A Stephen King book...

[Checkmite]

I'm reading a book now that I got as a birthday present; it's by Stephen King and it's called "Hearts In Atlantis". I saw the movie and I liked it, if anything because it was quite heavy on nostalgia. Oddly enough, 50's and 60's nostalgia happens to be something I'm quite interested in, even though I was born in 1980. I love the music, the art, the posters and such; the movies, and the general atmosphere. Boy, am I a weird one.

In any case, and although I really like the movie, the book is (predictably) much more compelling than the movie. Firstly, the movie comes only from the first "story" in the book; secondly, it's unlike King's earlier fiction (which I don't particularly care for, to be honest); and thirdly, I was very, very pleasantly surprised to see a link to the world of the Dark Tower (!) worked into the story.

I'm not nearly finished with the book yet, of course, but it's getting read. Has anyone else read the book, and if so, what is your opinion of it?

[Hexxenhammer]

How is it linked to the Dark Tower? Is the kid in it? Go ahead with the spoilers, I don't care.

[Brian]

Insomnia is connected to Dark Tower as well.

[HarryKeogh]

there are lots of fan websites that detail all the links in the books that deal with the dark tower references

i'm glad king is finally finishing up the series (and supposedly writing novels all together). i'm a big fan but those last books have been real stinkers (from a Buick 8 was atrocious)

[RSLancastr]

I read Hearts un Atlantis a few years ago, and remember it being a decent read, but I have subsequently forgotten much of what it is even about, something I could not say of the best of King.

[Peter Jenkins]

I haven't read much Stephen King since 'The Dark Half'. I have never came across anything more boring, wordy, convoluted, lack lustre, dull, tedious, tiresome, verbose, long-winded, rambling, tortuous............... and did I mention wordy and verbose?

Proof positive that King was paid $ per word

And, can someone tell me why 'Delores Clairborne' is listed as a 'horror' novel?

Peter

[Checkmite]

Originally posted by Hexxenhammer
How is it linked to the Dark Tower? Is the kid in it? Go ahead with the spoilers, I don't care.

Near the end of the first story, you find out that Ted Brautigan is an escaped "Breaker", and the "low men" (who were FBI agents in the movie) are servants of the King who've come to capture him. Since the movie was meant for a larger audience than just Dark Tower fans, the producers couldn't add the DT references without confusing the story for people who had no idea what was going on.

[Stainless_Steel_Rat]

They link the "Black House" (and subsequently, "The Talisman") By King and Straub(sp?) to the Dark Tower too.

I haven't even read any of the Dark Tower books, but now I think I'm going to have to.

SSR

[Hexxenhammer]

The first book, "The Gunslinger", is great. Like a paranormal western. The others get a little long. In fact, after waiting for like 10 years for the latest one, I haven't read it yet.

[aerosolben]

Originally posted by Peter Jenkins
Proof positive that King was paid $ per word

Clearly you've never read Dickens.

[aerosolben]

Originally posted by Joshua Korosi
Near the end of the first story, you find out that Ted Brautigan is an escaped "Breaker", and the "low men" (who were FBI agents in the movie) are servants of the King who've come to capture him. Since the movie was meant for a larger audience than just Dark Tower fans, the producers couldn't add the DT references without confusing the story for people who had no idea what was going on.

Clarification: This is more of a reference to "Insomniac", which is itself tied back into the Dark Tower Mythos (mostly with references to the aforementioned [Crimson] King).

[aerosolben]

Originally posted by Hexxenhammer
The first book, "The Gunslinger", is great. Like a paranormal western. The others get a little long. In fact, after waiting for like 10 years for the latest one, I haven't read it yet.

I agree that the subsequent books have a much different feel to them.

I encourage you to read book 4. Like the first book, it's much more of a "paranormal western" than 2 and 3, because the story largely takes place in Roland's past. Plus, it pleasantly resolves the cliffhanger at the end of book 3. Plus, book 5 comes out on November 3, so you need to get cracking :).

[Halbert]

King really likes linking his books together.

The Dead Zone -- one of the criminals he stops is the 'evil spirit' that possesses Cujo. (Not to mention many other new england links through many books).

Eyes of the Dragon (one of my favorites as a teenager) -- links to DT series -- and was written first =P.

[hgc]

Originally posted by Halbert
King really likes linking his books together.

The Dead Zone -- one of the criminals he stops is the 'evil spirit' that possesses Cujo. (Not to mention many other new england links through many books).

...And I thought Cujo just had rabies. Man, I miss a lot by not reading King.

[Halbert]

Admittedly, it has been a while and I might be mis-remembering from another King book.

I do recommend reading a few of them, though. He does an excellent job of establishing characters in a small space of time, and developing tension/suspense in the plot. Not in all his books, but in many.

[VicDaring]

Originally posted by aerosolben


I agree that the subsequent books have a much different feel to them.

I encourage you to read book 4. Like the first book, it's much more of a "paranormal western" than 2 and 3, because the story largely takes place in Roland's past. Plus, it pleasantly resolves the cliffhanger at the end of book 3. Plus, book 5 comes out on November 3, so you need to get cracking :).

There's a new version of the 1st book out now, apparently with about a billion changes. King said he wanted to give it, "the same voice," as the rest of the series, adding that the original version sounded like it had been written by a guy in his 20s who'd been to too many writing seminars.

I'd say if you're looking to get started on the Dark Tower series now, the new Gunslinger is the one to pick up.

[Gutierrezs Ghost]

There's also a new book out now that is basically the cliff note version of all the Dark Tower books. Seems King has trouble remembering everything that has happened since the last time he visited the series, so he hires a researcher to reread them and get him up to speed. The researcher did such a good job this time that he had it published a couple of months before the new book.

I honestly can't remember what's going on in the series. I've probably read hundreds of books since the last one.

[EvilYeti]

Originally posted by Joshua Korosi

I'm not nearly finished with the book yet, of course, but it's getting read. Has anyone else read the book, and if so, what is your opinion of it?

It was alright. It's actually a collection of three (maybe more) short stories that King diddled with to give some common characters and themes. I end result is a book that feels rather transparently stitched together.

I found it interesting that the portion explaining what "Hearts in Atlantis" meant was completely excised from the movie. Kind of like what happened with "Clockwork Orange". Whats unfortunate is I felt that portion was the most compelling part of the book. It was the most realistic depiction of University life I've ever encountered in the popular media. Rather frightening, actually.

[MoeFaux]

It's not one of King's best. I did read the whole book, and I enjoyed it somewhat, but not as much as some of his other stories.
I've also lost a lot of interest in King in the past few years since I've given up being a superstitious freak.
I remember LOVING the Shining and The Stand (I read the extended version, BTW), and being absolutely terrified out of my mind by the stories. I think when you actually believe in demons and possesion and satan and the like, the stories are more gripping. It's just not as fun anymore.
Has anyone else had this experience?

[HarryKeogh]

Originally posted by MoeFaux
I think when you actually believe in demons and possesion and satan and the like, the stories are more gripping. It's just not as fun anymore.
Has anyone else had this experience?

no, which puzzles me. my favorite genre is horror and i don't actually believe in any of that stuff.

also i notice lots of sceptics are big sci-fi and fantasy fans.

though i have lost interest in King just because he's gotten farther away from horror and more into "supernatural type" stuff. Hearts in Atlantis and Bag of Bones hardly fit into the horror category.

[Uther]

I know what you mean, Harry; I think some of the reason I'm a Lovecraft fan is because it lets me indulge that much-neglected superstitious side of myself. Sure, Cthulhu isn't really sleeping under the Pacific, but it's perfectly rational to think he is in the context of the book :)

-Uther

[iankaplan]

Joshua, have you gotten to the second story yet?

It's my favorite thing King has ever written...and it has nothing to do with horror at all.

Evil Yeti wrote of the second story:It was the most realistic depiction of University life I've ever encountered in the popular media. Rather frightening, actually.Interesting that I said it isn't horror, but EY found it frightening. Did it hit a little close to home, EvilYeti? Were you a bit of a compulsive gambler in college?

Anyway, I grew up with a parent who used to be a compulsive gambler, and I have of course experienced my own problems with addiction and compulsive behavior, as well as seen many people simply waste their opportunities pursuing "fun" as a full-time job.

King does a masterful job in that second story. Joshua, let me know if you like it as much as I did.

[EvilYeti]

Originally posted by iankaplan

Evil Yeti wrote of the second story:Interesting that I said it isn't horror, but EY found it frightening. Did it hit a little close to home, EvilYeti? Were you a bit of a compulsive gambler in college?


No, but I found it was most realistic depection of the slacker lifestyle ever commited to print.

I will freely admit it hit a little too close to home :(.

[athon]

Originally posted by VicDaring


There's a new version of the 1st book out now, apparently with about a billion changes. King said he wanted to give it, "the same voice," as the rest of the series, adding that the original version sounded like it had been written by a guy in his 20s who'd been to too many writing seminars.

I'd say if you're looking to get started on the Dark Tower series now, the new Gunslinger is the one to pick up.

I loved the Gunslinger, but I'm not prepared to by any of the other books until he finishes the series. I hate buying five books in a series, only to have each cover looking different because it's ten years between each book, and the covers get redone every time!

Hmm, I should really get a life if this is all I can complain about....

Athon

[Larspeart]

I'm an admitted DT fan.

Yup, it drives me nuts every time they redo all of the covers on them (and the damn sizes too! :mad: ) so that they look like crap sitting on my shelf, but I digress.

I went out and actually bought the revision of The Gunslinger. I could only barely tell the difference. A couple of scenes that were a tad longer. A different verage used in a place or two. not worth my $8.00 though.

I have found that each one has a VERY different feel from the rest, with different language and setting, and well, feel. I started re-readingthe whole set (in time for #5 in November) in August, and I am well into Wizard and the Glass (#4) now.

I rank it as my second favorite book ever, after The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Yes, I like long books.

I also HATE finishing books, because I get that empty feeling. If you look on my shelves, you will find that MOST books have the bookmarker somewhere around the final pages, because I 'forgot' to finish them. True be told, I just don't like to finish books. so, the DT series is perfect for me, because I started reading it 20 years ago, and neither he nor I has finished it.

Must be how Chaucers fans felt about his stuff too, LOL!