A collection of four stories shadowed by the American experience in Vietnam. The title story is about a group of men who become addicted to hearts - and learn a lesson about humanity they'll never forget.
Hearts In Atlantis
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With his idiosyncratic blend of patrician airs and boyish charm, narrator William Hurt provides a wonderful complement to this wildly imaginative collection of short stories by author Stephen King. Hurt carefully weaves the disparate elements into a cohesive whole, embracing the subtle complexities of each character; one moment a wizened sadness leaks into his voice as a haunted old man, pursued by demons, asks his 11-year-old lookout, "You know everyone on this street, on this block of this street anyway? And you'd know strangers? Sojourners? Faces of those unknown?" Then, in a profound yet almost imperceptible switch, he exposes the boy's naive enthusiasm, "I think so." Right about here your neck hairs will stand at attention. Hurt's peculiar vocal style is in perfect pitch to King's dark, surreal vision of growing up amid the monsters of post-Vietnam America. (Running time: 21 hours, 16 cassettes) --George Laney
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
This collection of five thematically linked short stories dwells on the legacy of the 1960s. They share a collective moodiness, a feeling of depressed hangover coming after youth has been lost and the nation has suffered troubled times. Read aloud, this pungent atmosphere is especially strong. A-list actor Hurt stylishly performs the lengthy opener, "Low Men in Yellow Coats," in which 11-year-old Bobby Garfield falls under the spell of an older man his mother has taken in as a boarder (a father figure who introduces him first to literatureALord of the FliesAthen to supernatural phenomena). Hurt skillfully evokes pathos from the story's fine detailing: its sense of small-town place and Bobby's child's-eye-view of the evil characters around him. King reads the title story, "Hearts in Atlantis," about Maine college students who mindlessly play cards instead of studying while the Vietnam War rages in the background. The author's modest, reedy voice rings with autobiographical truthAas the protagonist is a young would-be writer, na?ve to the ways of the world. Taken together, at 21 hours' listening, however, King's shining moments too often give way to fatigue: the stories are repetitious, full of plot rehashings and meaningless asides. Also available on CD. Simultaneous release with the Scribner hardcover. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
Bobby Garfield's father had been one of those fellows who start losing their hair in their twenties and are completely bald by the age of forty-five or so. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Bobby Garfield's father had been one of those fellows who start losing their hair in their twenties and are completely bald by the age of forty-five or so. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By "lynx_irina"
Format:Mass Market Paperback
this book was one of the best books I ever read.D'ont you know that they made a movie out of the book?Yes but the book is devided in 4 different epoques,and the movie is about his childhood .It a great movie too but the book is better coz you know when they make a movie out of a book ,the book still the best.
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
this is one of my favourite stephen king books.
the story is by turns, spooky, heart-warming, heartbreaking & enraging,
stephen king knows how to get under the reader's skin,
& has the ability to write from within the mind of his characters and hence, bringing them to life
i loved bobby's character & all through kept hoping he'd survived & the more this didn't look to be so, my heart gradually sank,
it is the sadness you feel for such a tender little fella, that he got so much crap thrown at him, not that this is so unusual, king tells it just as it is, no pretty camouflage, just the plain, ugly facts of life, ok, this is depressing a times, but he somehow manages to turn this around with his wit & cleverness, but only just!
the story is by turns, spooky, heart-warming, heartbreaking & enraging,
stephen king knows how to get under the reader's skin,
& has the ability to write from within the mind of his characters and hence, bringing them to life
i loved bobby's character & all through kept hoping he'd survived & the more this didn't look to be so, my heart gradually sank,
it is the sadness you feel for such a tender little fella, that he got so much crap thrown at him, not that this is so unusual, king tells it just as it is, no pretty camouflage, just the plain, ugly facts of life, ok, this is depressing a times, but he somehow manages to turn this around with his wit & cleverness, but only just!
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I'm not a big thriller fan, and this is not a thriller. I want to read more king books because of this one.
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4.1 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stephen King, at his best
This review will be short and sweet: I loved this book. I loved this book so much that I refused to see the film adaptation with Anthony Hopkins out of love for the words and not... Read more
Published on July 6 2004 by niara
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great King read
Everything who has read King knows his writing is flowing and easy to read. This book is NOT a horror story! Read more
Published on Jun 13 2004 by Purple Shades
3.0 out of 5 stars
PEACE LOVE AND FLOWER POWER
This is one of Stephen King's TAKE ME AS A SERIOUS WRITER novels. During his prolific and supersonic career, King has given us some of the best "horror" novels of our... Read more
Published on Jun 8 2004 by Michael Butts
2.0 out of 5 stars
King alienates his readers
Fortunately, I had read the Dark Tower series before I read this book, but after I finished it, I thought to myself that King was really alienating anybody who hadn't. Read more
Published on May 22 2004 by Denny Gibbons
3.0 out of 5 stars
Stephen King: Experienced and Flawed, but good
I initially picked up the hardcover of this novel off a B Dalton bookstore due to the ultra low, bargain price of 6. Read more
Published on May 19 2004
5.0 out of 5 stars
an excellent book
this is a very interesting book and a pretty unique book from stephen King. I have read many books from him and why people consider him a horror writer is beyond me. Read more
Published on May 2 2004 by ...
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dark Tower Fans - Here's another tie in
I've listened to this audio book twice and I'll listen to it again. King's story telling mastery shines in this one tieing the world of the "low men in yellow dusters" (agents of... Read more
Published on April 16 2004 by Ralph Cramden
3.0 out of 5 stars
First Story Well Worth Reading; As for the Rest...
It's easy to see why Stephen King has sold about 100 million billion books - the man can flat out write! Read more
Published on Jan 6 2004 by Stewart Salowitz
3.0 out of 5 stars
This book is good and bad
I got hooked on the first story, where Bobby and Ted have their super natural adventure, and I was amazed at the writing. Read more
Published on Jan 3 2004 by "daver21x"
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Link to the Dark Tower Series
People that typecast Stephen King as a horror author obviously have not read 'Hearts in Atlantis'. As the writings of Stephen King progress over time we learn that there is much... Read more
Published on Dec 14 2003 by Garry Sparks
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