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HEARTS IN ATLANTIS. by Stephen. King
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HEARTS IN ATLANTIS. (edition 1999)

by Stephen. King

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8,546104980 (3.68)1 / 118
Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:The classic collection of five deeply resonant and disturbing interconnected stories from #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King.
Innocence, experience, truth, deceit, loss, and recovery are at the core of these five interconnected, sequential talesâ??each deeply rooted in the 1960s, and each scarred by the Vietnam War, which continues to cast its shadow over American lives, politics and culture.

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 hollowâ??and as hauntedâ??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 and suspense, full of heart, this spellbinding fiction will take some readers to a place they have never been...and others to a place they have never been able to completely forget. Nearly twenty years after its first publication, Hearts in Atlantis is powerful and astonishingly current.

"You will see Stephen King in a new light. Read this moving, heartfelt tragedy and weepâ??weep for our lost conscience." â??Bo
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Member:xandreax
Title:HEARTS IN ATLANTIS.
Authors:Stephen. King
Info:BCA (1999), Hardcover
Collections:Books I own but haven't read
Rating:
Tags:stephen king

Work Information

Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King

  1. 20
    The Gunslinger by Stephen King (sturlington)
    sturlington: There are thematic connections between the title story of Hearts in Atlantis and The Dark Tower series.
  2. 10
    From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz (derelicious)
  3. 01
    Duma Key by Stephen King (SqueakyChu)
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» See also 118 mentions

English (101)  Hungarian (1)  Spanish (1)  Italian (1)  All languages (104)
Showing 1-5 of 101 (next | show all)
Audiobook version. I loved, loved, loved, William Hurt's performance. Although he doesn't put much effort into creating different voices for all the characters, he reads the story with such passion and... rhythm. That's the only word I can think of to describe it. The only two stories that I really enjoyed were Low Men in Yellow Coats and Why We're In Vietnam. The rest I could do without, but the others were classic King. ( )
  Doodlebug34 | Jan 1, 2024 |
I've read this book twice in the past 20 years, and enjoyed it immensely both times. There is so much here to think about and enjoy, there's no way I can do it justice with a review until I read it again. ( )
  MickeyMole | Oct 2, 2023 |
I wanted to read this book because it's related to The Dark Tower series. Of the 500+ pages, only about half of it relates. And I loved that part.

The rest centers on the mid/late 1960s, Vietnam, the counter-culture, protestors, etc. As someone born in 1970, and a political conservative, I really didn't like the 2nd half of the book. Understand this isn't a reflection of King's writing. The guy's certainly one of the greatest American writers ever and certainly in the 20th Century. But I can't cheer for characters I don't philosophically respect.

If you're a child of the 60s, I think you'd "dig" the half I didn't. I'm not sure you would really get or appreciate the first part (especially if you haven't read DT) but damn, King writes kids well. That first section, DT-related or not, reminded me of "The Body," which of course became the movie "Stand by Me." ( )
  Jarratt | Sep 20, 2023 |
*All reviews come from online reviews*

Hearts In Atlantis is composed of five interconnected, sequential 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 "Low Men in Yellow Coats," eleven-year-old Bobby Garfield discovers a world of predatory malice in his own neighborhood and 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 haunted as their own lives.

And in "Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling," Bobby returns to his hometown where one final secret, and his heart's desire may await him.

Full of danger, suspense, and full of heart, Hearts In Atlantis takes some listeners to a place they have never been...and others to a place they have never been able to completely leave.
  TeacherCarrieP | Aug 28, 2023 |
I didn't know Hearts In Atlantis was five interconnected stories when I started reading this book. I loved the first half, which was the first story. I was racing impatiently through it to learn Bobby and Ted Brautigan's fate when it ended abruptly with no actual resolution. The proceeding stories plunge into a deeply disturbing (yet entertaining) trip through the 60s. I lived through them myself, so I enjoyed revisiting the past. I think the author named every single song I used to listen to on the radio in high school. (96 Tears—loved it!) A massive chunk of the second half expounded on the vices of gamboling—college kids playing hearts instead of studying—with the Vietnam War's terror looming over them. Although Mr. King's writing is always equal parts hilarious and horrifying, the characters introduced in the first half were only a tiny part of the following story's narrative. It left me wanting more. I did love the references to The Dark Tower series, which I think are some of Mr. King's finest work. ( )
  PaulaGalvan | Aug 23, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 101 (next | show all)
In ''Hearts in Atlantis,'' it's as though King has written two lengthy prologues and two brief epilogues but left out the novel proper. Or perhaps he hasn't. The book's juxtapositions set me wondering: maybe Vietnam is the archetype not only of the otherworldly horror Bobby chooses to avoid in ''Low Men in Yellow Coats'' but of all King's supernatural horror.
 

» Add other authors (10 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
King, Stephenprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Hurt, WilliamNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Number 6: What do you want?

Number 2: Information.

Number 6: Whose side are you on?

Number 2: That would be telling We want information.

Number 6: You won't get it!

Number 2: By hook or by crook...we will.
—The Prisoner
Simon stayed where he was, a small brown image, concealed by the leaves. Even if he shut his eyes the sow's head still remained like an after-image. The half-shut eyes were dim with the infinite cynicism of adult life. They assured Simon that everything was a bad business. — William Golding, Lord of the Flies
"We blew it." — Easy Rider
Dedication
This is for Joseph and Leanora and Ethan: I told you all that to tell you this.
First words
Bobby Garfield's father had been one of those fellows who start losing their hair in their twenties and are completely bald by the age of forty-five or so.
Quotations
There are also books full of great writing that don’t have very good stories. Read sometimes for the story, Bobby. Don’t be like the book snobs that won’t do that. Read sometimes for the words--the language. Don’t be like the play-it-safers that won’t do that. But when you find a book that has both a good story and good words, treasure that book.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Wikipedia in English (2)

Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:The classic collection of five deeply resonant and disturbing interconnected stories from #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King.
Innocence, experience, truth, deceit, loss, and recovery are at the core of these five interconnected, sequential talesâ??each deeply rooted in the 1960s, and each scarred by the Vietnam War, which continues to cast its shadow over American lives, politics and culture.

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 hollowâ??and as hauntedâ??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 and suspense, full of heart, this spellbinding fiction will take some readers to a place they have never been...and others to a place they have never been able to completely forget. Nearly twenty years after its first publication, Hearts in Atlantis is powerful and astonishingly current.

"You will see Stephen King in a new light. Read this moving, heartfelt tragedy and weepâ??weep for our lost conscience." â??Bo

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Book description
Hearts in Atlantis is a collection of two novellas and three short stories by Stephen King, all connected to one another by recurring characters and taking place in roughly chronological order. The stories are about the baby boomer generation, specifically King's view that this generation (to which he belongs) failed to live up to its promise and ideals.
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