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Summary: In twenty years...
Review: this novel will be held in the same opinion as A Clockwork Orange and Great Gatsby. Fantastic.
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Summary: History or Fiction!
Review: As a New Yorker I was fascinated with the descriptions of the city that seemed to be as much of this book as the story was. His unfortunate injection of real-life characters (Roosevelt, Riis, Morgan, etc.)lent incredulity to the story which was otherwise cogent and a fair read, but left something to be desired, particularly the staged ending.
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Summary: Garbage
Review: This is one of those books that's so badly written it's painful to read. Its main selling point, nestled in the cliched context of a historical police procedural, is its spectacularly tasteless descriptions of the sexual abuse and murder of children. Future students of twentieth century popular culture should note that this exercise in crude exploitation became a runaway bestseller at a time when American was supposedly experiencing a return to "traditional family values."
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Summary: Hi Mr. Steigleder
Review: The Alienist written by Caleb Carr takes place in New York in the late 1800s. It is about a group of about six people, including one woman who try to solve a serial murder case. This serial murders name is Japeth Dury in early life and is later changed to John Beecham. He had been kiling for some time but lately had been killing young boy whores. The process was long but the members of the secret team, out to get Dury, eventually Caught him during the act. At this time the murderer was accidentally killed. This killing made Kreizler, a member of the secret team, angry because he wanted to research the man's thinking behing his murders.
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Summary: Good Historical Thriller
Review: Part Gore Vidal historical novel, part Silence of the Lambs, part Arthur Conan Doyle sleuth novel. The Alienist is undoubtedly a page turner that has appeal to fans of any of the above styles of fiction, A serial killer is on the loose in turn of the century New York and Caleb Carr takes that premise and utilizes it to great effect incorporating a tour of late 19th century Manhattan life that references many historical personalities and allows the reader to experience the suspense of the investigation through their eyes. At first I was skeptical and the introduction of certain characters such as Theodore Roosevelt seemed contrived but after the first 50 pages or so I was completely absorbed in this fast moving story. There is gore,sexual depravity and violence so if that is not necessarily your thing stay clear. However the Alienist delivers a suspenseful psychological thriller and despite a few gratuitous sidebars (the introduction of Roosevelt's family and children was the worst example, as were the numerous detailed descriptions of Delmonico's menu), to give the story it's historical context the novel is hugely entertaining.
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Summary: The alienist
Review: This is such a well written, well researched book. I cannot even begin to imagine what went into writing this book, but it deserves much more accolades than I can begin to heap upon it. Just a thrill ride full of historical information that truly makes you stop and think.The author has so thought out his characters, his setting, his plot SO well. There are no holes to be found and you will not want to put this down until you've read the last breath-taking page. There is no rushing through anything; the author is no hurry here. He is down for the count, ready to tell the story as completely as it deserves to be told. Excellent
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Summary: A Virtual Time Machine
Review: When Caleb Carr is bad he is downright awful but when he is good, there are few writers who can approach him. Opening the pages of this book is like taking a journey to the past...one an almost smell the fetid streets, hear the neighs of the horses, see the sights and sounds of turn of the century New York City. This novel of the rudimentary beginnings of police profiling details the acceptance of psychological methods for solving crimes. That breakthrough gave psychology and the psychologist (or alientist) a measure of legitimacy. This is one part history, one part horror and one part detective. I was literally rivited by both the story and the characters and the ending was one of those tour-de-forces that are both rare and sublime.
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Summary: A Good Thriller, Not so Great Historical Novel
Review: I read The Alienist after hearing praise for Caleb Carr's depiction of 1896 New York City, and for his use of a psychological "profiler" in order to catch a serial killer. I found the novel to be a quick read, and an entertaining (although bleak) murder mystery/thriller, but as a period piece it left a little something to be desired. Some of the readers have commented here at Amazon that the setting, turn of the century New York, was the real highlight of the novel for them. That, and the inclusion of Teddy Roosevelt as New York's police commissioner, made me anxious to read the novel. However I thought Roosevelt was sparcely used and a virtual non-factor, and I thought the novel failed to really deliver the goods setting-wise. For example, early in the novel the "alienist" Laszlo gathers up his team for a dinner at famous NY restaurant Delmonico's, which I thought was a nice touch. However, for the rest of the novel, if anyone was to meet for dinner, they met at Delmonico's. It was as if Carr researched, found one restaurant that was around in 1896, and popped it into his plot whenever he wanted a little color. Overall the dialogue of the characters, and the Hell's Kitchen locale, could have been set in virtually any other decade over the past 100 years. The minor characters were also a little wooden to me, and their motivations unclear. We are to believe that the Isaacson brothers risked their careers at the police department, and basically went without sleep to assist in this investigation, because they were so overwhelmed with the delicacies they were fed at Delmonico's? However, in fairness if the local color was a little contrived, the hunt for a serial killer preying upon New York's young hustlers was very well-written. I enjoyed in particular Carr's depiction of experimental use of fingerprints, psychological profiling (heresy at the time), and an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve a visual picture of the killer from the eyeballs of a victim. I suspect Carr did a great deal of research re the limits of criminology at the turn of the century. In summary, I recommend the Alienist as a good historical thriller, capturing the subject of police psychology in its infant stages. However, for those seeking an authentic fictional trip back to the NYC of the turn of the century, I prefer Doctorow to the picture we get here from Mr. Carr.
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Summary: Should have left it in the sale bin
Review: I picked this up to complete a 5 used books for $... at the suggestion of the store clerk. It will soon be finding its way back into that bin. I couldn't get past the description of the first victim. The dialogue was stilted, the descriptions were way too graphic for my taste, and I found that I just wasn't interested in the story of a group of folks in turn of the century New York City trying to solve a serial murder case.
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Summary: raised indian and killing young boys
Review: the subject matter revolving the serial killer in this book is a tough one to read thru but also one that you find tough to put donw. my carr's writing style is engrossing and his use of historical references to ny in the late 1800's is interesting. a great read
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