Mystic RiverDennis Lehane
I've heard many good things about Dennis Lehane's Mystic River, and I wasn't worried about liking it due to how much I enjoyed his Shutter Island. Ultimately, I found Mystic River to be a riveting, suspenseful read that was a fast addition to my reading resolution.
The novel begins as three young boys are playing on the streets. A car approaches and stops them -- two men are in the car, claiming to be cops. One boy, who lives across town, gets in the car with them to be taken home to his parents; the other two boys are left behind to walk home. As a result of this obviously bad decision (it's immediately clear these men are not cops, despite the fear that blinds the boys to this fact), the lives of all three are irrevocably changed.
The novel then shifts years ahead to their adulthood, as each man struggles to loosen the effect of that fateful day so long ago. While the three are still local, their paths have diverged, and they are no longer the singular unit they once were. That, however, is about to change: a murder soon reunites them, drawing the three together again to confront both the present and past tragedies.
I suspected different people of different things at different points in the novel, and, while I did anticipate a few twists, the overall denouement was surprising and satisfying. I closed Mystic River with a feeling of content -- if not for the characters, then at least for myself. Now I can see the movie . . . at some point.
In a nutshell: Taut, compelling -- nicely done all around.
Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars
The novel begins as three young boys are playing on the streets. A car approaches and stops them -- two men are in the car, claiming to be cops. One boy, who lives across town, gets in the car with them to be taken home to his parents; the other two boys are left behind to walk home. As a result of this obviously bad decision (it's immediately clear these men are not cops, despite the fear that blinds the boys to this fact), the lives of all three are irrevocably changed.
The novel then shifts years ahead to their adulthood, as each man struggles to loosen the effect of that fateful day so long ago. While the three are still local, their paths have diverged, and they are no longer the singular unit they once were. That, however, is about to change: a murder soon reunites them, drawing the three together again to confront both the present and past tragedies.I suspected different people of different things at different points in the novel, and, while I did anticipate a few twists, the overall denouement was surprising and satisfying. I closed Mystic River with a feeling of content -- if not for the characters, then at least for myself. Now I can see the movie . . . at some point.
In a nutshell: Taut, compelling -- nicely done all around.
Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars
2 comments:
This was one of those books that moved so fast and I was so into it that I didn't even know I was reading! Love it when that happens.
I'm reading this now and enjoying it. I hope to read Gone Baby Gone soon.
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