Hearts in Atlantis

These 5 loosely connected novellas left me confused and cold. It never came together for me. ( )

A collection of two novellas and three short stories about the Baby Boomer generation, specifically their experiences relating to the Vietnam War and their failure to carry through on the promise and ideals of their generation.

This is an unusual collection that mixes genres, throwing in some of the Dark Tower mythos with more mainstream writing. The stories are connected by theme — the failures of the Baby Boomer generation — as well as by recurring characters. The first novella, “Low Men in Yellow Coats,” is my favorite because it plays on King’s strengths as a writer. It is about childhood in a small town, set in a time of nostalgia (1960), and while it is a coming-of-age story, it also has a strong sense of fantasy and the supernatural. For more constant King fans, it is strongly connected to the Dark Tower stories.

The other stories are more closely tied to the Vietnam War. The second novella, “Hearts in Atlantis,” made an impression on me because it reminded me of my high school experiences. The characters in the story fritter away their time in college obsessively playing Hearts (for us in high school, it was Spades); however, the stakes are higher for them, because if they flunk out of college, they will be sent to Vietnam. The next two stories, “Blind Willie” and “Why We’re in Vietnam,” take place after the Vietnam War, showing its fallout. The second of these was the more memorable for me because of a dreamlike, surreal sequence taking place during a traffic jam that I thought was very well done. The final story, “Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling,” is a bookend to the opening novella and wraps up the recurring characters’ stories.

Read upon release because I like the author (1999). ( )

Another loose end from The Dark Tower is tied up, which is always good. King's theory of everything is at work in these five stories and I like them for that. ( )

http://www.comunidadumbria.com/mundo-friki/libros/corazones-en-la-atlantida ( )

A lo largo de cinco relatos escalofriantes, basados en tres temas principales y protagonizados por los mismos personajes a lo largo de casi cuatro décadas, Stephen King disecciona implacablemente los fantasmas, miedos y frustraciones de la sociedad norteamericana. En Hampones con chaquetas amarillas un niño es víctima de macabras cicunstancias que lo convertirán en un delincuente. Corazones en la Atlántida narra las dramáticas peripecias de un grupo de universitarios sobre los cuales pende la amenaza de ser reclutados y acabar en Vietnam. ( )