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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
2.5 stars
I never anticipated rating a piece by the King so low, but this segmented novel just was not my cup of tea. I can recognize and appreciate the quality and style of the writing here, which is up to its usual calibre, but the nature of the majority of the story just didn't manage to get me invested as a reader. That being said, I enjoyed the first section of the book, "Low Men in Yellow Coats", even if the Dark Tower tie in caught me quite off guard.
If you appreciate a coming of age/lifelong saga style novel set in the turmoil of the 1960s & the tragedy of the Vietnam War, then you'll probably enjoy the entirety of the novel far more than I did.
I never anticipated rating a piece by the King so low, but this segmented novel just was not my cup of tea. I can recognize and appreciate the quality and style of the writing here, which is up to its usual calibre, but the nature of the majority of the story just didn't manage to get me invested as a reader. That being said, I enjoyed the first section of the book, "Low Men in Yellow Coats", even if the Dark Tower tie in caught me quite off guard.
If you appreciate a coming of age/lifelong saga style novel set in the turmoil of the 1960s & the tragedy of the Vietnam War, then you'll probably enjoy the entirety of the novel far more than I did.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I should reread this. Apart from the Dark Tower series, this is my favourite novel by Stephen King. And it does have some ties to The Dark Tower but you can still enjoy these 4 stories without having read The Dark Tower.
What I love about Hearts in Atlantis is that it consists of 4 stories, but they are linked to each other. The movie only adapts two of the stories, so the book is much better
What I love about Hearts in Atlantis is that it consists of 4 stories, but they are linked to each other. The movie only adapts two of the stories, so the book is much better
This is really more like a playlist of Boomer media than a book. The only story I really liked on its own merits was "Low Men In Yellow Coats." I understood "Hearts in Atlantis" better the second time around, after ten more years had passed, but that one was more like a 1966 Spotify playlist than a real story. And honestly, the music Nate got made fun of for bringing to college actually slaps. The hippie music just didn't cut it for me but I could listen to Diane Renay sing Navy Blue all day!
Low Men in Yellow Coats has also expanded my "Want to Read" page, so I'll give it that.
Low Men in Yellow Coats has also expanded my "Want to Read" page, so I'll give it that.
This isn't Stephen King's finest work, but it is still a great novel. Changing writing styles between the interrelated stories was a nice touch.
[b:Hearts in Atlantis|11602|Hearts in Atlantis|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1374048926l/11602._SY75_.jpg|3166850]
Audible edition read by William Hurt who is great in telling this story.
Audible edition read by William Hurt who is great in telling this story.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall enjoyed how the stories tied together, but in general thought it was slow most of the time. I also enjoyed the ties to the Dark Tower series. Just not my favorite King.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated