Welcome back to Books With Cause. Let’s dive straight into my latest review.
Sometimes, I see or hear the question: “If you could erase your memory and experience a book/film for the first time, what would you choose?” For me, there are a number of strong contenders, but Shutter Island is always up there. I’d have been about twenty when the film came out, and I didn’t know at the time it was based on a book. I remember buying the film on DVD and watching it for the first time. Even though I guessed the twist, I still enjoyed it immensely. I don’t think I read the book until around Covid time (I don’t know why it took me so long), but I loved that too.
Over the last month or so, Cineworld have been showing a series of classic films as part of Martin Scorsese season. To date I’ve been to every single one they’ve shown. Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, King of Comedy, and The Wolf of Wall Street. But when I saw they were showing Shutter Island, it was all the excuse I needed to read the book once again too.
Although published in 2003, Shutter Island is set in 1954. It focuses on Teddy Daniels, a US Marshal who helped liberate Dachau during World War II. He and his new partner, Chuck, are sent to a remote island which is home to Ashecliffe, a hospital for the criminally insane. The hospital is missing one of their most dangerous patients. Teddy and Chuck are tasked with working out how a patient has escaped from a locked room whose windows are also barred. Teddy and Chuck interview the staff and the other patients, but don’t seem to learn anything. Feeling that nobody is telling them the truth, Teddy suggests they leave the island. But when a hurricane strikes, they realise they’ll be stuck there longer than they planned.
And that really is as much as I can say without giving out spoilers. And if you haven’t read the book or seen the film, now is the time to do that.
I strongly believe that every good book deserves to be read at least twice. Based on that, the great books deserve to be read three times or more. For me, Shutter Island is a great book. This was my second read of this book, and I loved it just as much as I did the first time around. As much as I made the remark at the beginning of this article, the truth is that Shutter Island rewards repeat readings and viewings. Once you know “the twist”, there are certain clues to look out for. Easter Eggs hidden in plain sight.
Dennis Lehane spins a brilliant yarn over the 380 pages of this book. Certain things are hinted at along the way. But as well as that, this book is also a commentary on mental health. The fact of the matter is we didn’t know in the 1950s what we know now. So what passes as “treatments” for the patients in this era might shock younger readers. As it should.
This was my second read, but I’m sure I’ll treat myself to many more rereads between now and my death. But not only that. This remains the only Lehane novel I’ve read. I really ought to change that before too long.
My Goodreads Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
