Shutter Island- Dennis Lehane

“She was afraid of all that and so much more, but what terrified her most was inside of her, an insect of unnatural intelligence who’d been living in her brain her entire life, playing with it, clicking across it, wrenching loose its cables on a whim.” 

'The year is 1954. U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his new partner, Chuck Aule, have come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, to investigate the disappearance of a patient. Multiple murderess Rachel Solando is loose somewhere on this remote and barren island, despite having been kept in a locked cell under constant surveillance. As a killer hurricane bears relentlessly down on them, a strange case takes on even darker, more sinister shades- with hints of radical experimentation, horrifying surgeries, and lethal counter-moves made in the cause of a covert shadow war. No one is going to escape Shutter Island unscathed, because nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is what it seems. But then neither is Teddy Daniels.' 

Shutter Island was 1st published in 2003.

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Number of Pages: 369

ISBN: 978-0-380-73186-2

Price: Rs. 275/- (Flipkart)

I was sent this book by the ALOP team, via Homeshop 18.

About the author: A native of Dorchester, Massachusetts, Dennis Lehane lives in the Boston area. His book 'A Drink Before the War' won the Shamus Award for Best First Novel. 


                                                 

              
He is the author of New York Times bestseller Mystic River, which was made into a film in 2003, directed by Clint Eastwood; it starred Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon. The novel itself was a finalist for the PEN/Winship Award and won the Anthony Award and the Barry Award for Best Novel, the Massachusetts Book Award in Fiction, and France's Prix Mystère de la Critique. 

Quotes from Shutter Island:

“This world can only give me reminders of what I don't have, can never have, didn't have for long enough.” 

 “I loved this woman the way you love ... well, nothing," he said, a note of surprise in his voice. "You can’t compare that kind of love to anything, can you? It’s its own unique gift.” 

“The brain controls pain. It controls fear. Sleep. Empathy. Hunger. Everything we associate with the heart or the soul or the nervous system is actually controlled by the brain. Everything. What if you could control it?” 

Arpita Speaks:

The thin line between dreams and reality becomes negligible, when you can barely tell them apart. They say depression is so easy to fall into. Madness is even more alluring.

How can you be sure that what you are seeing is real? Everyone has their own version of the truth, depending upon what they choose to believe in. And the mind can play funny games.  

If you let it happen, this book can make you question your own notion of truth and reality. This is one of those stories that are so awe-inspiring that no matter how well you try to express yourself, you’ll always fall short of words.

The novel is set in a span of four days, each more sinister and haunting than the last. The dreams, the action, the setting- each will leave your gut clenching with dread. The chilling images can get stuck to your eyelids like a nightmare that would not go away.

I finished this book in a very short period of time and it’s been on my mind for days. I knew the truth about the protagonist before I read the book- but the labyrinthine plot and mind-boggling twists left me thoroughly perplexed towards the end, and completely unsure about what to believe. If you ask me, that’s what sets an author apart: his ability to rope you in so well that you’ll enjoy reading the book even if you know the story.

If it’s supernatural, you can still convince yourself it’s not real and probably won’t ever happen. But science can scare you in a way nothing else can. I suggest you read this book only if you can handle it. 

Rating: 5/5 

Mystic River- Dennis Lehane

BEST SELLERS: Shutter Island; Gone, Baby, Gone

1ST PUBLISHED: 2001

ISBN: 0-553-81616-0

GENRE: Thriller

SYNOPSIS:

When they were children, Sean Devine, Jimmy Marcus and Dave Boyle were friends. But then a strange car pulled up their street. One boy got in the car, two did not, and something terrible happened- something that changed all three boys forever.

Twenty-five years later, Sean Devine is a homicide detective. Jimmy Marcus is an ex-con who owns a corner store. And Dave Boyle is trying to hold his marriage together and keep his demons at bay- demons that urge him do horrific things.

When Jimmy Marcus’ daughter is found murdered, Sean Devine is assigned to the case. His personal life unraveling, he must go back into a world he thought he’d left behind to confront not only the violence of his present but the nightmares of his past. His investigation brings him into conflict with Jimmy Marcus, who finds his old criminal impulses tempt him to solve the crime with brutal justice. And then there is Dave Boyle, who came home the night Jimmy’s daughter died covered in someone else’s blood…

EXCERPT:

She blew a stream of smoke up at the empty clotheslines.

‘These silly dreams you have when you’re young. I mean, what, Katie and Brendan Harris were going to make a life in LAS VEGAS? How long would that little Eden have lasted? Maybe they’d be on their second trailer park, second kid, but it would hit them sooner or later- life isn’t happily ever after and golden sunsets and shit like that. It’s work. The person you love is rarely worthy of how big your love is. Because NO ONE is worthy of that and maybe no one deserves the burden of it, either. You’ll be let down. You’ll be disappointed and have your trust broken and have lot of real sucky days. You lose more than you win. You hate the person you love as much as you love him. But, shit, you roll up your sleeves and work- at everything- because that’s what growing older is.’

‘Annabeth,’ Sean said, ‘anyone ever tell you that you’re a hard woman?’

She turned her head to him, her eyes closed, a dreamy smile on her face. ‘All the time.’

ARPITA SPEAKS:

Dark and disturbing, Mystic River will leave your mind reeling. With an awesome plot and nerve-racking twists, this is a book that will blow you away. However, take care not to take it too seriously- because here’s a novel that can actually deject you if you start looking at life the way the characters do. Stick to the surface, and you’ll thoroughly enjoy the read, despite the fact that everything seems to be going wrong with everyone’s lives.

Sean might appeal to the reader as the rich hero with the best house, the best job, and the best looks- but he has his own regrets to deal with; Dave is downright depressing but one tends to sympathize with him throughout; Jimmy (Sean Penn!!) is the one I love- the one I chose to forgive, no matter what he did. (Don’t judge me.)

The female characters are sketched with finesse. The three protagonists’ wives- and Katie- are curious and unconventional. A certain character is one I admired a lot- and ended up hating by the time I finished the book. The haunting images are just as impressive as the brilliant climax. There isn’t a happy ending; not for everyone. But it’s still going to make you glad- that you got to read such a fantastic thriller.

RATING: 4/5

PRICE: Rs.240/- (Scholastic)

NUMBER OF PAGES: 527