Shutter
Island is a really interesting, twisted story, and the audio version
was excellent. I’ve seen this movie, but it has been a while ago. I remembered
the ending, but I still enjoyed the telling of the story. It’s very intriguing.
I can’t tell you much about the plot – I’ll just set it up
for you. Teddy Daniels and his partner, Chuck Aule, are US Marshalls in 1954 who
go to Shutter Island, off the coast Boston, to investigate an escaped patient,
Rachel Solando. Ashcliffe Hospital, on Shutter Island, is a facility that
houses the violent criminally insane. The only access to the island is by
ferry, so it is assumed this patient has to either be drowned in the ocean or
hiding somewhere on the island. Things start to not make sense in the
investigation, and Teddy begins to think this is an inside job. Things get more
complicated because of an impending storm, which cuts off communication with
the outside. The storm turns out to be a hurricane and does extensive damage to
the facilities. Teddy is certain that the administrators on the island do not
intend to let him leave.
Lehane writes a really sinister book. Rachel, who has
murdered her three children, leaves coded messages, which Teddy solves. This
leads him to believe there is another missing patient. There’s another patient
that has been beaten, who Teddy doesn’t believe belongs in this facility. Teddy
finds Rachel, who claims to be a doctor, not a patient. Teddy believes they are
performing lobotomies on the island. Chuck goes missing, and Teddy fears he may
be dead.
All of this, plus a really twisted ending leave the reader
gasping for breath. I had the urge to go back and read it again, after the
reveal at the end, just to see if there were hints that I missed.
The audio version of this book is nothing short of superb. I’ve
rarely enjoyed a narrator as much as Tom Stechschulte. His voices are perfect,
his inflections are natural. Nothing is over the top, but everything is smooth
and fitting to the story. Amazing.
If you’ve seen the movie, you might still enjoy the book. If
you haven’t seen the move, read the book first! Fans of a thrilling psychological mystery
with a wonderful twist will enjoy this. I really don’t see how anyone could
anticipate this ending, and we know how difficult that can be for a writer.
Published by William Morrow, 2003
Audio by Harper Audio, 2009
Audio book obtained from the library
336 pages
Rating: 4.5/5
This was a good book but I did figure it out which took away my enjoyment overall.
ReplyDeleteI liked the movie enough.
I bought this book after I saw my first preview for Shutter Island because the movie looked so good. I absolutely loved the book :) Loved the movie too (who doesn't love Leo!) but thought the book was spookier. The movie also left out some of my favorite lines toward the end.
ReplyDeleteLoved reading your take on it :)
This certainly does sound like an interesting mystery. I haven't really seen too many reviews of Shutter Island around but your review has made me want to read it soon :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the movie or read the book (or listened to it) but it sounds like I might have to! I love a good, spooky story.
ReplyDeleteI've seen the movie, which I thought was really good, and have the book on my shelf. I hope it's still a good read even though I know the whole story :)
ReplyDelete