About this title: State trooper Sean Devine is assigned to investigate the murder of the daughter of Jimmy Marcus. Jimmy and Sean have been friends since childhood. A third old friend, Dave Boyle, may or may not have much more sinister ties to the crime. Lehane's exploration of the three friends' intertwined, checkered pasts is set against the backdrop of working-class Boston.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Date Published: 02/2001
ISBN-13:9780688163167ISBN:0688163165
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 416 p. Previous Owner's Inscription. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Date Published: 02/2001
ISBN-13:9780688163167ISBN:0688163165
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 416 p. read more
"I enjoyed this book, but wasn't obsessed by it. I thought the writer did an excellent job of creating the setting, not just the physical space but the attitudes that come with the division of neighbourhoods and class. I did see the movie a number of years ago, but overall it did not take away from the book. I couldn't imagine other people in the roles, though. Dave's life was very sad for the most part and almost too much to read. The author did provide a little relief for this character by making him a baseball star in his high school years. But, the hopelessness was way too embedded which I believe was the point. Dave's wife just ticked me off more than anything, even in her positive moments. I think she just did way too much self-talk. Jimmy's character unfolded and developed smoothly as did Sean's character. There were lots of good themes running through through the story and it was an easy to follow story line."
"I enjoyed this book a lot, particularly because I am familiar with "East Buckingham" and the area around the Mystic River. It was interesting to see the story of the neighborhood, how it grew and changed, and yet remained the same. I did notice, however, that not very many of the characters were likeable ones. Though we were probably supposed to like Sean Devine, I found him to be somewhat entitled and condescending -- a Latin School education is really not that spectacular. Jimmy Marcus and Dave Boyle were both characters of whom I wasn't overly fond, either, simply because they seemed rather juevnile, despite being grown men. I would be interested to see a sequel of sorts, however, in regards to what happens to the neighborhood after Jimmy takes control again and whether or not Sean manages to book him for his crime. All in all, a good read, particularly for the summer."
"I really, really enjoyed this book, the first I've ever read by Dennis Lehane. I have never seen the movie, either, so came into it with just a vague idea of what the story was about.
It is a beautifully written story about three men, who are united by a horrifying childhood experience. Each of them takes a different path into adulthood, but they continually cross paths.
While I was fairly certain I knew how it was going to end, I was still spellbound until the last page. His style of writing is very descriptive, and his prose both lyrical and haunting.
When describing Jimmy's contemplation of the burial of his daughter, Katie, it was so real and descriptive I was in tears. I felt the same way during several of the passages relating to the three men and how they felt about their wives and children. Mr. Lehane writes both more romantically and more realistically about married couples than most so-called female romance writers.
"Wow. I had seen the movie a few years ago, and thought it was OK. I recently started reading LeHane's murder mystery books, and found them enjoyable, quick reading - sometimes a bit too heavy on graphic violence for my taste. But this one ... wow. Tough to do justice to in a movie, since so much dialogue takes place in the characters heads. More of a psychological thriller, with fully drawn characters, than just a detective novel, it completely sucked me in. Can people really change their basic nature? How does the sheer luck of where we're born and grow up affect our lives? Can a strong will overcome a bad background? What if, in trying to do good, you make a terrible mistake..."
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