Hearts in Atlantis

[Harley Wench]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed anywhere, so forgive me if I'm repeating something. I have read this book and listened to it several times. Enjoy it, but, can anyone explain the part about Sully when he was stuck in traffic? That part always boggles my mind...any clarification would be appreciated. Thanks!

[boogerb53]

The first time I read it I was totally bewildered. After the 2nd time, I came to the conclusion it was along the lines of the movies Jacobs Ladder and A Thin Blue Line where they are in Vietnam but as they are dying they have all these false forward memories of things that never happened because they never lived. I thinks that's why some ot the things were so bizarre.

[Harley Wench]

Parts of that I got..it was the stuff falling from the sky that threw me. If you haven't "listened" to the book, give it a try. Hurt and King really bring it to life..

[Drawn to Ka-tet]

Hi Harley Wench,
The objects falling from the sky threw me for a loop too. But the more I think about it that scene has a dream-like quality. Sully visions are certainly graphic enough for us to picture them as his reality. But it wasn't his first 'visit' from Mama-San. That was the clue that led me to think he was mixing reality and nightmares. Maybe the mixing was more vivid because he was crossing over...
thoughts?
Long days and pleasant nights.

[boogerb53]

Any idea where I can get cd? I've tried barnesandnoble.com, my stand by.

[Jack_Sawyer]

I havent seen the film and I did attempt the book once and gave up on it. I've got it up in the loft to attempt to read again, although it is a mighty original heavyweight hardback.....

[Harley Wench]

Any idea where I can get cd? I've tried barnesandnoble.com, my stand by.

Try eBay..Mine is on tape but I'm sure you can find it at eBay or Amazon..

[Harley Wench]

Hi Harley Wench,
The objects falling from the sky threw me for a loop too. But the more I think about it that scene has a dream-like quality. Sully visions are certainly graphic enough for us to picture them as his reality. But it wasn't his first 'visit' from Mama-San. That was the clue that led me to think he was mixing reality and nightmares. Maybe the mixing was more vivid because he was crossing over...
thoughts?
Long days and pleasant nights.

Good point..I'm in the process of listening to it again so when I get to that part I'll try keeping that in mind..Thanks

[pixelpusher]

I never understood that part either. It's one thing for a dying man to have some sort of parade of visual stimulus, but this was so specific and seemed to be mostly kitch (aside from the piano). We know that the traffic jam is when Ted transferred Bobby's glove to sully-john, so maybe the junk raining from the sky had something to do with that. Perhaps it was a consequence of opening a door between Ted's where/when and Sully-John's. I'd be delighted to have a definite answer to this question.

[wally wonder]

I think it has to do w/the easy credit plan, same reason the ufers are doing fly-bys, checking out the real estate, prob lookin' to put up a super-mall. Consumerism maybe.
Worlds in flux. A generation lost in space. Rebels w/o a clue, rebels going along to get along. I think maybe it had to do with that whole generation that protested the war in Vietnam. The local paper is doing flash-backs from its 150 year history. Tonight, they had the front page from Jan 1968. The war. Didn't notice anything about the protests. A whole generation mobilized against what the older generation wanted for them. The guys playing Hearts, almost giving up on school. Why? Cause of a sense of guilt? Their brothers were being killed.

The whole mixed up time period. So all that consumerism started falling from the sky. This is what we're fighting for, the easy credit plan, Martha Stewart living, and a Starbucks on every corner. I dunno. Just thoughts.