Hearts In Atlantis
Hearts in Atlantis is a collection of stories which seems to be similar to Different Seasons and Four Past Midnight but in fact it differs a lot. The stories are separated and some story may look like novella but all theses stories provide a full image of the book.
Low Men in Yellow Coats is the first story which takes place in 1960. There a reader meets Bobby Garfield, aged 11. Bobby lives with his mother in the apartment complex and Ted Brautigan moves also into it. Bobby makes friends with Ted but the mother does not like it. They rub shoulders with each other and begin to trust each other. Then Ted tells Bobby that men known as “Low Men” follow him. He asks Bobby to follow some telltale signs and Bobby notices some strange things. He is not sure whether he should tell Ted about it and a decision of Bobby is the climax of the story.
The second story has the same name as collection, Hearts in Atlantis. It has been written in 6 years after the first novel. Carol Gerber is a character from the previous story. But the main hero of the story is Peter Riley. He is a college student and he has an obsession with the game of Hearts. There is a war in Vietnam and many friends go to the war, but Peter does not stop the obsession.
The following stories are Blind Willie and Why We´re in Vietnam. The stories concern the war in Vietnam. Willie Sherman is introduced in Blind Willie and he tries to get used to some past events in the life. Why We´re in Vietnam is the story about 2 Vietnam vets who meet each other in the funeral of their friend.
The last story is Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling. This is story which connects all four stories because characters consider past events from 1999. The story may be compared with Dark Tower of the author which combines two worlds.
Hearts in Atlantis is touched and upsetting story. Some fans may say that this collection does not fit the style of the author but the other readers will get to know new sides of Stephen King.
