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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
4.5* stars in total.
I had no expectations for this book going into it, and boy was i surprised, in a good way!
The book features 5 short stories (or rather 2 novella's and 3 short stories) and all of them are connected in one way or another to the first story. I think i'll just give a score to each with some thoughts.
Story 1 - 5/5 - I loved the story of Bobby, his mother, his two best friends and the new upstairs neighbor named Ted. The story doesn't shy away from some very real and harsh moments and that's one of the reasons i love it.
Story 2 - 4/5 - This story took some getting into, it's about college, a card game and peace signs. It really grew on me as it progressed.
Story 3 - 3.5/5 - This one was alright to me, it's a story that happens in the span of a day and it was pretty enjoyable.
Story 4 - 2.5/5 - While the character's POV interested me, the entire army talk didn't do it for me, because I simply don't enjoy it. The rest of it was fine though.
Story 5 - 5/5 - A continuation about Bobby, it starts and ends with him and it was a beautiful, warm and heartfelt ending to the book. It really tied everything together quite well and it left me feeling happy, almost reminiscing with the characters at the end.
All in all, i highly enjoyed this book. It's not a typical Stephen King. It's not scary or 'out there' but instead alot more grounded, humane and real. Sure there are some supernatural elements which are tied to the Dark Tower series, but that's fine by me. Pick this one up,.and give it a chance!
I had no expectations for this book going into it, and boy was i surprised, in a good way!
The book features 5 short stories (or rather 2 novella's and 3 short stories) and all of them are connected in one way or another to the first story. I think i'll just give a score to each with some thoughts.
Story 1 - 5/5 - I loved the story of Bobby, his mother, his two best friends and the new upstairs neighbor named Ted. The story doesn't shy away from some very real and harsh moments and that's one of the reasons i love it.
Story 2 - 4/5 - This story took some getting into, it's about college, a card game and peace signs. It really grew on me as it progressed.
Story 3 - 3.5/5 - This one was alright to me, it's a story that happens in the span of a day and it was pretty enjoyable.
Story 4 - 2.5/5 - While the character's POV interested me, the entire army talk didn't do it for me, because I simply don't enjoy it. The rest of it was fine though.
Story 5 - 5/5 - A continuation about Bobby, it starts and ends with him and it was a beautiful, warm and heartfelt ending to the book. It really tied everything together quite well and it left me feeling happy, almost reminiscing with the characters at the end.
All in all, i highly enjoyed this book. It's not a typical Stephen King. It's not scary or 'out there' but instead alot more grounded, humane and real. Sure there are some supernatural elements which are tied to the Dark Tower series, but that's fine by me. Pick this one up,.and give it a chance!
emotional
reflective
relaxing
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
It's taken me over 20 years to get around to reading this and In am so glad I did. I'm currently going through reading the 11 Stephen King books I'd never read and this one I had low expectations going in but, wow. I sobbed my way through the final chapter - that's all you need to know.
dark
emotional
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
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Hearts of Atlantis is a collection of five short stories written by Stephen King that are all related to one another and take place in the 1960s in the United States. Each of the short stories in this collection covers the life of a different individual and addresses issues such as coming of age, dealing with the loss of a loved one, and the aftereffects of the Vietnam War.
The stories are written quite well, yet many of them are extremely upsetting. Characterization is one of King's strong points. The main characters in each of his stories are colorful and have many different sides. His style of writing is poetic and detailed, and it paints vivid pictures of the people and the places they live. Although each tale stands alone as its own adventure, taken together they form a more comprehensive account of events. It is a remarkable and profoundly moving compilation that might stick with readers long after they have finished the book, to different degrees.
The book connects with The Dark Tower series by introducing an important mysterious stranger named Ted Brautigan, who will later appear in The Dark Tower series. One of the biggest drawbacks of this book is that, at times, it felt confusing, which is due to its nonlinear structure and numerous flashbacks. The other thing is that I am personally not too keen on stories that deal with the aftereffects of war. I find them disturbing. Hearts in Atlantis was not an exception. If this was not part of my Dark Tower reading plan, I might not have picked it up. I don’t feel the open ending in this book served it well, as many questions were left unanswered. It is still a decent book, but keep in mind all the trigger warnings if you are going to pick it up.
adventurous
medium-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
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
I think the second of these vignettes will stick with me for a long time, but that may be sentimental; it reminds me of stories my dad used to tell, and my dad also plays a lot of Hearts. On the other hand, it may have been as exquisitely good as I thought. It was the one story among these that was not, that I noticed, supernatural in the least, and it was a plain delight to see King's familiar style put to a comparatively mundane situation. I thought the story was deeply compelling.
I did not love the last 20% of this book, but it was interesting. As usual, I concluded the book feeling as though I missed some small detail that would have made it feel more profound than it did. I like the connections King draws between events, always, and I think this book was a really strong effort in a lot of respects, but just the end. I always want a little more.
I did not love the last 20% of this book, but it was interesting. As usual, I concluded the book feeling as though I missed some small detail that would have made it feel more profound than it did. I like the connections King draws between events, always, and I think this book was a really strong effort in a lot of respects, but just the end. I always want a little more.
Leave it to Stephen King to make me feel painfully nostalgic. Just when I thought I was bored with this book, he ties it all together and makes your heart ache. I'm convinced no one understands life quite like the King.