Rating: 
Summary: Definetely not the best by King.
Review: I was very disappointed when I read this book. None of the stories really caught my attention, and none of them was interesting enough to make me rush through the pages, like many other Stephen King books did. The first story, "Low men in yellow coats" is the best one, but only because of its link with the Dark Tower series. Someone who doesn't know those books won't find it as appealing. As for "Hearts in Atlantis", is also a little bit interesting, but it doesn't justify its excessive length. The same thing happens with "Blind Willie". As for the two final stories, "Why we're on Vietnam" and "Heavenly Shades of Night are falling", well... they just bore me to death. I guess even the King can fail sometimes. Better luck on the next book, Stevie.
Rating: 
Summary: Need more stars for this one!
Review: I won't go into any more detail about the novel's plot here. The above synopsis does that quite well as do many of the reviews posted here. I will say, however, that this audiobook is one of the best I've ever heard.
I read HIA when it first came out and fell in love with the story. Bobby Garfield and Ted Brautigan are two of my favorite King characters. Not having the time to re-read this great novel, I decided to compromise and picked up the audio version. Wonderful! I enjoyed King's narration because he sort of seems like an old friend now. But Hurt's narration is award-winning. He adds such wonderful vocal elements to the characters depending on the situation. I was totally mesmerized by his rendition of these words. I'm so happy that I took a chance on these tapes, and this experience leaves me wanting more of these audiobooks.
Although the novel brings in elements from King's Dark Tower series, you don't have to be familiar with those stories to follow HIA. This is a stand-alone novel that pieces together four different stories told over time. I think anyone who likes good story-telling with imaginative prose and well-developed characters will appreciate this book. "Heavenly shades of night are falling, it's twilight time..."
Rating: 
Summary: the supernatural within actual history
Review: Stephen King starts this book with three friends -- Bobby, Carol and Sully-John --- at age 11 in 1960 in Connecticut. During this time, Ted, a mystical old man, moves to the top floor of Bobby's apartment house and the two become friends -- much to Bobby's mother anger. From him, Bobby starts to grow up and learn more about the world and its ways than he had ever thought possible ....The book is written in four parts, with different voices, and moves from 1960 all the way to 1999, with each part capturing a specific time period with a different main character. But it all comes full-circle in the end. This is a great book that captures the many viewpoints on Vietnam --- veterans and protestors alike -- from someone who was around for it, while interlacing an intriguing plot throughout. A good and engaging read.
Rating:
Summary: Two books for the price of one
Review: This book starts out with one story, tells another, and incorporates both. After this book, I rented the movie and was deeply disappointed. It starts with a story of a young boy and a friendship with an older man who has a supernatural connection. You start to wonder as the book seems to end half way through. You are then introduced to new characters and events. Some of the characters are continued in the second half and tied into the rest of the book. The main character of the second half gets involved in a card game addiction almost causing him to flunk out of college. I felt myself identifying with the "one more hand and I'll go study" ploy. Around this character the Viet Nam war is happening. The book ties all the characters together at the end, some rather loosely. King narrates some of this audio book which adds to the enjoyment. After reading the book, don't bother renting the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Don't see the movie!!
Review: All I can say (again) is don't see the movie!! The book was great. It was amazing how all of the stories finally came together. The movie takes only one of the stories & then leaves you hanging--completely! Don't even bother. Read the book
Rating:
Summary: Don't bother seeing the movie
Review: I am a Stephen King fan, although I don't like everything he writes. I thought this book was very interesting. I like the way he ties all the characters together. It was well read by both Hurt and King. After the book I rented the movie and was very disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Uninspired story, but well-executed
Review: I was vastly disappointed with this book. I went through high school voraciously reading every Steven King book I could afford. When he started writing series, I became disinterested. I looked to this book to pique my interest in his work again. But it hasn't. Hearts in Atlantis tells the story of some friends who grew up in The Sixties, fought in the Vietnam war, and came back to find eachother. This seems like a great recipie, but the plot is left hanging at nearly every point because nothing happens to resolve the characters and their problems. What of the low men? Why did Blind Wille do what he did? What really became of the middle-age of the veterans and their friends? Steven King still writes very, very well, but there are flaws emerging. He relies on allusion to music more than ever in this book. The story is well-told, but it's not a very good story to begin with. Perhaps the problem is that the story is well told and _too_ vivid; maybe there are too many details, leading you to expect to a more involving resolution for each of the characters. That just doesn't happen, though, and the reader is left hanging as a result.
Rating:
Summary: William Hurt's reading is wonderful...
Review: I'm not a regular reader of Stephen King's work, but I wanted to read the book after seeing the movie. It was so much "my" era, it touched many chords in my memory. This version (the audio) of Hearts in Atlantis was recommended to me as the best way to experience the book. I wasn't going to listen to the entire thing -- just the first story, which was mostly what the movie was based on, and is by far the longest (8 tapes). William Hurt "becomes" 11-year-old Bobby Garfield as he reads the story. He's terrific. And I went on to listen to the rest of the stories -- I had difficulty stopping. It drew me in. Some parts are not easy to listen to, going back to Vietnam as they do, but I recommend it. The parts of the book that are not read by William Hurt are read by King, and he does an excellent job as well.
Rating:
Summary: Hearts in Atlantis
Review: I was pleasantly surprised at this book. It is not at all like so many of his novels. No horror. No great mystery to be solved. At times I was on the edge of boredom, yet I couldn't put the book down; it compelled me to keep reading. Although several separate and distinctive stories, they are all linked and seem to represent the different ages and stages we all go through. The heart of the stories lies in the emotions and experiences of almost-everyday lives, with just a tinge of the strange and mysterious wrapped throughout.
Rating:
Summary: A picture is not always worth a thousand words.
Review: Excellent novel, thick with imagery and wonder-- unlike the movie of the same name.
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