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nzlisam 's review for:
Mystic River
by Dennis Lehane
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Every twist in Mystic River peeled back another emotional scar.
1975 – Sean Devine (11), Jimmy Marcus (11), and Dave Boyle (10) spent every Saturday together – until the day an incident shattered their friendship and irrevocably changed the course of their lives.
2000 – When Jimmy’s 19-year-old daughter, Katie, is brutally murdered, the three men are drawn back into each other’s lives. As the investigation unfolds, long-buried resentments, suspicions, and traumas resurface, threatening to destroy what little stability they’ve built since childhood
Mystic River was a slow burn, complex, character driven, morally grey mystery/psychological thriller/police procedural where fate and choice was the central conflict. The mystery unfolded in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, against a backdrop of class tension, with two of the boys growing up on the wrong side of the tracks – with a lack of positive role models, surrounded by criminals and gangsters – while the third was raised in an affluent neighbourhood high on the hill. All the characters and POV’s were complex, raw, damaged, yet achingly real.
The novel was also a study in emotional repression – particularly when childhood trauma is left unaddressed. Counselling and emotional support in the 1970’s, particularly for boys, was unheard of, meaning they endured their pain silently and alone, internalising their guilt and shame. This led to the adults in this novel forming strained relationships, mistrusting others, and resorting to dangerous, even illegal, behaviour. The story also tackled the aftermath of sudden, violent loss, and the grief, fear, helplessness and rage associated with it.
The only downside was that I solved Katie’s murder very early on, zeroed in on a couple of clues and everything just slotted into place. Even though I went into this novel blind and had managed to avoid spoilers all these years, I have read (and watched) countless mysteries since the release of Mystic River in 2001, several of which had similar motives and reveals, that were probably inspired by this modern classic. Even though it was a bit of a bummer to have guessed correctly it didn’t affect my overall reading experience as Mystic River contained much deeper emotional and psychological themes.
I understand now why Mystic River is considered Dennis Lehane’s best work.
1975 – Sean Devine (11), Jimmy Marcus (11), and Dave Boyle (10) spent every Saturday together – until the day an incident shattered their friendship and irrevocably changed the course of their lives.
2000 – When Jimmy’s 19-year-old daughter, Katie, is brutally murdered, the three men are drawn back into each other’s lives. As the investigation unfolds, long-buried resentments, suspicions, and traumas resurface, threatening to destroy what little stability they’ve built since childhood
Mystic River was a slow burn, complex, character driven, morally grey mystery/psychological thriller/police procedural where fate and choice was the central conflict. The mystery unfolded in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, against a backdrop of class tension, with two of the boys growing up on the wrong side of the tracks – with a lack of positive role models, surrounded by criminals and gangsters – while the third was raised in an affluent neighbourhood high on the hill. All the characters and POV’s were complex, raw, damaged, yet achingly real.
The novel was also a study in emotional repression – particularly when childhood trauma is left unaddressed. Counselling and emotional support in the 1970’s, particularly for boys, was unheard of, meaning they endured their pain silently and alone, internalising their guilt and shame. This led to the adults in this novel forming strained relationships, mistrusting others, and resorting to dangerous, even illegal, behaviour. The story also tackled the aftermath of sudden, violent loss, and the grief, fear, helplessness and rage associated with it.
The only downside was that I solved Katie’s murder very early on, zeroed in on a couple of clues and everything just slotted into place. Even though I went into this novel blind and had managed to avoid spoilers all these years, I have read (and watched) countless mysteries since the release of Mystic River in 2001, several of which had similar motives and reveals, that were probably inspired by this modern classic. Even though it was a bit of a bummer to have guessed correctly it didn’t affect my overall reading experience as Mystic River contained much deeper emotional and psychological themes.
I understand now why Mystic River is considered Dennis Lehane’s best work.