Mystic River (novel)

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Mystic River
First edition cover
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)

For other uses, see Mystic River (disambiguation)

Mystic River is a novel by Dennis Lehane that was published in 2001. It was made into an Oscar Award-winning film in 2003.

[edit] 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. Complications ensue.

[edit] 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).