Reviews
This book will forever haunt me
An intense thriller revolving around an asylum on an island. All I can say that I never expected the ending to be as such.
Marvelous novel full of twists and turns. That ending is absolutely fantastic, and reminds me a lot of Inception - in "what is real, what is not" kind of way. Excellent reflection on human psychology and sanity.
It was a little slow from time to time but the last 50 pages was INTENSE! I truly think they Did a good Job Making the movie, since it's almost exactly as the book!
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane I read this book only because the film was coming out and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It was amazing, the whole time Lehane keeps you guessing, unable to put the book down. You just want to know what happens and the twisted, noir plot keeps you reading. The setting, a mental asylum, makes you think that this will be a typical horror but it is far from it. Read this book! Now!
** spoiler alert ** “Baby, why you all wet? This story is almost tailored to me as a tabletop role-play game designer. If you’ve read it, you’ll know why. In the indie scene there has been many articles written about players (unintentionally) using role-play as a sort of therapy. It’s a safe space with psychic distance, and some games intentionally create a lot of player bleed, where people pour a themselves into their characters. But that’s not what role-play is equipped for. Not in the least. This makes this particular story even more fascinating to me. I’ve seen what role-play can do, as well as it’s limits. So the desperate bid to bring Andrew to himself by playing out his fantasy is very compelling to me. Perhaps making it even easier for me to suspend my disbelief. The ending especially made sense to me. It’s funny, because I think the story otherwise would have felt pretty contrived. What helps, of course, is getting along very well with the prose. The voice here is gripping, interesting, and insistent. And it’s far better than the movie at inserting plausible deniability. I first saw the movie and my date was particularly annoyed when I guessed what was happening in the first five minutes. But that’s because he literally spells it out for you right away. It was still a fun movie to watch, but I would have preferred by far some more deftness with the foreshadowing. The book is that. Before it tips the hat there is a bit of background on the character and some additional context. It’s still there, but it’s far better. What’s more, foreshadowing like that makes sense and is far more satisfying in a book rather than in a movie, in my opinion. “Teddy gave him nothing.”
The author of Mystic River (which I have not read) wrote this thriller about 6 years ago. I saw a preview for the movie and thought it looked exciting -- I was in the mood for exciting --so I picked up on the Kindle for $6. I loved it with one exception, the profanity was far beyond what I expected. Don't ask me what I expected; I should have figured it out given this author's past work. Anyway, I was so hooked into the mystery that I couldn't put it down (talk about rationalization). I do not recommend this to sensitive ears. But holy cow what an ending!
I am a big chicken when it comes to mystery and suspense novels. I am always afraid of what will happen once I turn off the lights after reading them. I've only read one of Dennis Lehane's other books, Mystic River, and I absolutely loved it so I figured that I would love this one as well. Shutter Island is a thrill ride for sure. It takes a lot of twists and turns and you don't know what's real or what's imaginary. While the book is a thriller, it's not scary or gory at all, in fact it reads just like a movie. As a page turner this novel is amazing. It messes with your mind from the very first paragraph. As the layers of the plot unfold, the reader is taken on a suspense filled journey of intrigue and well you know, suspense. I admit that because of my well documented word nerdiness I figured out a lot of the puzzle before it was revealed, but this book was such a fun read, I couldn't wait to see how everything played out. I can't wait to see the movie!
Really enjoyable book! I was pleased to see that the movie followed the book incredibly closely. I do find that it's hard to judge the book on its own, since I've seen the movie multiple times. I knew from the get-go what the twists and explanations were, so I was able to recognize the clues as they were given. In a way, I wish I'd read the book first to see how much I would have picked up on. I think reading the book for the first time would have been confusing, as many scenes (especially the dreams) seem like they'd be confusing to a first-time reader. I do like one change the movie made: (view spoiler)[in the book, there's no indication that Teddy has accepted who he is and what he did on the very last page, but in the movie he says "Which would be worse, to live as a monster or to die as a good man?" which indicates that he HAS accepted it, but would rather get the lobotomy than to live as a monster. I find that a very poignant addition, though the ending of the book was fine as well. (hide spoiler)]
*3.5 stars. I found the story really enjoyable and intriguing, but I knocked *1.5 stars off because I absolutely hated the writing style. This might be one of the rare cases that the film is better than the book.
3.75
Having never read anything by Lehane before, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I'm afraid my expectations were too high. The novel alternated between a psychological thriller and a detective mystery, complete with puzzles. It was a pretty quick read, with engaging dialogue, and likable characters. However, about halfway through the book, I thought I had the ending figured out. I hoped that I was wrong and that I had fallen into a trap set for readers by the author. I prayed for a red herring. Unfortunately, I guessed correctly. My only recommendation is that, if you're interested in reading this book, don't read the synopsis, don't try to think too much about the puzzles, and read as quickly as you can. Perhaps this way you can get to the end before Lehane ruins it for you.
I Read. Reread and Again I want to read.. This is so good
A friend keeps wanting to watch the movie which made me have the urge to read this book. Overall I enjoyed this book, it is written almost as though you're in Teddy's mind, watching the story unfold! Though, never fully believe what you read.
Most amazing book I've read for a long time.Will probablly be one of the best of this year
Este es uno de esos libros que debe leerse sin tener ni idea para garantizar el disfrute (y la conmoción). Aunque soy de las personas se conjeturan tanto como pueden de manera precipitada y tienen un montón de teorías antes de llegar a la mitad del libro, el final no me lo esperaba en absoluto. Algunos elementos del mismo los sospechaba, y no me sorprendí en exceso por esto mismo, pero sin duda no esperaba ese desenlace. Está muy bien planteado. Tanto que hay verdades que tienes por mentiras, y mentiras que terminas por creer. No les voy a contar nada de la trama porque sería un spoiler de principio a fin, pero lo que yo puedo decir que es que la sinopsis no te da ni pista de lo que ocurre en este retorcido lugar. A menos que la escudriñes muy, pero que muy bien. Ahora la vuelvo a leer y digo que muchas cosas tenían sentido desde el principio.
** spoiler alert ** Shutter Island is fairly unique and contains many twist and turns through out the story. You totally believe everything Teddy is going through, then start doubting the same things he does, and eventually question him. There is so much going on and you can come up with many theories on your own and that is all part of the fun. The 4th day part is well done and explained very well, so the reader can follow along. The reason why this book got a 4 star and not a 5 star is simply because of the last few pages. I understand what Lehane was going for, but I felt it was rushed and not set up properly to have much of an affect. I don't expect him to explain what happened, that's an open ended and left to the readers imagination, but the set up and the last few lines made it feel corny and left me thinking, well of course it would end that way. Even with the disappointing ending this book was well written and though out, and overall was a good read.
Highlights
There is no moral order as pure as this storm we’ve just seen. There is no moral order at all. There is only this—can my violence conquer yours?”
He lay on his side, looking out at the sea. So blue at this time of day, so vibrant as the afternoon died around it. He lay there feeling the breeze on his face and the sea spreading out forever under the darkening sky and he felt so small, so utterly human, but it wasn’t a debilitating feeling. It was an oddly proud one. To be a part of this. A speck, yes. But part of it, one with it. Breathing.
I know you. I've known you my whole life. I've been waiting. Waiting for you to make an appearance. Waiting all these years. I knew you in the womb.
How am I supposed to let you go, that's all I'm asking. I want to hold you again, smell you, and yes too, I just want you to fade. To please, please fade...
Teddy felt her in him, pressed at the base of his throat. He could see her sitting in the early July haze, in that dark orange light a city gets on summer nights just after sundown, looking up as he pulled to the curb and the kids returned to their stickball game in the middle of the street, and the laundry flapped overhead, and she watched him approach with her chin propped on the heel of her hand and the cigarette held up by her ear, and he'd brought flowers for once, and she was so simply his love, his girl, watching him approach as if she were memorizing him and his walk and those flowers and this moment, and he wanted to ask her what sound a heart made when it broke from pleasure, when just the sight of someone filled you the way food, blood, and air never could, when you felt as if you'd been born for only one moment, and this, for whatever reason, was it.
But as the years passed, he missed her more, not less, and his need for her became a cut that would not scar over, would not stop leaking. I held her, he wanted to say . . . I held her. This world can't give me that. This world can only give me reminders of what I don't have, can never have, didn't have for long enough. We were supposed to grow old together, Dolores. Have kids. Take walks under old trees. I wanted to watch the lines etch themselves into your flesh and know when each and every one of them appeared. Die together.
Chuck said, "F*ck if I know." Cawley stepped up beside them. "Quite similar to our clinical conclusion."