The Alienist - The best book that I ever read!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Everything! Great book -history buffs will love it!

Cons: Print on my copy was too small

Author's Review
This morning I wrote a review on The Bone Collector, a film starring Denzel Washington. To a small degree, this movie reminded me of a novel entitled The Alienist.

It's similarities however, end with Criminal Psychology accompanied by a turn of the century theme.

The Alienist, penned by the brilliant Caleb Carr, is by far the best book I have read to date.

This novel was first brought to my attention by two close friends, who along with me, share a very deep passion and unquenchable thirst for reading. Both described it as the best book they have ever read.

Incidentally, this opinion is also shared by a few fellow "Epinioner's."

Several writers here on Epinions classify this book as a horror / suspense novel. It was much more than that to me.

I saw it as a combination of fact and fiction. Carr somehow manages to take pure historical facts about Little Old New York and combine them with a (hopefully) fictitious serial killer.

I learned in-depth details about immigration and it's laws, about the history of the famous Delmonico's Restaurant, opera, and Lincoln Center to name a few.

He masterfully teaches us the birth of forensics, and of criminal psychology and pathology.

The story takes place when Theodore Roosevelt was the Police Commissioner of New York - a bit of history that I am ashamed to admit I forgot.

It also revolves around the life of an old friend / school mate of Teddy's, an unconventional psychologist (The Alientist) and key player in developing techniques that are still used today in Psychological Profiling.

This novel is perfect for history buffs as well as those who think they are connoisseurs and masters of the English language. I guarantee that most will want to keep a dictionary close at hand. This was actually one of the best aspects in my opinion. It made the book a challenge.

As far back as I could remember, my Mom taught me to look up a word that I didn't understand. She always said that if you looked it up yourself, you would never forget it. While I am a far cry from a master of the English language, I do love learning new words. This book kept me flipping through my dictionary. It also kept me up for a complete night.

As if not enough, Carr also throws romance into this rare mix as well as the inclusion of a female police officer's rise to gain acceptance, respect and notoriety. Imagine that challenge in those days! It's still tough now. I guess we have not come a long way baby.

The fact that I have not even touched on the killings and the gore should be a clear sign that this book is much more. Most reviews revolve around the serial killings and Carr's mastery of their descriptions.

Trust me, I never saw The Exorcist and still have nightmares! Horror, blood and scare books and flicks are not my bag. BUT, I will say, if they turn you on, this is the book for you.

In conclusion, I would like to summarize by saying that this book has appeal to just about any genre imaginable.