Trust

Yesterday I decided to hit the treadmill at Gold's Gym (after too many days off). There were plenty of openings, so I decided to workout in the Cardio Theatre (which sometimes feels more like Cardiac Theatre). Mystic River had just started on the big screen. I'd seen it before, but I stayed anyway. I'd thought the movie was okay when I saw it a couple of years ago. Watching the first 30 minutes of it again didn't change my opinion of it one way or another, but it did get me thinking about trusting and forgiving an author.

I've never read Dennis Lehane's Mystic River. The only Lehane book I've ever read was Shutter Island, which I threw across the room as soon as I finished it. Some books deserve to be thrown; this is one of them.

I threw it across the room because I felt Lehane's ending betrayed my trust. If you've read the book, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, Lehane violates one of the first rules speculative fiction writers...heck, ALL writers...learn early on and are expected to obey. Lehane gave me characters I cared about for 300 pages, then in the last chapter basically said "Enjoying it so far? Well, let me dump this on your parade and thank you very much for investing your time and money on this completely unsatisfying and untenable ending." I've never read another Lehane book.

A few months ago I talked with a big Lehane fan who asked me if I'd ever read his work. I unloaded on the poor guy. He threw up his hands in defense. "I know, I know," he said. "That was a lousy ending. But you've gotta read his first book, A Drink Before the War." Yeah, well don't hold your breath, I told him.

So a few weeks ago I find A Drink Before the War on one of my book excursions and buy it. I figure 33 cents at the Goodwill isn't going to break me. But I haven't opened it.

I also noticed that Lehane has a story in The Best American Short Stories 2005, which I own. I've read several of the stories in the collection. Not his.

I know I'm probably holding this grudge for too long. I remember at WFC a few months ago Jay Lake said that the writer owes something to the story, not the reader. I agree with him. But in my mind, Lehane not only treated his readers badly in Shutter Island, but treated his own story badly, and that's what really hurts.

Who knows – I may be accused of the same thing one day. I hope not, but it could happen. Maybe Lehane deserves a second chance. Maybe everyone does.

Now Playing = Baroque Duet – Kathleen Battle and Wynton Marsalis
Reading = Orphan of Chaos – John C. Wright
Listening to = Life of Pi – Yann Martel