 First edition cover |
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| Author | Dennis Lehane |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Publication date | February 2001 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 416 p. (hardback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-688-16316-5 (hardback edition) |
Mystic River is a novel by Dennis Lehane that was published in 2001. It was made into an Oscar Award-winning film in 2003.
Plot summary
The book focuses on the stories of three boys who grow up as friends in Boston — Dave Boyle, Sean Devine, and Jimmy Marcus. When the story opens, we see Dave abducted by child molesters while Sean, and Jimmy are playing on a side street. Dave is returned home days later, emotionally shattered by his experience. The book then moves forward 25 years: Sean has become a homicide detective, Jimmy is a convenience store owner (and ex-convict), and Dave remains a fractured eggshell of a human being. Jimmy's daughter disappears and is found brutally murdered in a city park, and that same night, Dave comes home to his wife, covered in blood. Sean is assigned to investigate the murder, and the three childhood friends are caught up in each other's lives again. Complicating matters is the fact that Dave and Jimmy are now related by marriage. Jimmy becomes more and more convinced that Dave is the murderer of his daughter, while Sean investigates the murder, interviewing and narrowing suspects.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
Mystic River, the Oscar Award-winning adaptation of the novel, was released in 2003. The film was directed by Clint Eastwood and starred Sean Penn as Jimmy, Tim Robbins as Dave, and Kevin Bacon as Sean. Penn won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, while Robbins won the Best Supporting Actor prize. Mystic River was also nominated for four other Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director (Eastwood), Best Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Brian Helgeland).
