terroríficos y hasta tienen una alta dosis de drama. Algunas se pueden tornar un poco pesadas en ocasiones, sin embargo, King me cautivó con lo que transmite cada una. Cada una es especial. Y me pareció brillante que todas se relacionen, todas comparten algo. Los cinco relatos componen una cadena que tenés que seguir para saber hasta dónde te llevará.

Llega a un libro como llegarías a una tierra inexplorada. Sin un mapa. Explóralo, y dibuja tu propio mapa... Un libro es como un inflador. No te da nada si no le das primero a él.

Magnífico este trabajo de King.

[Ashley Daviau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely enjoyed this collection of stories more on my second read through but Hearts in Atlantis still remains on the bottom of the list of King story collections for me. I just don't find myself wowed by these like I normally do with his work and found them a bit too slow paced.

But I don't want it to sound like I hated this collection because I really didn't! I was able to appreciate these stories much more this time around because when I first read Hearts in Atlantis, I hadn't read the Dark Tower series yet and so naturally I didn't notice any of the connectons. But this time around I definitely did and I loved the feeling of all the dots connecting!

One thing I particularly enjoyed about this collection was how each story had a common thread and we got to see the same characters throughout, just at different ages and in different situations. I really loved that aspect and it partially made up for the slow pace.

I also really enjoyed the characters in Hearts in Atlantis, they were each so well developed and just so captivating! My favourite though would definitely have to be Ted Brautigan, I just love the relationship he and Bobby have!

So you see I actually really enjoyed this book! I just thought it lacked a bit of the spark and excitement that King's work normally has. Still a really great collection of stories though, just not my fave!

[Бранимир Събев · Rating 5 out of 5]

С "Великият Гетсби" Франсис Скот Фицджералд улавя духа на Америка през двайсетте години на миналия век. Със "Сърца в Атлантида" Стивън Кинг улавя духа на Америка през шейсетте. И това не е просто реклама, отпечатана на задната корица на книгата, а чистата истина.

По същността си това е роман, разделен условно на пет новели, в които присъстват общи герои, проследява се техния жизнен път и нещата, които се случват около тях, пречупени през гледната точка на всеки един от тях. Кинг обхваща голям период с петте новели - цели 39 години от 1960-а до 1999-а, от момента малко преди да започне всичко та до днес, когато все още има отражение на проблемите. На пръв поглед историите са надникване в ежедневието на обикновения американец, но всъщност става въпрос за нещо много по-дълбоко. Атлантида се превръща в метафора за САЩ, страната, буквално потъваща под краката на хората. Мечтите рухват през шейсетте, когато войната във Виетнам разделя страната - не просто война, а и до днес незаздравяла рана. Хипарите, които проповядваха свободна любов, световен мир и ядрено разоръжаване продават идеалите си за доходни облигации, дрога и пари, след което се вливат в сивата маса на костюмирани мъже с куфарчета. Превърнати в пасивни наблюдатели, те не осъзнават най-тъжното - че са пропуснали уникалния шанс да вземат всичко в ръцете си.

По малко за всяка от новелите:

1. Отрепки с жълти палта (1960: Бяха готови на всичко) - вероятно най-познатата за вас, филмирана с Антъни Хопкинс в главната роля, ала кръстена на следващата новела. В малко и спокойно градче пристига тих, добродушен възрастен човек, който наема едно таванче и се скрива там. Този човек, наречен Тед Бротиган се сприятелява с малкия Боби Гарфийлд, който разбира, че Тед е просто ходеща съкровищница за какво ли не. За жалост, Тед крие и немалко тайни - той бяга и се крие от зловещи създания, които постепенно започват да се мяркат в градчето... Уникална история, разклонение на Тъмната Кула - мислех си че филма е велик, но след като прочетох новелата разбрах, че просто е гениална. Прекрасен разказ за слънчевото детство, за приятелството, отминалите безвъзвратно дни. Струва си да се отбележи как малкият постепенно пораства и вътрешно вече съвсем не е дете, образът на властната майка (ооо, няма такова описание!) и да не забравяме могъщият цитат : "Тази книга разказва една много хубава история, но не е написана много добре. Има книги, които са написани превъзходно, но с безинтересен сюжет. Чети заради историите, които се разказват в книгите, не бъди сноб. Друг път чети заради езика, заради думите, не бъди като тези, които избягват да си напъват мозъка. Но когато намериш книга, в която и сюжетът, и езикът са добри, значи си открил съкровище".
2. Сърца в Атлантида (1966: Братче, как се смяхме само, щяхме да се пръснем!) - ето най-обемната новела, която разкрива същността. Започва войната във Виетнам, а с нея и протестите. Който е успял да стане студент се е скатал, но който не - пратен в джунглите да се бие. В студентското общежитие момчетата започват да играят като луди на комар, което се отразява на оценките им и някои започват да изпадат от университета директно в делтата на Меконг. Уникално е как се подкрепят едно друго момчетата, които споделят нещо - било то ВУЗ, война или дори глупава игра на карти. Кинг много добре е описал и зверската страст, която може да те хване и да не те пусне, а да те мори с години - било то хазарт, пиене, дрога, цигари, курви, видеоигри или просто някаква лудост. Знам за какво става въпрос, мога да го оценя.
3. Слепият Уили (1983: Бог да ни благослови всичките) - войната вече е завършила, а който е оцелял от нея вече не е същия. Уили Шърман е леко чалнат, страдащ от множествена шизофрения, в него живеят няколко души. Останах като гръмнат от лекотата, с която чичко Стиви описва просяка на оживения булевард и рушвета, който бута на ченгето, за да не го закача, както и парите, които изкарва. Явно не само тук на метростанция Сердика се случват подобни работи.
4. Защо сме във Виетнам (1999: Когато някой умре, мислиш за миналото) - ето я истината за ветераните от Виетнам, тези, които се върнаха. Колко от тях са инвалиди, колко с разбити семейства и здраве, с болни мозъци и колко жестоко е всичко. Истината е ужасяваща.
5. И се спускат божествените сенки на нощта (1999: Хайде, стари мръснико, върни се у дома) - по-скоро кратък разказ, който обобщава всичко дотук и слага точката накрая. Краят, който е така размазващ, че ти омекват капачките и си благодарен, че четеш седнал, иначе ако си прав ще се сринеш на колене.

Мрън-мрън, в превода на моменти мрън-мрън има големи хуйни, мрън-мрън! Особено ме хвърли в тъпана следното - "Румпелстилтскин" и бележка под линия - героиня от немските приказки, на която постоянно й расте косата. Покъртително глупаво. Първо, героинята се казва Рапунцел и няма нищо общо с темата и второ - Румпелщилцхен (както е правилното наименование) е джудже, при това ГЕРОЙ от мъжки пол, който е гадинка: прави ти услуги, но в замяна винаги ти иска нещо и си прецакан, можеш да го надвиеш само ако му знаеш името. Затова се споменава във въпросния контекст.

След тази книга имам да ви заявя нещо на всички вас, момчета и момичета, особено на тези, които недолюбват Кинг и творчеството му. Вярно, че има и по-добри писатели от него. Вярно, че си има и той трески за дялане. Но той не е само умел разказвач, печеливш автор и майстор-занаятчия. Той е един велик писател, който не просто е пробил пътечка, тънка като просека в лес, а е прокопал зверска магистрала, по която вървим и писатели, и читатели. За него ще се говори векове напред, сигурен съм в това, както съм и сигурен, че тази книга е в топ 5 на цялото му творчество. Книга, от която струи честност и искреност от всеки ред, а всяка дума е чиста и неподправена истина.

[Diana Stoyanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Сърца в Атлантида" се оказа необикновена книга за мен и е много различна от всичко, което съм чела от Кинг досега. Първоначално мислех, че е роман, а се оказа всъщност, че е съвкупност от няколко истории, които са свързани помежду си и имат някаква линейна последователност във времето. Те показват различен период от живота на главните  герои-Боби, Карол и Съли Джон.
Първата история започва от 50- те години и ни въвежда в едно необикновено приятелство между възрастен мъж и малкото тогава момче Боби, което е като глътка свеж въздух в сложните взаимоотношения с майка му.

"Хората имат различни страни. Те са като диамантите. Имат много различни страни."

"Приятелите не се шпионират. Истинското приятелство понякога означава лична свобода."

Първата част ми беше много интересна, особено с разкриване на свръхестествения елемент в лицето на "отрепките с жълти палта" и паралелните светове. Много ми напомни на " Тъмната Кула"- поредицата не съм я чела все още, но пък гледах филмираната версия на първата книга- " Стрелецът". Та имаше доста препратки към нея.
Много приятни бяха размишленията за книгите и как те ни провокират да мислим.

" — Има книги, които са написани превъзходно, но с безинтересен сюжет. Чети заради историите, които се разказват в книгите. Не бъди като снобите. Друг път чети заради езика, заради думите, не бъди като тези, които избягват да си напъват мозъка. Но когато намериш книга, в която и сюжетът, и езикът са добри, значи си открил съкровище."

" Книгите са като помпи. Не ти дават нищо, преди ти да си им дал нещо от себе си. Ти захранваш помпата с вода, а след това използваш собствената си сила, за да движиш ръчката и да изпомпваш водата. Ти постъпваш така, защото очакваш, че ще получиш повече отколкото си дал… Поне понякога."

Почти през цялата първа част, а и по- натам, вървеше паралелно съпоставяне на живота с историята от  "Повелителят на мухите".

Идеята на цялата книга лежи върху мистерията, която променя живота ни, докато израстваме и как преживяванията и опитността ни трансформират във времето, за да ни превърнат в това, което сме в настоящето.
Това е книга, в която сякаш детската наивност бавно изтича между пръстите и постепенно се превръща в бремето на зрелостта.
"Сърца в Атлантида" носи някаква носталгия в себе си, сякаш обръщаш поглед назад, за да се върнеш обратно към детските години, но с цялото осъзнаване на опитността. Книгата е едно огромно послание за любовта, омразата, приятелството, приемането, съдбата и изборите, които правим, пресъздадено по неповторим начин, така както Кинг си може.

[Susan Kay - on semihiatus]

Rtc!