The Alienist

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book.
Review: In today's modern era of criminal investigation a vital tool utilized is the criminal profile. Ever wonder how this tool might have gotten roots? Mr.Carr provides a gripping tale of the first serial killer in America...and the men/women who investigate this killer. The process by which the protagonists establish a profile of this killer is facinating! A must read

Rating:
Summary: A magnificent journey
Review: Eloquent and proficient writing is rather difficult to find in popular fiction these days. As a result, it is a great pleasure to come across a novel which utilizes language in a proper fashion. The Alienist, by Caleb Carr, is just such a novel. In telling his story, Mr. Carr makes use of the full capabilities of the English tongue, never limiting himself to two-syllable words or five-word sentences for the benefit of the common reader. Though The Alienist is generally classified as a mystery, its focus is more on the process of resolution than on the mystery of the crime. If you are looking for a great murder story with plenty of twists to keep you guessing, then you must look elsewhere; but if you are among those who will find pleasure in the beauty of good writing in a well-told tale, then The Alienist was written for you. The descriptive powers of Mr. Carr are superb; it was not difficult to imagine my home becoming a flat in New York one-hundred years ago. My only disappointment was with the story's climax. In the end, The Alienist falls victim to what Mr. Carr had so well avoided for ninety percent of the novel: Hollywood predictability. However, it should be noted that a disappointing destination does not diminish the pleasure of a magnificent journey. The Alienist is well worth the trip

Rating:
Summary: outstanding atmosphere, great writing...read it!
Review: it took me awhile to buy and read this book. i'd seen it on bookshelves first in hardback, then paperback, but i couldn't bring myself to read it. "must read;" "haunting;" and "remarkable" were written all over the dust jacket--oh, and, of course, "one million weeks on the new york times bestseller list" was always emblazoned in full color upon the cover...reason enough NOT to read it. but, two years later, in 1996, i'd had it, so i bought it. from the first page, i could not put it down. caleb carr included everything: atmosphere, historical references, a marvelous blend of fact and fiction, and great prose--how could i stop reading? i must say, the alienist is truly "haunting."

Rating:
Summary: Nice history lesson, weak characters, artificial dialog.
Review: Thank God I don't live in John Moore's (main character) world and have to listen to people talk this way all the time. I'd be nuts in about three days. This book needs some real people in it. PLOP! That was the sound of "The Alienist" hitting the circular file

Rating:
Summary: For lovers of mysteries, the 19th century and ideas alike
Review: This could be the pleasure of reading at its best : you are transported into another world, with all the suspense that enhances the voyage, you are learning on the history of New York City, and on psychology at the end of the 19th century. The fascinating aspect of this book is that you accompany the characters in their construction of the elusive murderer's mind to discover his whereabouts. The mystery fiction fan will relish in the many references to the genre : the characters, notably, have some typical traits and quirks habitual to the genre. Finally, The Alienist is not built on historical facts alone : Caleb Carr is also an efficient social critic, as well

Rating:
Summary: fantastic novel
Review: Excellent psychologic drama of late 19th Century physician in New York city. Chilling and exciting from cover to cover. You cannot put it down

Rating:
Summary: hoping for a terrifying romp I found predictability.
Review: Beginning with great promise and drama at the funeral of President Teddy, I was quickly drawn into this well researched historical novel. Carr is best when he sets the mood of an East Village tenement in 1896, or sending his detectives through the horrors of Bellevue. However, his murder mystery and character development became sorrowfully predictable after a few chapters. An excellent reference for turn-of-the-century amateur NYC historians, but a disappoiting novel--in fairness, I read this book immedaitely after CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, a work hard to shine against in its dark, complex wanderings through a schismatic mind

Rating:
Summary: A thrilling look into the heart and mind of a madman
Review: Caleb Carr has crafted a rollicking thriller of a yarn with The Alienist. Prepare for a dark and chilling rampage through the streets of late nineteenth century New York as our heroes attempt to breach the mind and soul of a terrifying new breed of criminal. Eerie, moody and full of atmosphere, Mr. Carr pulled me in hook, line and sinker. Not only did I feel the fear and suspense of the chase, I tasted the dank and feral underbelly of a city replete with squalor and corruption. Carr has utilized many of the most modern insights in criminology and the study of serial killers, here presenting them, as if for the first time, in the fertile ruminations of the brilliant Dr. Laszlo Kreizler. Written as a narrative from the perspective of John Moore, Laszlo's friend and confidant, the reader becomes a part of the action, vicariously experiencing Moore's doubts, hopes, and, oh yes, fears. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, as I'm sure any suspense fan will. The methods used (both forensic and cerebral) to understand and capture the monster being hunted are based on the most recent findings of the world's great criminologists. This makes the story an interesting study of the phenomenon we call serial murder. I highly recommend The Alienist to mystery, and suspense readers everywhere, armchair criminologists and fans of fine writing in general.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic serial killer tale and historical novel of NTC
Review: Covers many details of the seemier side of life in New York City in 1896, with lots of historical detail, as well as a first rate murder mystery

Rating:
Summary: Carr captures the serial killer persona through The Alienist
Review: The ominous and corrupt smell of New York City is an underlying tone in this wildly thrilling and gripping suspense novel. Caleb Carr weaves a masterful web of fear and torment as a hand- picked group of investigators try and probe the mind of a serial killer. The serial killer is new to turn of the century New York, and the group attempts to figure out the method to his madness. This chilling novel features Theodore Roosevelt, who was a dominant part of the contrasting, yet unified, investigation team. I definitely recommend this novel for anyone who has ever had an inkling of interest into the vile and corrupt mind of the serial killer. This is where it originated.