| I'm not going to make this review very long, it would be tedious in that while scrolling through the other reviews, it would seem that everyone who didn't love the book seemed confused that it wasn't horror. With Stephen King being my favorite author, of course I'm partially biased to like nearly everything he writes, but to prove that I'm not, I found Rose Madder to be completely boring. Hearts in Atlantis accomplishes the goal of what a novel should: it envelops the reader into a different world, a fantasmic place that seems to be real, forcing you to drop reality and live in this world. The related stories are all excellent, with my favorite being the first, "Low Men in Yellow Coats." I could see the world through the eyes of Bobby Garfield, and shared his experiences. The 60's came alive for me, a time occuring long before I was born, but taking on a new tangibility. The title story was also great, a faithful display of college life (from what I've been through so far) taking place in the late 60's. A character study with an invigorating plot is more than I could have hoped for, and was pleasantly surprised. The final story in Hearts in Atlantis, "Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling" evoked such feelings of fulfillment and wonder as to make me unable to let go of this touching story. I recommend this book to everyone with the repeated warning that it's not, by nature, a horror novel. Simply put, it's a great story from the greatest storyteller of our time that shouldn't be missed. |