I have a confession to make. I didn’t read this month’s book for book club. Well, correction, I had read it about three years ago, and I’ve seen the movie a couple of times, so when I picked it up a couple weeks back to re-read it in time for book club, I just couldn’t do it. It’s a good book, one that I definitely recommend, but I didn’t love it enough to revisit it in a second reading, especially when so many new-to-me books are out there just begging to be read.
But I did attend the meeting last night at the Green Bean Café, and really enjoyed being more observer, less participant. It’s fun hearing what others have to say about a book. I need to keep my mouth shut more often, I’m thinking lol.
We have a really diverse group of readers in our club, which makes these meetings a lot of fun. Once again, opinions on the book were split. Some liked the book, others didn’t, and one or two never finished reading it. One gentleman just wasn’t in the mood for a dark book (which is kinda also why I didn’t re-read it. I had Betty White’s latest sitting on the library pile and the need to laugh far outweighed the need for dark suspense). Some had seen the movie (starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon) before ever picking up the book and were disappointed in knowing the ending already. They still enjoyed Dennis Lehane’s writing, but would have enjoyed the suspenseful read more had they not seen the movie.
Reviews were mixed too on Lehane’s writing style. Some loved his writing, others didn’t care for it. But the more the book and its plot points and characters were discussed, the more those who didn’t overly enjoy the book seemed to find a new sense of possibility in their reading enjoyment. That’s what I love the most about book clubs. Readers who are open to discussing books also tend to be open minded about what others enjoy about books and willing to look differently at a book the second time around.
For those not familiar with book or movie, here’s a brief synopsis:
The novel opens with three youths, Jimmy, Sean and Dave, rough housing in the street of a poor neighbourhood in south Boston. A car pulls up and two men claiming to be police officers lure Dave into the backseat and drive away. Dave returns home some hours later noticeably changed. What occurs during the brief abduction is left to the reader’s imagination, but it’s pretty clear Dave was abused and irrevocably changed by it. Fast forward into the future and the boys are now men, still living in the same neighbourhood, married with kids, when Jimmy’s teenage daughter is brutally killed. Suspicion lands on Dave and the already shaky friendship bonds between the three men are put to the final test.
Both movie and book are well worth your time. Check them out. You won’t be disappointed.
Till next time, happy reading!
L 
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