Reading this again

[moonhoney2]

The first time I read it, it just didn't make any sense to me. I remember thinking WTF? when I was done. LOL I remember not understanding how everything was related.

FTR, this was before I read the DT series, so am not sure if that has anything to do with it.

I just finished the first part with Ted and Bobby. Great story. Am now in the process of reading the second story where Carol is a distant character. I do remember this sotry and thinking "WTF does this have to do with anything?" That was my first clue that something was amiss.

I'm trying to keep an open mind and tell myself that all will be revealed in the end, but I don't remember that happening before. I have skipped thru a lot of boring dialog in the second story looking for the good part (I truly don't remember there being one the first time around).

Someone give me a reason to read every word of this story. And/or tell me that I simply missed the connection last time around. I'm getting discouraged with this book again. I hear so many people praising it, but I'm just not getting it!

[moonhoney2]

Now I feel silly.

I mistakenly posted this in Movies adn asked that it be moved. I didn't understand why there was no entry for HIA in the books section, so I followed the link in Movies, and here I am, In Collections!

NOW it makes sense. LOL I kept thinking of this book as one story. But it's not just one story, it's 4 stories (or is it 5?). I kept looking for something that wasn't there.

I'm a dork.

[Mr Nobody]

Nope, because I thought of it as one story as well before realizing that it was, in fact, a collection. And how many dorks do you know of with a 150+ IQ, because I'd be one.

[Goodlovin]

I am just now reading this book. For whatever reason this is one of the very few Mr King books that I havent read. I am almost done with Low Men in Yellow Coats and I totally love it. I forgot how great Mr King is at writing about kids.

I think I always skipped the book because I saw the movie.

[Gavvo1976]

I tried so hard to read the second story but I just couldn't get into it. I will try again at some point, maybe I wasn't concentrating or summit. 'Low Men' was such a phenomenal piece of storytelling (reminded me of IT flashbacks) that the title story didn't captivate me enough.

[JohnDalglish]

I tried so hard to read the second story but I just couldn't get into it. I will try again at some point, maybe I wasn't concentrating or summit. 'Low Men' was such a phenomenal piece of storytelling (reminded me of IT flashbacks) that the title story didn't captivate me enough.

Hi,

IMO Hearts in Atlantis itself is both highly autobiographical and very evocative of the period in history.

Long days and pleasant nights

[wally wonder]

i wonder what ted would say?...if this book had been available at the library, if bobby had picked it out, or maybe it's a copy that ted gives to bobby to read, what would ted say?...prolly something along the lines of what john said, that is it "very evocative of the period in history." think about it, a war in vietnam and people dying, the television bringing those images home to viewers, walter cronkite, and that's the way it is...and what's happening in chamberlain?....penance or pennants...maybe knowing what ted means in the scheme of things, maybe that affects one's reading of the story, maybe not...ted doesn't want to go, but they take him and bring him there...and i guess if you grew up in that era you recall images from a past not unlike the one in the story...a turning away from things, patches of rubber laid on the highway where there were none before, the grass own thin in an oval shape where the older boys, laughing and panting, played aggressive games of football and then patches on the turnaround....it's an awesome piece of work, the subtext is incredible....what would ted say?

[doowopgirl]

Read all opf Hearts in Atlantis because all of it shows the connections people make during theur lives and how we are all connected one way or another whether we see it or not. Do not skip dialogue that is most of the point of the story. Do you remember Ted telling Bobby that some books you read for the story and some you read for the writing? Well to me this is an example of the story over the writing. Thats ok, just read it. I also read Cormac Mcarthy and he is an example of the writing being so good it doesn't matter how depressing the story is. This you read for the amazing way people are connected. Please try it again with that in mind.

[E.Freemantle]

Hearts in Atlantis is a a homage to the written word. The invaluable library card. The magic of the well read mind. Also a warning to not let too much time go by before you act, or get your friend Ted Brautigan sent back to Beambreaker Discordia. Or do not flunk out of college playing hearts while the Viet Nam war is going on. You know ,I had trouble waiting for the Free Zone Committee to be over in The Stand but I did not skip over it. It ultimately gave important forshadowing regarding Harold Emery Lauder, and Nadine Cross. If you skip words or sentences ,you will miss priceless connections that Sai King places in his books just for the Constant Reader.There are interconnected GEMS for he or she who is patient in allowing character development and the establishment of mood and cinematographic detail. Slow and steady gets the job done. Love the language of the mind that King masters. Why rush a delicious dinner? Or anything else fun for that matter? Enjoy E.Freemantle AKA Beambounder.

[Jojo87]

I have just start with this book. Read only few pages yet.