Hearts in Atlantis - Stephen King

If I was ever tempted to write about a particular author in detail then my choice would naturally be the one and only Stephen King. I've read almost all of his books many times, leaving a few years between each reading on most occasions. I guess it's because we are almost of a similar age that I can relate to so many of his books, strange as that might sound. After all, I'm Welsh and SK is American. What we do have in common is growing up in the late 1950's and the 1960's, with all the angst that caused. I could probably even write a thesis on the comparative social and cultural similarities of those days, but that's something for the future maybe. My point is that I see ...  Read the complete review

King's fat new work impressively follows his general literary upgrading begun with Bag of Bones (1998) and settles readers onto the seabottom of one of his most satisfying ideas ever. Set in fictional Harwich and semifictional Bridgeport, the story weaves five Vietnam-haunted small-town New England stories into a deeply moving overall vision. The five are: ``Low Men in Yellow Coats,'' set in 1960 and at about 250 pages the longest; ``Hearts in Atlantis,'' set in 1966; ``Blind Willie,'' set in 1983; ``Why We're in Vietnam'' and ``Heavenly Shades of Night Are Failing,'' both set in 1999. The umbrella title ...  Read the complete review

Stephen King is one of the few writers whose books sell purely on the strength of his name alone, and small wonder. “Hearts in Atlantis” is yet another brilliant creation from the man who has the power to scare, mystify, move, amuse, and make us reflect on his elaborate fantasies as well as real issues. The book consists of five stories, all of which are interconnected through both strong and subtle links. The backdrop to the whole book is Vietnam, and King explores the different ways this war touched everyone who lived through that period. The story I enjoyed the most was the first, “Low Men In Yellow Coats”, set in 1960. This ...  Read the complete review

This book totally took me by suprise as I didn't realise that it actually consisted of five seperate stories although they are all linked by one particular character...Carol Gerber. Part 1 is set in 1960 and is set around Bobby, an eleven year boy. This is about a boy who is in conflict with his mother and really doesn't know what to expect out of life. Then life changes when a new neighbour moves in and teaches Bobby more about life in a few months than his mother has managed in all of his life time. If you enjoyed any of the Dark Tower series then you will enjoy this...it has got suspense and fantasy and I certainly found myself reading faster to see ...  Read the complete review

Young Bobby Garfield befriends an old man, Ted Brautigan, who moves into the apartment upstairs. Ted becomes a wonderful, trusted friend - a much-needed rock in Bobby's world, which is marred by his appallingly dysfunctional mother. Via the old man, he discovers more about his dead father's murky past; but he is also drawn into Ted's disturbing world. Ted is being tracked by the "Low Men In Yellow Coats", and they're closing in. Bobby tries to help Ted, but the Low Men are beings of such dreadful supernatural power that failure is inevitable. Equally inevitable is Bobby's subsequent slide into delinquency and petty crime. The above ...  Read the complete review