Patrick:
"I don't think I've ever read anything that completely
reversed the entire view of the story in the last third of
the book. I really thought it was brilliant. To set up a
character as a protagonist, and then turn him into the focus
of the problem. I think it approaches 'great literature.'
Can't really think who it's derivitive of, can you?"
I haven't read Shutter Island, so I can't say whether of not
it is derivative, but there is certainly precedence for a
seeming protagonist turning out to be the antagonist, a
seemingly reliable narrator turning out to be very much the
opposite. For instance, I can think of at least two private
eye books, one vintage, one pretty recent, in which the PI is
investigating a crime or series of crimes he had committed,
trying to cover them up and/or frame a fall guy. I'd been
wanting to bring this up here, ask about others, but couldn't
think of a way to discuss them without spoiling them. How do
I ask for books in which the narrator turns out the be the
bad guy without knowing whodunnit? Would kind of kill the
suspense.
"I think Lehane may be the most under-rated writer of the
present day."
Lehane underrated? How do you figure? He sells well and gets
rave reviews -- the cover of my paperback copy of Mystic
River, for instance, proclaims it was a New York Times
Bestseller (and this was before the movie, which probably led
to even more sales); inside are five pages filled with
excerpts of raves from most of the respected book reviews.
I'm sure many authors wish they were so underrated.
Mark
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