Shutter Island (Dennis Lehane)

One of the side-effects are not always positive-to adapt a novel to film is that it is being republished, or given a boost, a title that had it not gone unnoticed.

This is what seems to have happened to Shutter Island, a novel that has come the latest film from Scorsese-DiCaprio pairing, and discuss shortly.

In this case I bought the book before seeing the movie, which I kept until I have finished.

The author does not know if it will be known, but is also that of "Mystic River", a film which was also filmed, with great success, by Clint Eastwood.

I read Mystic River after seeing the film and seemed like a good novel is one case that a great movie out of a good novel, Shutter Island so it was, a priori, guaranteed to be a good choice.

However, with this novel I have missed something quite rare: it took me quite hooked, so much that I took to get to half-usually read at night, and depending on what I like the novel takes longer to fall asleep, it could not read more than a dozen pages, so it took me a couple of weeks to get to the middle. However, last Sunday, I do not know if the time change, 'I took it and yanked me from the half ended,' the novel has some 400 pages, keeping me in suspense until three o'clock, and making was half zombie on Monday to the job.

Funny, but what until then had seemed a somewhat confusing story and slow pace began to pick up, and intrigue, leading to a spectacular end-and totally unexpected, which I prefer not to give any clue, even equated with other who share characteristics, not to spoil what is surely the best of the novel.

Still summarize, in broad strokes, the argument, which is part of the classic thriller.

In the mid-50 the agent Teddy Daniels comes to Shutter Island, a sort of prison-mental to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a patient in the middle of the night, something in theory quite complicated, because the institution has high security because inmates it houses.

Accompanied by a companion, Chuck, who just met tried to inquire about this mysterious apparition, questioning both staff and the physicians involved, led by an enigmatic Dr Cowley, a respected professional who is a reference in its field.

Teddy eventually confessing to his partner who has ulterior motives, because the island is boarding the arsonist who killed his wife, with whom he plans to settle scores.

At the same time let the patient missing a code that Teddy is the only thing that seems to decipher and believes that eventually bringing it to her.

To complicate the plot, amid a hurricane will research that kills power to the island and let loose the most dangerous prisoners, as it pursues the arsonist Teddy.

Teddy himself also suffers several nightmares, which at first seem pointless. Also, create start being persecuted, because apparently the island holds sordid secrets related to research in which patients are guinea pigs for experimental drugs and surgeries that include lobotomization.

Eventually all the pieces fit together masterfully in one of the best endings I can remember, and offset the start, for me hesitant, in the novel.

As I said, far too long, 400 pages, so you like the genre totally recommend it, and if possible before seeing the movie, otherwise you lose some of the charm.

If you've seen the movie, do not be surprised, but you can always find something else, the psychology of the main character is better explained, and the relationship with his wife, one of the keys of the novel.