 | Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King Genres: Fantasy, Romantic Suspense |
My latest and last attempt, this month at least, to showcase King's non-horror work. This book is divided into four different parts. Each part is told in the first person narrative from different people's point of view. As the parts weave themselves together to form one continuous story, it becomes apparent that they all seem to revolve around Carol Gerber, though none of the narratives are hers.
First we meet Bobby Garfield. He, Carol, and S.J. are inseparable 11 year old friends. They all grew up on the same street and have been friends for years. A new tenant moves into Bobby's apartment, an older gentleman who shares Bobby's love for reading. They are soon fast friends. Bobby becomes quite sure that his new friend is quite probably insane. King fans who have read his Dark Tower series will quickly realize that Ted isn't going senile, but has somehow escaped from the tower realm.
While the story quickly develops and draws the reader into its plot, I found it quite disappointing when the first part ended. We move on to a college in Maine, and while the reader is given no clue who is now narrating, we are given enough clues to know that it is no longer Bobby. I found this a bit confusing at first, and yet intriguing. This part of the story started out kind of slow but yet I was hooked, curious to find out who this new character was and where he fit into the yarn that King was weaving.
I have always found it interesting how Stephen King interweaves his previous books and short stories into new plots. The tower concept shows up in several of his books, but this book also made reference to his short story The Library Policeman. King also pokes at the futility of the Vietnam War.
4 stars!
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