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A review by ravenousbibliophile
The Alienist by Caleb Carr
5.0
When I was considering picking up this book, the line that got me hooked on to the idea of buying it was 'Hannibal Lecter meets Jack the Ripper in 1800's New York'. After finishing the book, I can find no better way to express the essence of this book.
The narration can certainly get a bit dry at times, the first 100 pages are a trudge if you are -like me- unaccustomed to slow build ups and intricate environmental details. Caleb Carr has written a story that is not only gripping and intense but also historically accurate, in terms of the city in which the plot unfolds, to the theories of psychology he applies as well as the investigative techniques used (and frowned upon) by the police authorities of the time. The presence of famous historical characters such as Theodore Roosevelt and JP Morgan does add an additional layer of attraction and mystery, but the star of the story is without a doubt, Dr. Lazlo Kriezler, who despite possessing the outward calm and robotic precision so often associated with excellent psychiatrists, manages to convey a sense of being as damaged and as human as the subjects he analyzes.
With this book, Caleb Carr takes his place among my personal favorite authors and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into the next installment of the series.
The narration can certainly get a bit dry at times, the first 100 pages are a trudge if you are -like me- unaccustomed to slow build ups and intricate environmental details. Caleb Carr has written a story that is not only gripping and intense but also historically accurate, in terms of the city in which the plot unfolds, to the theories of psychology he applies as well as the investigative techniques used (and frowned upon) by the police authorities of the time. The presence of famous historical characters such as Theodore Roosevelt and JP Morgan does add an additional layer of attraction and mystery, but the star of the story is without a doubt, Dr. Lazlo Kriezler, who despite possessing the outward calm and robotic precision so often associated with excellent psychiatrists, manages to convey a sense of being as damaged and as human as the subjects he analyzes.
With this book, Caleb Carr takes his place among my personal favorite authors and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into the next installment of the series.