Customer Reviews

Mystic River: A Novel

5 star:		(209)
4 star:		(64)
3 star:		(33)
2 star:		(30)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

A superbly written, character-driven story. Rich and meaty, like a scrumptious steak dinner (that's if you're not a vegetarian, of course), Mystic River is the best novel I've read in a very long time. Shutter Island was also terrific. I wish more authors could write like this.

I found this book to be just amazimg. There is so much going on this book as well as the characters are three dimensional not one dimensional. In addition to being mystery, it is an exploration of friendships past and human nature. At the beginning of the book we are presented with Jimmy, Sean, and Dave and with the one event that changed everything in their lives and friendship. Later on in the book, with Jimmy's daughters death, the author explores how they three will interact. This is a gripping book and it never lets. All through the book, we come back to that one event that changed their lives forever.

I don't often come across a book that I like less than its movie adaptation, but Mystic River happened to be one of those books. Just because an author can elaborate with thousands of words - it doesn't mean that he should, and this incredibly drawn out story made me wish for the exactness of gifted authors like Graham Greene. Clint Eastwood did the story justice though - and his portrayal of the characters was exactly what the audience needed to know...

This is one of my all time favorite books! I hadn't seen the movie, but recognized the name when I picked up the book at a local Barnes and Nobles. I could not put this book down. It was absolutely amazing. The description is outstanding and Lehane will keep you wanting more and more as you turn each page. I literally was staying up all night reading. This was one of those books that I was very disappointed when I finished it, because i enjoyed reading it so much. Soon after, we rented the movie. Although the movie is GREAT, the book is 100% better!!

I devoured the Kenzie and Gennaro books in rapid succession after reading Sacred but was hesitant to read Mystic River for some reason. Since I had a trip ahead of me I packed it for on-flight reading and tried to get into it. I will say that it wasn't as much of a page turner for me as his other books but that once I really sat down and got into it I loved it. I usually figure out who the killer is early in a book but he threw me a terrific plot twist. Pick up his books, all of them, you won't be sorry you did.

I resisted reading Mystic River because I had not seen the movie - but I am delighted that I did. It is a first rate page-turner with rich details (scenes, characters, connections -- life, etc.) that a movie can only hint exists. I still have not seen the movie, but it is definitely on my "to see" list.

The book's slow beginning paid huge dividends in character and relationship developments that provide significant plot interaction and clues. The book began with a traumatic event that happened when the three main characters were eleven. Mystic River captures the times and innocence of youth very well.

Lehane tosses in clues to the killer like grape tomatoes in a spinach salad. They are subtle, psychological, but evident when you reflect. I did figure out the multiple killers, but it did not make the book any less enjoyable.

I saw clips of Sean Penn in various previews and easily understand what a commanding performance he gave. In this book, Jimmy, his character is powerful, thoughtful, intelligent, and it is easy to feel his pain, sadness, or sense of humor.

Filled with great descriptions, charged with emotions, and an excellent way to spend time - this book has it all. It is a five star book.

Victoria Tarrani

Not since Jackson McCrae's "The Bark of the Dogwood" have I been so moved and delighted by a book. This novel really touched me more than any previous novel (with the exception of the McCrae)I've had a chance to read. It's such a gripping, well told story with such solid characters. Lehane does a great job of showing the emotions of the characters, but at the same time keeping it interesting and nicely paced. He brings together all of the elements necessary for a good novel: excellent characters, superb plot, intriguing setting, nice twists, along with an extraordinary style of writing. I would highly recommend this novel and say that you're missing out on a lot if you pass it up.

It's a good book if you haven't already seen the movie because the two are identical. I saw the movie and really enjoyed it so I wanted to read the book for more illustrative details however it was EXACTLY like the movie and will be a let down if you expected additional twists and more storyline.

Lehane's "Mystic River" is quite unique in that it is an intelligent thriller that knows how to build its characters and story. Unlike some of others who read the book, I couldn't readily identify Kate's killer, suspicion and mystery swaying back and forth throughout the novel as pieces began to be revealed (but then again, maybe I'm a bit dense). While it was a decent book in terms of its characters, structure, and its basic themes, there was something about the ending that seemed rushed. At the same time, I felt like it was the second half of the story that gave it it's strength, mainly because the story's incongruities begin to come into focus and the complexity of the characters is revealed. While the book was strong at most points, the "language" got a little tiresome and seemed to diminish what was a complex and well-written drama and mystery.

The one thing I can say about Dennis Lehane is that he knows how to create characters. Unlike the characters in many "bestsellers", these characters are not cardboard and have more than one dimension to them. He builds characters mainly through the thoughts and interactions of other, minor characters. We learn much about what kind of person Dave is from the thoughts and feelings of his wife, for example. The mere fact that she is uncertain exactly if he is guilty or not in the murder of Jimmy's daughter depicts the mysteriousness surrounding Dave and that decision he made long ago to get in the car. Lehane also did a great job characterizing Jimmy Marcus. Jimmy comes across as a man who lives in both good and evil; he has a mental toughness to problems and conflict, but it can be rattled when his problems become too personal. The one aspect that unites all three of these one childhood friends is not only the incident with the abduction at the beginning of the novel, but that there is both good, evil and mystery in each of them. They each have a secret that remains untold to the others, and it's the time spent apart and the lack of communication with those around them that have created this uneven and confusing world.

The book did have its irritations that made me occasionally roll my eyes and sigh out loud. Some of the dialogue and situations were a bit hokey. Whitey, who seemed to be the stereotypical cop, got on my nerves mainly because his dialogue and intuition acted as a less-than-tolerable prototype to the mystery genre. His actions were typical and some of his lines were laughable. That and the aforementioned language issue, using the "f" word far too often, were the only notable issues I had with what I would otherwise call a "page turner."

Overall, it is a book I would highly recommend. While it is a great suspense, it build most of its premise on being a drama with serious life issues, and, for this reason, its story can be best described as a "bummer." Still, its redeeming value is that it is a complex and interesting mystery.

This is one well-crafted piece of ficiton. Easy to read without talking down to you, and intelligently constructed, you can't fail with this great work of fiction. All of the characters in MYSTIC RIVER are extremely complex and quite fully realized. The most complex are Jimmy and Dave, but Sean has his complications, too, as do the wives of these haunted men. Dave, especially, is haunted. He can't communicate, not even with himself. He can't function in day to day life. He's a shell of a man who is carrying around more than that shell can hold. Something has to give and when it does, it is more tragic than we could have ever expected. In the Boston area, Jimmy Marcus, Dave Boyle, and Sean Devine are best friends, playing together like preadolescents do everywhere. Their friendship and perhaps childhood ends when eleven-year old Dave enters the car of two strangers claiming to be cops, who sexually molest him. When he escapes and finally returns home he is not the same carefree child. This is a fantastic book, full of twists and turns at every corner. Would also recommend another great read, though it is totally different in theme and execution: THE BARK OF THE DOGWOOD. It's funny, disturbing, and ultimately uplifting. Great fun.