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“It was excellent.
Meg wrote this review Sunday, October 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Since I had seen the movie version of this story last year, I knew it would all be familiar when I hit this book. But it is the fourth or so book so it wasn't like I was going to skip it or something crazy like that. And I certainly wasn't going to be dissuaded from my plan to read this book.
But as I was getting into the first of the books, I already knew that by the time I got to Gone everything was going to be more complicated than in the movie - from the relationship between Angie and Patrick to how their agency functions. I did find it interesting that my interpretation of the detective thing in the movie was that it was much more fly-by-night than it has been set up to be in the books. I thought they were mostly finding cars to re-possess or people that flaked on a loan - not the muscle, though, clearly.
I also didn't realize that Angie was so integral to the detecting - I thought she was more Patrick's girlfriend who also worked with him or helped him out or whatever. Maybe that says more about my assumptions than anything else but in the books it couldn't be more clear that she is super important, and a true detective in her own right. And can hold her own - she might get shot in one of those books but she takes care of some of the bad guys as well.
Also, as soon as I was part way into the first book, A Drink Before the War (which for some reasons I almost always mentally say with a bad Irish accent), I knew the relationship between Angie and Patrick was going to me so much more complicated, on a personal level. They weren't together in the first book but their history is super complicated and long, and even how and when they do get together is complicated.
The history of what they have seen together as detectives - not even counting the personal stuff growing up - complicated everything from whether or not they take the case to why Angie doesn't want to tell anyone they have found the little girl.
I want to see the movie again to see what I think now that I do know the entire tale, but in the meantime, I was poking around online and saw a comment, in regard to the movie, about Angie's reaction seeming strange to someone - that there wasn't enough explanation as to why she was so upset by the entire case, including leaping into the quarry to look for the little girl and leaving Patrick at the end. In the book, it is all quite clear but I am no longer sure if it really isn't well explained in the movie, or if this person wasn't paying enough attention.
I also loved that the entire thing was so much more complicated in the book, in a wonderful way. The whole theme of the book becomes clear when you see the full scope of the complicated story and plan. Otherwise, it is one child we are talking about. When it is more children, it is more complicated and a larger moral question.
Also, the character of Broussard is much more deadly; or maybe I like Ed Harris enough that I didn't see him as deadly, at least not deadly toward Patrick and Angie, until the very end. In the book that turn in his character makes perfect sense because it isn't a turn - it is an unveiling and you then see how he was always that way, just really good at covering it up when he wanted or needed to.
All that being said, I think for the most part they did a great job turning the book into a movie. You can only be so complicated in a movie, and the story can't be as long in a movie so some things have to be cut out.
Ben Affleck was wise to cast his brother instead of himself as Patrick. Granted, since I saw the movie first, Casey Affleck has been the image in my head since I started reading the first book. But I just can't see Ben in the role, even while thinking some of the other parts were maybe miscast.
What I do want to know, if ever Affleck and I were out drinking, is why this book over the others? I have heard it is his favorite, and I do find the overall question of the book - what are you willing to do to protect the innocent? - is much more interesting than the other books, and one could even argue the other books are leading you to this question, but I still want to know what made him pick it.
Either way, go read this book. It is excellent, even if you know part of the ending.
Without giving too much away, she totally shot him. But great reveal of that by Lehane.”
“One of the best books I've ever read. ”
Laurie H wrote this review Saturday, October 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“the best”
Diane B wrote this review Monday, October 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Set in the grittier part of Boston, a real page turner, great twists and turns, kept me guessing. Unfortunately, not the first in the series, so my next book will be the first, A drink before the war..”
nancy r wrote this review Friday, September 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Gritty
Annabanana wrote this review Friday, August 28 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
spell binding
inside knowledge of Boston”
“LOVED this series--the characters, the writing, the setting. Read it!”
Donna B wrote this review Friday, August 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“surprising ending.”
Syira wrote this review Thursday, August 6 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“great book”
stephanie w wrote this review Friday, April 24 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Very dark, disturbing, and sad.”
Barb N wrote this review Thursday, February 26 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“One of the best crime stories I've read in a long time. The plot is great and the characters are very well described. This is one of the few books in the genre where I didn't know how it was going to end.”
xroldx e wrote this review Monday, January 5 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
