The Alienist

Author's Rating:

Pros: fascinating historical fiction

Cons: can get bogged down in details, characters are a bit thin

The Bottom Line: 
Read this for the plot, the history, and the ideas, as well as the suspense.

Author's Review
Another meeting of my bookclub has come and gone, and this month we read something that I actually enjoyed, The Alienist by Caleb Carr. I had been meaning to read this particular novel for years; it was on the best seller lists during my stint at Barnes and Noble several years ago. Despite the fact that it took up a large chunk of my recent reading time, I am happy to have read this one.

Set in New York City at the end of the nineteenth century, The Alienist recounts an investigation of a serial killer that utilizes [what would have been] unorthodox methods. John Moore, the narrator, is a reporter for the New York Times who finds himself drawn into the investigation by Theodore Roosevelt (yes, the one who went on to become President of the United States) and a man named Dr. Laszlo Kreitzler. Kreitzler is a psychologist, or what was then known as an "alienist;" he believes that he can find the killer is by using the details of the murder to intuit facts about the killer. Several other characters join the investigation, while almost every other power in the city works against them.

I don’t think there was anyone at our bookclub tonight who didn’t enjoy this novel, although almost everyone but me thought that it dragged at points. Their criticism centered around two things: first, the characters in the book don’t have much depth. It’s true; they aren’t very strongly drawn, and it isn’t even always clear what motivates them. However, this flaw (to my mind anyway) is completely overshadowed by a brilliant plot that is well-rooted in the historical time and place of the story. The second problem that my friends complained of is that Carr often goes into great detail about the architecture, food, sights and smells of New York City. While I didn’t find myself annoyed by this, and I did read every word, it is something a reader should be prepared for!

For myself, I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. I loved the intense plot, and I think Carr does a brilliant job of describing the roots of criminal psychology. Particularly fascinating is the inclusion of actual historical figures (I believe the murders and the investigation are fictional, as well as many of the characters) such as Theodore Roosevelt and Anthony Comstock. The societal pressure to suppress the ideas and realities of "alienism" in the name of "preserving the family" parallels modern debate as well.

Readers should be prepared to deal with gruesome killings and events, as well as the fact that the murder victims are young male prostitutes who dress up as women for their customers. Also be aware that the vocabulary used in this novel is a bit more sophisticated than that found in the average potboiler.

While I can’t say that The Alienist is a book that will ever be my favorite, I still have to give it 5 stars for content, both fictional and historical. I would highly recommend taking the time to read this one. Caleb Carr has also written a sequel, entitled The Angel of Darkness.