There are few things as difficult to write as a good horror novel. If you present something too seriously, it seeks to become too droll, drawing the reader out. There is a need to constantly be surprising the reader, compulsively pulling them into the surreal fears inside of them. The best of the novels have a pulpy undertone that is needed to achieve genuine shock, making you question reality. Dennis Lehane's "Shutter Island" may be one of the best examples of this, managing to convey a murder mystery at a mental institution with enough trashy language that it becomes something more perverse. Even amid the whirling subtext, he paints an incredible picture of surrealism, making it easy to overlook what's brilliant about the book. The truth has been staring us in the face the entire time, and you're going to be surprised how well it works at conveying the story's third act twist.
The story is simple: dually appointed federal agent Teddy Daniels arrives at Shutter Island to solve the mystery of a missing patient. From the moment that he sets his foot on the docks, he finds himself overcome with this surreal feeling of unpleasantness. It's the type of place that convinces you that solving this mystery will come with certain psychological challenges. If he doesn't lose his mind first, he will be able to come out the other side with an answer that promises to be profound, even a miracle.
This is a story of medical research that serves as an additional commentary on mental institutions during World War II. As Daniels goes through his journey, he is interrupted by his own flashbacks, looking back on a life that slowly becomes more unpleasant. He is thinking about the impact of the war, finding himself growing unstable as the mystery becomes clearer and he finds truth in dark and unpleasant corners. At every turn, Lehane manages to paint it with a casualness that suggests a fading professionalism, making Daniels seem either too blunt, or testing the world around him. There is enough ambiguity in the language that forces one to overlook the details that can be read as sarcasm. Any talk about mental health is compared to German or Russian experiments, suggesting that Shutter Island has done a better job of handling patients than either of those sadistic groups.
This is a book that works on how much you give into the practicality of the situation. Even if it's a fanciful exploration of seedy mystery, it's done so in a way that's meant to slowly explore new psychological ideas, forcing one to question the world around them, forming their own uncertainty with the world. Are they even reading something that's portrayed as real? So much of Lehane's excellent writing has this connectivity that never fully shows its cards. Everything is hiding something, misguiding the audience in an attempt to hold back something bigger and shocking. Even by then, one has to ask how true this actual statement is, or if it's just another hallucination.
In terms of atmosphere, there are few books that capture the queasy middle ground as well as this. While most of its science is questionable, it achieves a Michael Crichton-level of convincing prose that mixes casualness with hard sci-fi in such a way that it becomes a familiar kind of horror. Anyone who loves stories about mental asylums gone awry will appreciate what this story achieves. It's a mystery that delivers on something substantial and does so without resorting to droll language choices that may bore the reader. This is a fast page-turning achievement that involves the reader so closely, making the world feel so alive and full of deeper meaning. This is what a great suspense read is all about. It may not make too much sense once you look too deep into it, but as an experience, there are few as enjoyable as this.
"Shutter Island" is a perfect read for those who want to get lost in a good mystery. Its dive into a cerebral paranoia is a delectable experience that mixes in enough smarts to make it all convincing enough. There's so much to enjoy in the pages and Teddy Daniels is a memorable character, an unreliable narrator who may or may not be telling the truth. Everything has this way of interacting with the reader and making them feel the sensations on the page, being equal part impressed and repulsed. This is a fun read sure to make for an entertaining and brisk read. More than that, Lehane doesn't insult his readers, instead pointing out how he reached his conclusion with such clarity that you recognize his gifts as a writer. There is no short-cutting here. It's a genuine achievement worthy of the itchy sensations it will give you, making you think about it long after the final pages.
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