Books2Movies Club discussion

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane is an intriguing whodunit novel where one isn't sure even of narrator's brain cells working properly. Wikipedia cites a couple of his inspiration sources, such as Bronte sisters, B films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), and the hospital on Long Island he visited as a child during the blizzard.

I've seen only the movie when it came out ten years ago, and I am excited to read the book now to see the movie again :) It was really a peculiar one, not quite the type of movies Scorsese makes, quiet, disturbing and scary.

I hope you'll like both the book and the movie. Share your impressions and thoughts in the comments below!

Ive been listening to this one slowly slowly as an audiobook over several months. I find myself recalling moments of the movie version, but do not recall the outcome. Which is nice as I still get to be surprised when I have guessed incorrectly what might happen next.
Disturbing is definitely a good word to describe the story line, and I am keen to see if the book ends the way I *think* I recall the movie ending (I could very well be confusing two different movies). I'm very keen to rewatch the movie as it has been some years, but am holding out until I finish the audiobook... Only 1hour and 48 minutes of listening time remains!

Jessica wrote: "Ive been listening to this one slowly slowly as an audiobook over several months. I find myself recalling moments of the movie version, but do not recall the outcome..."

Hi Jessica, and what did you think of the book? Were you pleased with the outcome?

I finished it today, and felt just sad afterwards. The whole book was tonally sad, and I should've suspected from the beginning that a terrible tragedy was behind the whole mystery. I did watch the movie years ago, so there was no surprise in one particular aspect, but I was wondering how it was done in the book. The twist wasn't sudden. The author rather took pains to immerse us deeply into Teddy's world of confusion, pain and misery, revealing the truth step by step, until finally we were in the line with his captors.

I am actually looking forward to watching the movie again, because it was so good then. I hope the impression would remain the same now.

HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD!

What did you all think of that ending, that last chapter of the book?

(view spoiler)[Did Teddy regress, or he did all that charade on purpose? I read it as the former, because Chuck behaved like he did, like he was beyond salvation, and then nodded to Cawley to come to them. It was already established that it wouldn't be the first time he regressed. And those orderlies meant this was the last time. This was also his last day as "himself". At least that's my interpretation. Yours? (hide spoiler)]

I watched the movie two nights ago. It wasn't so different from the book, a few tweaks, but nothing really substantial. The ending wasn't so ambiguous as in the book, at least that's my opinion... Second viewing, and I still think it is a good movie. Good balance of suspense and emotion, great performances, stunning photography.