Shutter Island

[Lady Lazarus]

I know this book is popular on other internet discussion sites, so I thought I'd introduce it here. It's by far one of the best books I've read in a long time - it's the story of two FBI agents who have to investigate the disappearance of a missing patient from a psychiatric institution on a remote island. It's not exactly a crime book, more of a 'psychological thriller' I'd say. Lots of unexpected turns in the plot, and the ending is most unusual... without spoiling anything, you think the story ends one way until the very last couple of pages.

Has anyone else here read it? What did you think of the ending?? (a bit vague to say the least!)

Has anyone read any of Dennis Lehane's other books?

[Bill]

Here is the link:

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[Adrian]

Has anyone read any of Dennis Lehane's other books?

A Drink Before the War is truly superb. It's his first and definitely his best. I haven't read Shutter Island (came into this thread because I thought it was about a Nelson de Mille book with a similar name).

[Mouse]

Just finished it before I get round to seeing the film (although I think I have to wait for the DVD now). Loved the ending, as I always enjoy twists. Having seen enough films like that, I should have guessed, but the writing is so clever and throws you off completely.

[Lady Lazarus]

I am not a big reader of this sort of book but I (vaguely!) remember enjoying it. I will look forward to the film.

[lunababymoonchild]

I have just finished reading this book and thought that it was superb. I came to it after watching the film so had an idea of the storyline and the film is very faithful to the book.

Well worth reading and I'll look out for his other books.

[warrior07]

Borrowed the book after seeing the film trailer but was a bit too scared to actually go and see the film.

Thought the book was excellent, loved the various twists at the end and read it really quickly as it got me hooked into the story.

Would definitely read another one of his if it is written in a similar style.

May even risk watching the film now i know what happens! :)

[Jen]

I've just finished this and thought it was excellent. The dream sequences were particularly effective, I imagine that they work very well on film too. the ending was fantastic, very twisty turny. I'd be interested to hear whether anyone had guess what was going on before the end, and I mean exactly what was going on, from all the various clues that are given.

[chuntzy]

Just got this from the library and although only 50+ pages in so far I can tell I'll be gripped.

ETA: I read earlier this year his Drink Before the War and thought that excellent.

[chuntzy]

I've just finished this and thought it was excellent. The dream sequences were particularly effective, I imagine that they work very well on film too. the ending was fantastic, very twisty turny. I'd be interested to hear whether anyone had guess what was going on before the end, and I mean exactly what was going on, from all the various clues that are given.

Did not guess and in fact went online to see if anyone else needed explanations. A lot did.

No matter: it was, to coin a phrase, unputdownable.

[CarShow]

I know that you'd probably stone me, but this is the first time that I've heard of Lehane. Again, thanks for the recommendations here.

[Jen]

Did not guess and in fact went online to see if anyone else needed explanations. A lot did.

No matter: it was, to coin a phrase, unputdownable.I just wondered whether someone with an eye for anagrams would get the clue in the names. I certainly didn't.

[lunababymoonchild]

I know that you'd probably stone me, but this is the first time that I've heard of Lehane. Again, thanks for the recommendations here.Ach, I'd never heard of Lehane until reading about him here, so no stoning (we're not like that).

[printingink]

I just saw the movie and had no idea that it is based on a book! That happens so often and every time I think why I didn't check before - because I prefer to read the book than to watch a movie. The books are always better! Thanks for making me aware of this author! I think I'll have a look at the other books from him that were mentioned here, because the movie "Shutter island" was very good! So I suppose the book is even better ;)

[Hazel]

I thought the film was utter poo, so I'd say that the book was waaay better.

[Binker]

I just finished this book and enjoyed it a lot. I did figure out almost (but not quite all) of it.

At first, I thought it was just possible that there were experiments being done on that island and that Teddy had been brought there because of his history and penchent for violence. After all, the Tuskegee experiments really happened. But I'm not much very attracted to conspiracy theories and it just seemed like it would involve way too many people. The moment I completely abandoned it was when Teddy found George Noyce on the island.

Once I abandoned that line of thought, I decided that it was Teddy who was crazy. And the moment I was certain was when he climbed down to rescue Chuck from the beach and found that Chuck's body was just a rock and then saw all of those rats. Rats don't generally swarm like that, so it seemed more of a nightmare vision. And once you think Teddy is the crazy one, much of the rest of it falls together. I did not see the anagrams (my husband is someone who sees anagrams immediately--it's really a little startling--so it was all I could do not to ask him to look at them). I thought "Laeddis" was a funny name and might turn out to "mean" something, but never got beyond that. But I did figure out that Rachel's story had to be the key, since that's what "brought" Teddy to the island. So I thought that Teddy had killed Dolores, but I thought he had burned down the apartment building. And I didn't realize that the children Rachel killed were manifestations of Teddy's children, since he never mentioned them. But of course, given what happened, he wouldn't have.

What I didn't see at all was that the people on the island had created this elaborate game just to try and get Teddy to break. Once that was revealed, I thought it unlikely that Teddy would hold on to the break, so the final, final, final ending wasn't terribly surprising. And while I thought Chuck might not be who he said he was, I did not figure out he was Sheehan at all. I will say that once I realized that Teddy was the crazy one, I felt sorry for his various doctors and orderlies who had to sleep with him in a room.

The central story of Teddy and Dolores was very well done, I thought. In the U.S., there have been several stories of mothers who have killed their children and you frequently find that the father knew that the mother was mentally ill in some way and left the children in her care anyway. In particular, the 2001 case of Andrea Yates in Houston, Texas involved a woman who was severly mentally ill and yet her husband left her home alone with the children despite strong warnings by the medical community and even Andrea's family (the story is even worse than I'm making it sound). Of course, she went on trial, but he did not. She was eventually found not guilty by reason of insanity (which I think is appropriate), but I think he should have been charged with reckless endangerment of his children. But he wasn't--he divorced her and has married again. Her case was so extreme that people were appalled that he wasn't charged, but I think Teddy's story is more typical. The father knows there's something wrong, but never imagines that she is any danger to the children until she shows that she is.

Anyway, a worthwhile read, which you probably can't tell from this post if you don't read the spoilers. And if you haven't read the book, you shouldn't read the spoilers.

[brightphoebus]

I have just got this out of the library for Mr bp on the strength of this thread. Thanks, comrades :)

[Jen]

It has been quite a while since I read this and it's a book that has endured in my memory. I whole heartedly recommend it to anyone who likes thrillers for all of the reasons that Binker discusses, which of course you can't read until you've read the book!

[VALM]

I have read Shutter Island twice, once a few years ago and then again last year just before the film was released. Both times I really enjoyed it. I've also read The Given Day and Mystic River. I preferred Mystic River of the two and had seen the film adaptation first.