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Thread: Hearts and Hearts in Atlantis *SPOILERS*

  1. #26
    Constant Reader Darkthoughts has a spectacular aura about Darkthoughts has a spectacular aura about Darkthoughts has a spectacular aura about Darkthoughts's Avatar

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    I love Ted, theres a guy in my local who I picture as Ted anytime I read the book...strangely enough, I was reading HiA in the pub garden last week and he walks past and says "No better company than a good book!", which made me think he's Ted even more
    I'd have enjoyed Low Men even without the DT connections, I just really enjoyed the relationship between Ted and Bobby, even the conflict with Bobby's Mum

  2. #27
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    As a Vietnam veteran, I've always felt a special bond with this book. It's among my favorites. I have to say, though, that I still don't agree with the pacifist perspectives, but I DO respect those who felt (and still feel) that way. That's why I went over there.

    John

  3. #28
    Constant Reader Darkthoughts has a spectacular aura about Darkthoughts has a spectacular aura about Darkthoughts has a spectacular aura about Darkthoughts's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by jhanic View Post
    As a Vietnam veteran, I've always felt a special bond with this book.
    That occured to me whilst I was reading it - there were alot of levels on which I thought "if I played hearts/was American/was a Vietnam vet/lived in the 60's, I could appreciate this story more", I didn't dislike any of it, but I felt that it was a "you had to be there" book in many ways.

  4. #29
    The Tenant Jean has a brilliant future Jean has a brilliant future Jean has a brilliant future Jean has a brilliant future Jean has a brilliant future Jean has a brilliant future Jean has a brilliant future Jean has a brilliant future Jean has a brilliant future Jean has a brilliant future Jean has a brilliant future Jean's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Darkthoughts View Post
    I just reread this book and still couldn't really get into any of the stories apart from Low Men In Yellow Coats.
    the same. I don't even know when I can summon the willpower to reread any other than that one.

    Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
    When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)

    bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  5. #30
    John F. Kennedy hoin1585 is on a distinguished road hoin1585's Avatar

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    I finished DT5 and "Low Men In Yellow Coats" last week.

    Now I have a question.

    Is Ted in DT6 or DT7 ?
    LOVE + PEACE = INFORMATION

  6. #31
    The White! MonteGss is on a distinguished road MonteGss's Avatar

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    Keep reading to find out.

  7. #32
    Roont jhanic has a brilliant future jhanic has a brilliant future jhanic has a brilliant future jhanic has a brilliant future jhanic has a brilliant future jhanic has a brilliant future jhanic has a brilliant future jhanic has a brilliant future jhanic has a brilliant future jhanic has a brilliant future jhanic has a brilliant future jhanic's Avatar

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    DT 7.

    John

  8. #33
    Silverloch John_and_Yoko will become famous soon enough John_and_Yoko's Avatar

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    Just finished the whole book, so....

    "Low Men in Yellow Coats": had a strange, love-hate relationship with it. No indifference, let me tell you, and while there was a lot about it I hated, I can't say with conviction that I hated this story as a whole. Kind of hard to describe, I know--both loving and hating it at the same time, but at least I won't forget it....

    "Hearts in Atlantis": I enjoyed that, found it potent. No love-hate relationship here.

    "Blind Willie": I liked this, and it was informative, if not exactly emotional to me.

    "Why We're In Vietnam": Confusing, very confusing with the jumps in time I wasn't prepared for. But it became heartbreaking later on.

    "Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling": A tearjerker, but in a happy sense rather than a sad sense. A fitting end to a great book.



    All in all, an enjoyable and informative roller coaster ride of a book, and perhaps enough to make my Top Ten Non-Dark Tower Stephen King books (I say "perhaps" in case I like anything I've got left to read better later on).

  9. #34
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    If you can, try to get a copy of The New Lieutenant's Rap, a rare chapbook issued back in 1999. It's an expansion of part of "Why We're in Vietnam" that is also very good.

    John

  10. #35
    Along the Path of the Beam glm is on a distinguished road

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    That was just an awesome book all around.

  11. #36
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    I loved this book and have reread it many times.

    I have never played Hearts for money, only on the computer, the first time being a few weeks ago.

    I named my opponents Roland, Eddie and Susannah - for some reason Roland seems to win the most!

  12. #37
    John F. Kennedy Truth is on a distinguished road Truth's Avatar

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    HIA was an amazing story all around and the only reason i read it was because a friend told me about Ted but wen i got to the cover story it quickly became my favorite non-DT related Stephen King Story.

  13. #38
    Gunslinger Apprentice theyspunaweb is on a distinguished road theyspunaweb's Avatar

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    I'm reading HIA right now, and I've read a few books in between that and then recently finished the DT series.

    I recall a lot of Father Callahan and the Men in Yellow Coats from the DT series, but I don't remember where Ted comes into play. Could someone refresh my memory? Could he be Father Callahan? I feel like I am missing a huge piece here, and may not get to re-reading the DT for a little while (I plan on reading Insomnia next). But I can continue anyways...

    I am almost done with Low men in Yellow Coats. Anyways, has anyone seen the movie Hearts in Atlantis? Isn't it bizarre that they call it that but it is based off of the first story from the book, Low men in Yellow Coats? Why wouldn't they call it that? I guess because, the title isn't as inticing...but I don't really get it... my friend rented it the other day and when I told her what I was reading she got all excited cause it was her most recent netflix rental, but she said she hadn't read that SK yet, and hadn't heard of the other stories to follow, and didn't think they were in the book. Or why wouldn't he just have made the movie about the actual story Hearts in Atlantis from the book? I guess it's just bizarre to have mulitple story movies and the whole book was titled HIA so...what the heck.

    rambling...

  14. #39
    Roont jayson is on a distinguished road

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    Quote Originally Posted by theyspunaweb View Post
    I'm reading HIA right now, and I've read a few books in between that and then recently finished the DT series.

    I recall a lot of Father Callahan and the Men in Yellow Coats from the DT series, but I don't remember where Ted comes into play. Could someone refresh my memory?
    Ted is...

    Dark Tower 7 Spoiler

  15. #40
    Gunslinger Apprentice theyspunaweb is on a distinguished road theyspunaweb's Avatar

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    Thank you R_of_G. I must have read that in another spoiler here on the forum because I knew he was, but I thought that it would be known later on in HIA, since I am almost finished with it but not quite.

  16. #41
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    I loved Hearts in Atlantis. The book as a whole I mean, this story included. I loved the interconnected nature of the stories too, i.e. is the book a novel? A book of short stories? Or Both? I'd like to write a book like that. (A book of interconnected short stories I mean, not the subject matter of this book.)

    As for Hearts, I hadn't heard of the game until I read the story. The brief description of the rules in the book sounded rather boring though. I do like card games, though, although I don't play that often. I used to play knock out poker and Black Jack* in the sixth form.

    *We called it 'Black Jack', but according to the rules I've read on the internet it's a completely different game. Ours seems like more fun though. I don't want to do maths whilst I'm playing cards thank you very much. I've heard our version called 'Twizzle' elsewhere, although the rules were slightly different. A great game though.

    EDIT- one Jean hearts link later....

    That looks really involved! I think I'll stick with Black Jack.

  17. #42
    Gunslinger Apprentice theyspunaweb is on a distinguished road theyspunaweb's Avatar

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    I'm still reading this book (almost finished with the story about the Hearts game) and it is interesting enough...but only because I have had a lot of men in my involved with war. The boyfriend I have right now, decided not to go into the army to be with me basically, and the one right before him I broke up with because after 2 years he randomly decided to join the army. So I guess that is how I relate with this story a bit. However the vietnam war is far different than the one(s) going on now. A lot of what is going on is being hidden from us now and reading this book that's pretty in your face. America isn't as involved in the war going on like it was in the book as King describes.

    Anyways... the cards, I think the game sounds more interesting with all that King puts into this story, I never used to play before or understand hearts, but I can't imagine why people could waste so much money playing 5cent points. I get that money was worth more then and some people are more into cardles or become addicts but it just isn't me. I however am a fan of texas hold'em and have played in high school tournaments as the only girl in my group of friends a bunch of times. It was a lot of fun, and the entertainment was worth the 10 or 20 bucks you put in for the whole night. But even then I didn't always play, and more than 4 people got to play in a game, and...I guess I just can't see how a card game could ruin your whole college career. But that's just a personality thing.

  18. #43
    Gunslinger Apprentice Whitey Appleseed is on a distinguished road Whitey Appleseed's Avatar

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    I loved this story, stories. Grew up thinking the next logical step after high school would be war, sorta like Gene and Finny, in A Separate Peace, and like the two boys in that story, we also Prepared Ourselves for Manhood by playing rough. Area had a bunch of train trestles, soon-to-be idle mills, and those were our battlegrounds. If our mothers knew we were climbing the steel of the trestles they probably would have demanded a big playpen in the middle of town, complete with guards, escorts home, the works.

    But we also watched The Big Kids protesting on the TV, getting their heads bashed in by the Chicago cops, hanging out in San Francisco, and for some reason, my group of friends began Preparing for that, as well, corny stuff like marching around the four-gable schoolhouse and chanting 'down with Nixon!' Hearts had a sense about it that that part of the 60s was for naught. So much for being awake, like Johnnie, in the Zone. But, I dunno, maybe not. Or maybe that sense of guilt, the one shared by the Hearts players, is kinda redeemed at the end. Penance. Pennants. It's all only Information and what we do it with it is the key...shrug.

  19. #44
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    I was a Spades man, never got into hearts....but yeah...you can appreciate the story without the game of hearts....

  20. #45
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    I have read Low Men Several times and it is one of my Favorite King Short Stories. I must say the rest of the stories just did not do it for me. I never went to college and I was in the Marine Corps and we played lots of cards, Mostly Spades. Maybe I will give it a second go around.... I have been trying to figure out what to read next. If I can't make it through I will just pick up my copy of The Talisman which seems to be calling my name lately

  21. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by theyspunaweb View Post
    I guess I just can't see how a card game could ruin your whole college career. But that's just a personality thing.
    I can totally see it. I've done it myself, to a much lesser degree, with video games rather than card games though.

    Usually it's the Grand Theft Auto series of games for the Playstation. I've completed the games many times but every once in a while I'll get an itch to start over and play them through again.

    I usually only play for a couple of hours every night but I can certainly see how addicting it could get. I sometimes will say I'm only going to play for 30 minutes or so and I'll look at the clock and realize that 2 hours have gone by.

    That's pretty much what happened in the story. Then when money is involved and nearly everyone else is doing it too, it makes it that much more tempting.

  22. #47
    Roont jayson is on a distinguished road

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    Quote Originally Posted by Iwritecode View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by theyspunaweb View Post
    I guess I just can't see how a card game could ruin your whole college career. But that's just a personality thing.
    I can totally see it. I've done it myself, to a much lesser degree, with video games rather than card games though.
    Exactly. Substitute Tetris for Hearts and you have the story of much of my freshmen year (minus the impending draft).

  23. #48
    Gunslinger Apprentice theyspunaweb is on a distinguished road theyspunaweb's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by R_of_G View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Iwritecode View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by theyspunaweb View Post
    I guess I just can't see how a card game could ruin your whole college career. But that's just a personality thing.
    I can totally see it. I've done it myself, to a much lesser degree, with video games rather than card games though.
    Exactly. Substitute Tetris for Hearts and you have the story of much of my freshmen year (minus the impending draft).
    Tetris! I've gotten into things before...everyone does for me it's more like I'm really into my favorite band. Or when I was younger I really, was into Lord of the Rings. I hope I'm never into anything that isn't more than a phase though.

  24. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Whitey Appleseed View Post
    I loved this story, stories. Grew up thinking the next logical step after high school would be war,.....

    You sound like you're around my age - 52yo but closer to 53 than I want to be

    All through junior high and high school I knew if I didn't study and study hard my next step after school would be the jungles of Nam. It was a given. My brother went and both my brothers-in-law went. I did study and did make good grades but we were also dirt poor and college was just a dream. Luckily for me, Nixon ended the war and the draft the year I graduated high school. What did I do after high school you may ask? Joined the Air Force!

    Anywho, I just (like 20 minutes ago) finished reading Hearts In Atlantis. I loved every story in it and felt like I was a part of it in many places. I try to explain to younger people now what it was like growing up with the draft in place, growing up during that time when it seemed like the entire country had gone mad. Growing up watching the war, the protests, the war, the assassinations, the war, beatlemania!, the war, Hubert Humphrey, the war, J. Edgar Hoover, the war, etc. It really is a "you had to be there" thing that SK does come very close to verbalizing......at least for those of us who were there. I guess I should be glad I was too young to have been a soldier or a hippie because if things had pulled me either way I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be here now. I don't think I could have resisted the charms of ole Flagg.

  25. #50
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    Quote Originally Posted by Darkthoughts View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by jhanic View Post
    As a Vietnam veteran, I've always felt a special bond with this book.
    That occured to me whilst I was reading it - there were alot of levels on which I thought "if I played hearts/was American/was a Vietnam vet/lived in the 60's, I could appreciate this story more", I didn't dislike any of it, but I felt that it was a "you had to be there" book in many ways.
    May be.

    I definitely loved it, and the reasons why are so much the same reasons that I so love Stephen King.

    It is Americana. Sure.

    A really great book.

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