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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
50 States 50 Books #2: Connecticut
Nice, sweet, and melancholic. It’s like “The Body” as a full length novel, with more fleshed out characters. However, it doesn’t feel as classic. There were several insufferable characters (I found Bobby’s mom in the first half the be absolutely irredeemable) and some characters to really latch onto (Ted Brautigan, Carol Gerber). As far as individual stories, “Blind Willie”, “Low Men In Yellow Coats”, and “Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling” were stand-outs, while the titular Hearts in Atlantis really didn’t click for me at all.
Nice, sweet, and melancholic. It’s like “The Body” as a full length novel, with more fleshed out characters. However, it doesn’t feel as classic. There were several insufferable characters (I found Bobby’s mom in the first half the be absolutely irredeemable) and some characters to really latch onto (Ted Brautigan, Carol Gerber). As far as individual stories, “Blind Willie”, “Low Men In Yellow Coats”, and “Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling” were stand-outs, while the titular Hearts in Atlantis really didn’t click for me at all.
"We had an opportunity to change everything. Instead, we settled for designer jeans, two tickets to Mariah Carey at Radio City Music Hall, frequent-flier miles, James Cameron's Titanic, and retirement portfolios"
This is King at his best. Hearts in Atlantis is a series of related short stories reflecting on a theme: living with your mistakes, or more specifically, living with the reality that you don't always live up to your own standards or potential.
Each story is set at a different time in America (from 1960-1999), and each story interweaves characters introduced in the first story: largely a set of children who grew up in the same town in the 60s. King uses this framework to reflect on his own (Boomer) generation. Just as each character in their story must live with the pains of not living up to their own values, so King must also live with a generation that he feels largely abandoned its values and traded in their potential for positive change for their own comfort.
These character driven narratives are a treat to read. I never felt like any story dragged on too long, and the weaker stories in the book were the shorter ones. Also, I'm a sucker for Dark Tower connections and this first story has a pretty strong connection to the Dark Tower series. I'd recommend this book to anyone.
This is King at his best. Hearts in Atlantis is a series of related short stories reflecting on a theme: living with your mistakes, or more specifically, living with the reality that you don't always live up to your own standards or potential.
Each story is set at a different time in America (from 1960-1999), and each story interweaves characters introduced in the first story: largely a set of children who grew up in the same town in the 60s. King uses this framework to reflect on his own (Boomer) generation. Just as each character in their story must live with the pains of not living up to their own values, so King must also live with a generation that he feels largely abandoned its values and traded in their potential for positive change for their own comfort.
These character driven narratives are a treat to read. I never felt like any story dragged on too long, and the weaker stories in the book were the shorter ones. Also, I'm a sucker for Dark Tower connections and this first story has a pretty strong connection to the Dark Tower series. I'd recommend this book to anyone.
Should have just been Low Men in Yellow Coats. Brought down by other generally uninteresting stories that added very little for me.
Bobby and Ted are all timer characters, and the incredible connections to the Dark Tower series were so much fun to see unfold.
Low Men in Yellow Coats - 5/5
Hearts in Atlantis - 1/5
Blind Willie - 3/5
Why We're in Vietnam - 2/5
Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling - 2/5
Bobby and Ted are all timer characters, and the incredible connections to the Dark Tower series were so much fun to see unfold.
Low Men in Yellow Coats - 5/5
Hearts in Atlantis - 1/5
Blind Willie - 3/5
Why We're in Vietnam - 2/5
Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling - 2/5
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I'm working through my Audible library starting with the oldest unheard book this year. Hearts in Atlantis is (according to the listing) narrated by both William Hurt and Stephen King.
When I first began listening to this book, a story that I dearly love BTW, I worried I wasn't going to like it. I just had listened to Inkheart, narrated by Lynn Redgrave. Hers is a very animated style, giving distinct voices to each character. William Hurt, in contrast, is almost deadpan in his reading of this book. The word "droll" comes to mind. It took me a while to adjust to it, but an hour in, all was well.
When I first began listening to this book, a story that I dearly love BTW, I worried I wasn't going to like it. I just had listened to Inkheart, narrated by Lynn Redgrave. Hers is a very animated style, giving distinct voices to each character. William Hurt, in contrast, is almost deadpan in his reading of this book. The word "droll" comes to mind. It took me a while to adjust to it, but an hour in, all was well.
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional