Hearts In Atlantis

About Hearts In Atlantis

This book consists of two novellas and three short stories, each connected to the next by recurring characters and taking place in chronological order.

The stories are subtly about the Baby Boomer generation, specifically King's view that this generation (to which he self-consciously belongs) failed to live up to their promise and ideals. Significantly, the opening epigraph of the collection is the Peter Fonda line from the end of Easy Rider: "We blew it." All of the stories are about Baby Boomers, and in all of them, the members of that generation fail profoundly, or are paying the costs of some profound failure on their part. The closing "Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling" is clearly meant as a eulogy for the promise of the Baby Boom generation, with the hint of redemption.

The first, and longest, part, "Low Men in Yellow Coats", takes place in 1960 and revolves around a young boy, Bobby Garfield. He lives in Harwich, Connecticut with his self-centered mother, Liz, a widow, and he really wants a bicycle. His mother claims they do not have the money for a bike, despite her constant purchases of new clothing. For his eleventh birthday, Bobby's mother gives him a birthday card containing an adult library card. During this time, Bobby doesn't realize that his mother is having a relationship with her boss. Bobby spends his time with his two best friends, John "Sully" Sullivan and Carol Gerber.