Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Hearts in Atlantis
Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Stephen King
Class/Genre: Mystery
Scribner, Sep 1999,$28.00, 528 pp.
This collection consists of five interrelated tales centering on people growing up in the 1960's and the era's aftermath impact on the next three decades. Two of the stories are long novellas while three are short stories. All five tales center on adopting or not a social group's generalizations and concepts that harm the spirit of the individual while causing destructive behavior to society as a whole. Nam is the thread that haunts each story with Carol being the character that cements the tales.
"Low Men in Yellow Jackets". In 1960 Connecticut, eleven years old Bobby becomes a buddy with Ted, an elderly new neighbor. This action begins to separate him from his friends Carol and Sully. Over the next few years, Bobby gets into trouble with society until in 1963 he is sent to a youth correctional facility.
"Hearts in Atlantis". In 1966, the narrator entered the University of Maine where over the next four years he learns more about life off-campus especially about social involvement. While playing cards, Pete wonders why his orderly high school belief system fails to provide him anymore solace. Only Carol and her peace movement offer him inner harmony.
The three short stories bring the cast into the eighties and nineties. All prove that the generation of the sixties lost more than just its innocence by the end of the millennium.
Stephen King's effort to tie the tales into a cohesive theme works extremely well and is better than his previous tries. The moral of the book compels readers to ascertain that individuals and genuine friendships should be the only ties that bind us. Group thought leads to insensitivity and bigotry. Mr. King may have written his "Schindler's List"
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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