Hearts in Atlantis Audiobook [Free Download by Trial]

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Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King

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Summary

Stephen King, whose first novel, Carrie, was published in 1974, the year before the last U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam, is the first hugely popular writer of the TV generation. Images from that war -- and the protests against it -- had flooded America's living rooms for a decade. Hearts In Atlantis is composed of five interconnected, sequential narratives set in the years from 1960 to 1999. Each story is deeply rooted in the sixties, and each is haunted by the Vietnam War. In "Low Men in Yellow Coats," eleven-year-old Bobby Garfield discovers a world of predatory malice in his own neighborhood and that adults are sometimes not rescuers but at the heart of the terror. In the title story, a bunch of college kids get hooked on a card game, discover the possibility of protest...and confront their own collective heart of darkness, where laughter may be no more than the thinly disguised cry of the beast. In "Blind Willie" and "Why We're in Vietnam," two men who grew up with Bobby in suburban Connecticut try to fill the emptiness of the post-Vietnam era in an America which sometimes seems as hollow and haunted as their own lives. And in "Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling," Bobby returns to his hometown where one final secret, and his heart's desire may await him. Full of danger, suspense, and full of heart, Hearts In Atlantis takes some listeners to a place they have never been...and others to a place they have never been able to completely leave.

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10 comments

  • Erwin E.
    •October 28, 2023 at 7:40 pm
    Out of the 500+ books I've bought from this service, William Hurt has got to be the most amazing narrator I've come across so far. It totally caught me off guard, but man, he's just that good. Each time I read or listen to one of Stephen King's books, I can't help but be in awe of his brilliance. This book, "Hearts in Atlantis," is no different. It not only addresses some lingering questions from previous books, but it's also a blast to dive into. Oh, and Mr. King, seriously, when are you gonna make "The Stand" available on here? In my opinion, it's one of your absolute best novels, top two or three for sure. Maybe Mr. Hurt could give it a shot, or whoever, but please, hurry up already.
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  • Giuseppe Hamn
    •October 28, 2023 at 4:48 pm
    I'm not entirely sure if this is part of a series that I overlooked, but it was quite confusing to me. The beginning of the book was captivating, but it abruptly transformed into a jumble of unrelated and perplexing events. The intermittent inclusion of arbitrary music during conversations did not appeal to me. I am still left wondering about the fate of Ted and the low men?!?!?! I had a tough time deciding between this book and another, and now I really regret not choosing the other one instead. It would have saved me my credit and 20 hours of listening.
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  • Abraham Warton
    •October 17, 2023 at 10:16 pm
    I was fully aware and prepared for how terrible Stephen King is as a narrator, but William Hurt sounded like he had never read anything before. There were numerous awkward pauses that shouldn't have been there, and he lacked the ability to differentiate between characters. If the story wasn't as captivating as it was, I would have given up on listening. Now, let's talk about the story itself... I just can't get enough of The Dark Tower, and even though Roland doesn't make an appearance in this book, some of the characters he has influenced are present. I highly recommend this book because of its fantastic storyline, but be warned about the two sets of fingernails continuously scraping the chalkboard. It's quite difficult to get used to, but it can be done! Enjoy the experience!
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  • Ahmed Lux
    •October 12, 2023 at 2:39 am
    It's unfortunate that I may never discover the resolution of this story. It's astonishing that nobody has pointed out the dreadful narration performed by the otherwise talented actor, William Hurt. I couldn't endure Bobby's narrative due to William's heavy breathing and nasal tone. Additionally, he appeared to rush through certain parts of sentences and pause in inappropriate places...Considering his reputation for being meticulous, it's surprising that he found satisfaction in the outcome of his work. As a fan of Stephen King, I hope to eventually read this book. Perhaps, if it's reissued with a different narrator, I'll give it another chance. In the interim, I can fantasize about an unabridged version of The Stand.
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  • Antoine K.
    •October 11, 2023 at 8:30 pm
    This audiobook had me hooked from the start with the first story, "Low Men in Yellow Coats." I absolutely adored it. It's a captivating blend of childhood nostalgia and King-style Sci-Fi. I continued on to listen to the next two stories, but I found myself unsure of my thoughts. Dropping in on later moments in the characters' lives was intriguing, but it didn't feel particularly purposeful. The second story, "Hearts in Atlantis," focused on college kids wasting time, and I couldn't help but feel like it was a bit of a letdown. It did have an authentic feel, as though Mr. King was reminiscing about his own life, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I had wasted my time. Overall, apart from the first part, there wasn't much of an engaging storyline (unless you enjoy observing someone else's life), yet it felt genuine enough that I had conflicting emotions about the book and don't entirely regret listening to it.
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  • Nestor Spielman
    •October 11, 2023 at 6:26 pm
    In my honest opinion, 'Hearts in Atlantis' is truly one of the finest works by Stephen King. It beautifully combines elements of enchantment and sorrow, taking readers on a captivating journey through the 1960s. Through a collection of interconnected tales, this book delicately weaves in a touch of poetic science fiction without compromising its overall gravity (it subtly ties into the Dark Tower series). There's a distinct sense of longing and emotional intensity that lingers with you even long after you've finished reading. I must emphasize that the movie adaptation only covers a mere 20% of the depth found within these pages. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, even though it strays from the horror genre. Just a friendly FYI!
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  • Elijah K.
    •September 19, 2023 at 5:46 pm
    The first segment of this book would have been enjoyable if it weren't for William Hurt's subpar narration. If someone with a higher level of education had read Hearts in Atlantis, it would have been more engaging, easier to get through, and significantly shorter in duration. Another reviewer compared the narration to that of a college student who smokes marijuana, and I wholeheartedly agree. The reading is plagued with unnecessary pauses that drag on, and many sentences are delivered slowly and deliberately, with each word overly pronounced without considering the flow of the sentence. At times, entire sentences and paragraphs become indistinguishable due to rushed enunciation. There are moments of misplaced enthusiasm and lackluster indifference, further detracting from the experience. Fortunately, after the initial portion, Stephen King takes over as the narrator, and you can finally breathe a sigh of relief from the terrible reader. However, the story itself becomes a mundane and relatively meaningless account of college students struggling academically. Most of the ramblings are unrelated to the main plot and lack excitement. Despite this, I persevered, hoping that everything would come together in the end. Unfortunately, I found about 85 percent of the content to be boring and unnecessary. For die-hard Stephen King fans, I suggest enduring the portions narrated by William Hurt at the beginning and end, and skipping the segment narrated by King himself. Just be aware that overcoming Hurt's dreadfully slow reading can be quite challenging. If I had to summarize this disappointing narration in one word, it would be... dissatisfaction.
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  • Mervin Palange
    •September 19, 2023 at 7:32 am
    If you're a fan of books by Stephen King, like "Four Seasons" or "The Green Mile," then "Hearts in Atlantis" will definitely be up your alley. The story is quite enjoyable and gets even better as you progress through the book. Personally, I found the college section to be particularly captivating, which is where the book gets its title from. The only reason I'm giving this book four stars instead of five is due to a few technical issues. The voice actor who narrates the first section of the book lacks interest, as their delivery is very monotonous and can be hard to follow at times. Additionally, the producers decided to include music between each chapter, which I found extremely irritating. The music often didn't match the tone of the book, which was a major distraction. Overall, I suggest giving the sample a listen before committing to downloading the audiobook. If you're a fan of Stephen King, especially his Dark Tower series, chances are you'll enjoy this book. Just make sure you can tolerate the voice actor in the first part of the book (at least Stephen King himself narrates the middle section).
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  • Krystle Cacy
    •September 18, 2023 at 7:41 pm
    I have to say, this is hands down the worst narration of a novel I've ever had the unfortunate pleasure of encountering. It's hard to believe that Mr. King actually approved the release of his book in this state. William Hurt, with his poorly timed and excessively long pauses, loud and hissing deep breaths, inappropriate inflections in his voice, and overall disinterested and monotonous tone, truly managed to ruin this novel for me. He did a major disservice to Mr. King, who is an amazing writer. The story might have been good - I mean, I'm pretty confident it was since I know Mr. King's reputation and have read many of his novels - but I was so distracted by the subpar narration that I just couldn't continue listening. I guess I'll need to read the actual book before I can pass judgment on the story itself. Based on William Hurt's performance, I definitely do not recommend this audiobook.
    0 0 •Reply

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