You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Adoro i libri di Stephen King, ma questo rispetto agli alei l'ho trovato freddo e noioso.
For me, this one jumped around too much. I get that a lot of backstory was needed and there were Vietnam vet style flashbacks but overall it felt very disjointed. Not like other King works. The Dark Tower references were fully actualized.
“Low Men in Yellow Coats” This was my favorite. 5 stars. I’m a Dark Tower lover and enjoyed getting info on Breaker Ted Brautigan. We follow Bobby Garfield and his friends Sully-John and Carol when they are 11 in the 1960s.
“Hearts in Atlantis” This was my least favorite in the book, 2 stars, also the title story. It was way too long for me. We are immersed in Pete Riley’s time in 1966 in college addicted to the card game Hearts. He lets the game take precedence over school work even though the treat of being drafted into the Vietnam war hangs over him if he is not in college. This is during a time when people are starting to go against the war and the peace sign emerges. Riley dates Carol from the 1st story
“Blind Willie” is about Willie Shearman in his triple life. Willie is a childhood bully of Bobby and his friends. He is a Vietnam vet and giving “penance” for his past. Didn’t really get into this one and the ending didn’t “end” anything. 2 stars
“Why We’re in Vietnam” This was much better, 4 stars and follows Sully-John at a funeral for a Vietnam friend. He meets up with his lieutenant and they discuss what happened on Sully-Johns last day in the battle. We are visited by a ghost of a Vietnamese woman that was killed in the battle. This was more King-like with hints of supernatural.
“Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling” was very short. 5 stars Bobby from the first story returns home to attend a funeral of a childhood friend. This was a good ending and tied back around from all the other stories in the book.
“Hearts in Atlantis” This was my least favorite in the book, 2 stars, also the title story. It was way too long for me. We are immersed in Pete Riley’s time in 1966 in college addicted to the card game Hearts. He lets the game take precedence over school work even though the treat of being drafted into the Vietnam war hangs over him if he is not in college. This is during a time when people are starting to go against the war and the peace sign emerges. Riley dates Carol from the 1st story
“Blind Willie” is about Willie Shearman in his triple life. Willie is a childhood bully of Bobby and his friends. He is a Vietnam vet and giving “penance” for his past. Didn’t really get into this one and the ending didn’t “end” anything. 2 stars
“Why We’re in Vietnam” This was much better, 4 stars and follows Sully-John at a funeral for a Vietnam friend. He meets up with his lieutenant and they discuss what happened on Sully-Johns last day in the battle. We are visited by a ghost of a Vietnamese woman that was killed in the battle. This was more King-like with hints of supernatural.
“Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling” was very short. 5 stars Bobby from the first story returns home to attend a funeral of a childhood friend. This was a good ending and tied back around from all the other stories in the book.
I read this book in high school and remember being very affected by it. We played Hearts all the time during lunch so I connected with the more college area of the book. This is the closest to sci-fi that i've read..
I like how these short stories were interconnected.
I expected a short story collection but it was more one narrative, though the first story was like half the book length
I expected a short story collection but it was more one narrative, though the first story was like half the book length
can't get into William Hurt's reading. I'll pick a hard copy eventually.
historical fiction slice of life stories that flow well and tie together. however, it’s like if you took the plot and interesting aspects of 11/22/63 and replaced them with reflections on Vietnam. would have put off reading it longer if it weren’t for the dark tower connections. overall not bad, but not a new favorite.
I think I've come to the conclusion that SK's best work is either long, 1000 page tomes or collections of stories that range between 150-300 pages, the latter of which is what HiA is. This one was absolutely brilliant. An immediate favorite of mine from his work.
SK's love-letter to the 60's does what Bradbury attempted to do with his Dandelion Wine.
Hearts in Atlantis (the book, not the titular short story) could be more cohesive. Sometimes a bit confusing. It has multiple plotlines and meta-plotlines woven throughout it like a masterwork tapestry. Sometimes it comes off as a bit rambly and long-winded. And yet, it so perfectly captures the pains of growing up and all the emotional experiences therein. All done in the bleary and vivid shadow of the Vietnam War.
This isn't a book for everyone. Many SK fans who hop into this book expecting some of King's usual weird and terrifying horror will be sorely disappointed. But, it is a book for those who want to grow–who want to reflect–who need some degree of cathartic release, regardless of when they grew up.
There isn't so much of a climax. And the resolutions to the main struggles of the book come at the very end, in the last short story–it is one of SK's best endings, in my opinion.
Hearts in Atlantis (the book, not the titular short story) could be more cohesive. Sometimes a bit confusing. It has multiple plotlines and meta-plotlines woven throughout it like a masterwork tapestry. Sometimes it comes off as a bit rambly and long-winded. And yet, it so perfectly captures the pains of growing up and all the emotional experiences therein. All done in the bleary and vivid shadow of the Vietnam War.
This isn't a book for everyone. Many SK fans who hop into this book expecting some of King's usual weird and terrifying horror will be sorely disappointed. But, it is a book for those who want to grow–who want to reflect–who need some degree of cathartic release, regardless of when they grew up.
There isn't so much of a climax. And the resolutions to the main struggles of the book come at the very end, in the last short story–it is one of SK's best endings, in my opinion.
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes