Rating: 
Summary: magnificent historical detail coupled with a great story
Review: I've just finished reading this engrossing story. Carr takes the reader on an exciting and historically accurate journey tracking a serial killer through the seemy underbelly of New York City in the late 1800's. I've read some of the other reader reviews and feel that those who say the book was sluggish or slow-moving have missed the point. The story takes you back to a time when life in general moved much more slowly. For example, at one point, Kreizler and Moore must travel to Washington, D.C. to review government records. What can now be accomplished in a day with plane ride and a computer search was not so simple in the 1890's - a long train ride and days of manually pouring over files. Overall, great attention to detail, well-developed characters that you care deeply about by the time it's all over, and a somewhat contrived and unnecessarily convoluted ending to an otherwise fine read.
Rating: 
Summary: Plot almost secondary to rich, descriptive tapestry.
Review: As a fan of historical novels (like "Ragtime" and "The Road to Wellville"), I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Carr's expert descriptions of America in 1896. While the murders are indeed shocking (though not much worse than a typical "X-Files"), I was most intrigued by his mingling of real and fictional characters, his descriptions of 19th century America, and how the protagonists used early, "experimental" types of forensics, such as fingerprinting, and psychological profiling. I too thought the final third to be a bit long, but really enjoyed getting the chance to experience 1890's New York as though being there.
Rating: 
Summary: An entertaining read, but ultimately disappointing
Review: In reading the reviews of this book on Amazon.com it seemed as though people either loved this book or hated it. I definitely fall in the middle. I've certainly read a lot worse AND a lot better, although I did enjoy this one. It was an entertaining read. I particularly liked the descriptions of the setting - the author really gives a compelling sense of what it might have been like to live in New York in the late 1800's. Ultimately, however, the book did not live up to the expectations I had of it. I did not find it particularly suspenseful, even in the more dramatic moments. The author strikes me as someone who has a lot of potential - I plan on keeping in touch with his books and hope that his style and story-telling abilities improve with time.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT!!
Review: A friend loaned me the book. It was so intense, I bought a copy of my own to read it again. Since then, I have loaned it out 4 times and they've bought copies of thier own. The detail was amazing and brought out aspects of investations back then that I never would have thought about. READ IT!!
Rating:
Summary: Historical Fiction that Almost Delivers
Review: Caleb Carr did a wonderful job of incorporating historical characters (JP Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt) into his novel about a turn-of-the-century serial killer and its pursuers. I would have rated this book a ten had it not been for the farfetched Hollywoodesque climax. Still, I recommend this book to readers of all genres.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book - Except for the Ending
Review: This book reminds me of A. Conan Doyle's Shelock Holmes mysteries: We have the brilliant, unorthodox investigator and his faithful assistant. The story is quick paced, graphic, and for the most part, original. The last 50 or so pages disappointed me though, as the ending struck me as too "Hollywood". One of the better books I've read recently.
Rating:
Summary: Take a couple of days off work before you start this one.
Review: Fascinating tale of murder, politics, and history. Even though I also feel that chracter development was somewhat scant, I feel the style of the narrator tends to mitigate this, although maybe only a little. I also thought the killer was actually a little too wimpish in the end - kind of anti-climactic. But if you enjoy historical fiction, and you enjoy a good solid thiniking who-dunit, this is a book for you. This was a time when forensic psychology was practially non-existent, and the labors of these characters in applying psychology to their chase of this serial killer can be educating as well as enthralling. You get so caught up in the tale, you can almost ignore the rather flat characters.
Rating:
Summary: A fun historical fiction read
Review: While I agree with many of the comments made by other reviewers concerning the somewhat weak character development, I thought the descriptions of turn of the century New York fascinating. If you suspend belief a little (and isn't this what fiction is all about?) you can really enjoy this work. I look forward to reading Mr. Carr's new work.
Rating: 
Summary: The trendiest and most over-rated book around
Review: Caleb Carr paints a very detailed and interesting picture of 19th century NYC with Teddy Roosevelt as mayor... But the whole murder-mystery -- the reason to read the book -- is shoddy... a mystery written by somebody who doesn't have any sense of how mysteries work,,, no suspense here... This book is most likely to be on everyone's coffee table... and it's so overrated as to be laughable...
Rating:
Summary: A great read...
Review: This book was one of the best books I have read in a long time. The way Carr details the way New York was 100 years ago is so exacting it seems to take the reader there. Carr has drawn his characters with a depth and a sincerity rarely seen in todays novel's of this type. Since they usually concentrate on the more gory aspects of the crime and not they way it was commited, The Alienist is a book that does not demean the readers intelligence with cheap explanations and answers that come to the characters all to easy. Simply put one the best books that I have ever read. Very well written, extremely intelligent, and well planned and thought out. A page turner wihtout peer. (with the exeception of The Silence of the Lambs of course *grin*)
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