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| Plot Summary of Shutter Island |
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"
Morrow, Apr 2003, 25.95, 325 pp.
ISBN: 0688163173
In 1954, US Marshals Teddy Daniels and his new partner, just in from Seattle, Chuck Aule take the ferry from the Massachusetts mainland to Shutter Island where Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane dominates the landscape. The law enforcement officials are assigned to investigate the disappearance of a convict (patient to Dr. Cawley) Rachel Solando, the Berkshire killer of three children she first drowned then “shared” breakfast with them in her kitchen.
Teddy and Chuck wonder how the woman could escape from a locked room on the third floor with guards all over the place and no hideaways on the island itself and swimming the distance to the nearest land in the treacherous Atlantic seems monumental. A hurricane is coming, which when it hits will totally isolate the island from the mainland. They begin to find evidence of illegal drug therapy and surgery, but little about the vanished Rachel. As they uncover more proof of wrongdoing Teddy and Chuck wonder if they will get off the island alive.
Highly regarded Dennis Lehane may have written the best police procedural and thriller of the year. Plenty of action, several mysteries that feels like a Moebius string as each sub-mystery seems inside one another, and strong characterization including flashbacks to Teddy's tragically deceased spouse make for a great read. On top of a powerful story line with a deep cast and a feel for how society dealt with mental illness during the early Eisenhower red scare era, the climax is as good as a novel gets. If a reader can afford one book, SHUTTER ISLAND is a terrific choice.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Shutter Island |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
Medical Thriller
Yes
Medical Plotlets:
- wild experiments on people
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- escape/deal with prison
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- finding a known killer
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 0 (not a murder mystery)
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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