The Alienist

Rating:
Summary: Gripping mystery, but the role of women???
Review: I agree with most of my fellow reviewers - this is a book you can't put down. The ending should have been predictable - after all, we've been profiling the killer for 500 pages - but there were twists and turns up to the very last page. This was a great read.

However, a couple of things bothered me. I know Sara is supposed to be a woman far ahead of her time, but certain elements of the book didn't make sense to me. Even though Sara is very definitely a feminist, the men's familiarity with her (i.e. calling her by her first name versus "Miss Howard") seemed out of place. I may be wrong, but I think it would have been considered insulting for anyone other than a husband or family member to refer to Sara by her first name. Also, Sara seemed to do a lot of traveling around to some of the city's most dangerous regions (especially after dark) unescorted. Not only would have this been socially inappropriate (and possibly reputation damaging), but extremely dangerous. Afterall, this woman would have had to try to flee from serial killers wearing some of the most complex clothing of all time including a small train, heavy petticoats, and a corset. This is why women needed fainting couches!

The author is a historian, so maybe I'm all wet, but Sara's involvement just doesn't seem to jibe with what would have been socially and physically possible for women during that period of time.

All in all a great book, though - once I got past what seemed to be historical inaccuracies.

Rating:
Summary: An amazing literary feat!
Review: Having just re-read this book,I' m convinced more than ever that it is a unique and fascinating accomplishment. Because so many critics on Amazon have told and re-told the plot,I don't wish to add to their efforts. Suffice to say that it is simply a tour-de-force with an intriguing, mysterious plot, a cast of singular and strange charactors, an evocation of New York atmosphere of the"gilded age" and replete with well-known names of that period. The author succeeds in making you feel you are witness to every event,not a modest triumph. You will never forget the manner in which the awful mystery is ultimately solved ,mainly by a psychiatrist and his motley gang of sleuths.Unquestionably the very best novel of its genre in a long,long time. 10 0ut 0f 10!