Who Would Like This Book:
If you’re a fan of gritty historical mysteries, The Alienist is totally your jam. Caleb Carr brings 1896 New York City to life with dazzling, immersive detail - you’ll practically smell the tenement streets and feel the pulse of the Gilded Age. The story’s biggest hook is watching the birth of criminal profiling and forensic science as Dr. Laszlo Kreizler and his quirky, diverse team - including an ambitious female secretary, a pair of innovative detectives, and even Theodore Roosevelt! - hunt a chilling serial killer. If you enjoy detective novels with brains (think Sherlock Holmes, but darker and more visceral), or if you’re a history buff who loves big city drama with a side of true crime, you’ll find lots to love here.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers find The Alienist bogged down by its very thorough, sometimes relentless historical detail. The book can get heavy on descriptions - especially of NYC architecture and politics - which occasionally slows the pace. If graphic depictions of violence, especially against children, are a dealbreaker for you, or if you prefer mysteries with fewer grim or disturbing elements, you might want to steer clear. Also, readers looking for twisty, puzzle-style whodunits might be disappointed, as this is more about the psychology and process than solving a traditional mystery or growing attached to the victim.
About:
Set in late 19th century New York City, 'The Alienist' by Caleb Carr follows a team of individuals, including the alienist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, crime reporter John Moore, and a few detectives, as they track down a serial killer targeting young boys and possibly young girls. The novel intertwines historical figures like Theodore Roosevelt with fictional characters to create a gripping psychological thriller. Through detailed historical research, the author recreates the atmosphere of the period, delving into the birth of American profiling and modern forensic science.
The book is a complex blend of mystery, thriller, and historical fiction, providing a rich historical portrait of New York City while also delivering a suspenseful detective story utilizing early psychological profiling techniques. The narrative is filled with chilling details and vivid descriptions that bring the city to life, immersing readers in the gritty yet intriguing world of criminal investigation in the late 1800s.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for The Alienist include graphic depictions of violence, child murder, child prostitution, and dark themes surrounding mental illness.
From The Publisher:
A new breed of evil in Old New York
New York, 1886: Lower Manhattan's underworld is ruled by a new generation of cold-blooded criminals...Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt battles widespread corruption within the department's ranks...and a shockingly brutal murder sets off an investigation that could change crime-fighting forever.
In the middle of a wintry March night, New York Times reporter John Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a brilliant pioneer in the new and much-maligned discipline of psychology, the emerging study of society's "alienated" mentally ill. There they view the horribly mutilated body of a young boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels. Supervised by Commissioner Roosevelt, the newsman and his "alienist" mentor embark on a revolutionary attempt to identify the killer by assembling his psychological profile - a dangerous quest that takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who has killed before...and will kill again before the hunt is over.
As rich in vivid period ambience as Ragtime and Time and Again, and as relentlessly suspenseful as Red Dragon or The Silence of the Lambs, The Alienist will take you to a New York that no longer exists - to confront an evil of timeless savagery.
Ratings (85)
Incredible (11) | |
Loved It (35) | |
Liked It (18) | |
It Was OK (19) | |
Did Not Like (2) |
Reader Stats (192):
Read It (89) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (74) | |
Did Not Finish (6) | |
Not Interested (22) |
2 comment(s)
interesting story, prose needs some polishing
Well, I'm disappointed. I have seriously expected something more. I haven't read many historical mysteries but I generally like the ones I did. I also generally enjoyed this one but I had some higher expectations.
The author made a great research to write this book, the problem is that he feels the urge to present it to the reader. So we are flooded with plenty of information about every detail and descriptions of every place. As a result the book has a rather slow pace. I was skipping some parts just to follow the main story. I was totally not absorbed by the history of every building and town mention in the book.
Also, I had some problem with the characters. The narration is conducted from the first person point of view which is unquestionably not my favourite one. And John Moore, the narrator, is somehow plain. I can't say I didn't like him, I just didn't care. The same applies to the other characters.
And I'm not really sure if I support the way they conducted the investigation. I'm afraid there is too much guessing in all their procedures.
I'm not looking forward to reading the next book in this series any time soon, especially that it took me nearly a week to read this book.
What can you read after
The Alienist?
About the Author:
Caleb Carr is the critically acclaimed author of The Alienist, The Angel of Darkness, The Lessons of Terror, Killing Time, The Devil Soldier, The Italian Secretary, The Legend of Broken, and Surrender, New York. He has taught military history at Bard College, and worked extensively in film, television, and the theater. His military and political writings have appeared in numerous magazines and periodicals, among them The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He lives in upstate New York.
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