Adina (notifications back, log out, clear cache) 's Reviews > The Alienist
The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, #1)
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Adina (notifications back, log out, clear cache) 's review
bookshelves: big, mystery, historical-mistery, favorites, us
Jun 26, 2014
bookshelves: big, mystery, historical-mistery, favorites, us
Update: I am so excited. I just found out there's going to be a Tv series after the novel. Here is the trailer and it looks amazing with a great cast. Can't wait.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcJQn...
I realized that I can usually feel a 5* book from the first 50 pages. There is something in the author’s voice that gets to me. The same thing happened with The Alienist. It just had me at hello.
The novel is historical fiction written by a non-fiction author. Although I could feel that background from the attention to the detail he employed in the description of the historical setting, it was never dull and he did a great job to introduce me in the atmosphere of 1896, New York and its underworld. I particularly enjoyed that he used as characters real people (e.g. Teddy Roosevelt) and he mingled them with fictional ones in a way that they all seemed real to me. I was expecting for Dr. Laszlo Kreizler to be an actual doctor from that time and I was quite disappointed when I found out he never existed.
This is a very well written psychological thriller which focuses more on the whydunit than on whodonit. I loved how the investigation team came up with the psychological traits of the killer and searched for the perpetrator based on them. It is a novel about the early stages of criminal profiling, quite a fascinating subject.
My only regret was that I did not have enough time to read and I had to enjoy this beautiful book in small bites which altered the flow of my experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcJQn...
I realized that I can usually feel a 5* book from the first 50 pages. There is something in the author’s voice that gets to me. The same thing happened with The Alienist. It just had me at hello.
The novel is historical fiction written by a non-fiction author. Although I could feel that background from the attention to the detail he employed in the description of the historical setting, it was never dull and he did a great job to introduce me in the atmosphere of 1896, New York and its underworld. I particularly enjoyed that he used as characters real people (e.g. Teddy Roosevelt) and he mingled them with fictional ones in a way that they all seemed real to me. I was expecting for Dr. Laszlo Kreizler to be an actual doctor from that time and I was quite disappointed when I found out he never existed.
This is a very well written psychological thriller which focuses more on the whydunit than on whodonit. I loved how the investigation team came up with the psychological traits of the killer and searched for the perpetrator based on them. It is a novel about the early stages of criminal profiling, quite a fascinating subject.
My only regret was that I did not have enough time to read and I had to enjoy this beautiful book in small bites which altered the flow of my experience.
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Reading Progress
June 26, 2014
– Shelved as:
to-read
June 26, 2014
– Shelved
September 30, 2014
– Shelved as:
big
September 30, 2014
– Shelved as:
mystery
June 29, 2016
–
Started Reading
July 25, 2016
–
Finished Reading
September 20, 2017
– Shelved as:
historical-mistery
February 12, 2018
– Shelved as:
favorites
October 10, 2018
– Shelved as:
us
Comments Showing 1-18 of 18 (18 new)
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Emma
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rated it 5 stars
Aug 14, 2016 08:57AM
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It was really good. Unfortunately, it seems the author cannot continue in the same style. I saw that he just released a new novel and it does not have good reviews at all.
You should read it to find out ;) . Still, I will help you as it would not give too much away. The victims are boy prostitutes and their clients are men who like boys that wear make-up to look like girls. Also, homosexuality is discussed in the book as a possible treat of the killer.
Thanks for the inspiration, it sounds quite fascinating.
Thanks for the inspiration, it sounds quite fascinating." It was. I enjoyed it a lot. I hope you do too.
I'm really starting to get into historical fiction..it opened up a whole new exciting genre for me! I need to read this at some point.
I'm really starting to get into historical fiction..it opened up a whole new exciting genre for me! I need to read this at some point." This one open the Historical Mystery genre to me. Definitely worth reading IMO.
I'm really starting to get into historical fiction..it opened up a whole new exciting genre for me! I need to read this at some point." This one open the Historica..."
hmmm interesting, Historical mystery huh? Again, just shows how little of the 'historical genre' I still know..hehe.
I'm really starting to get into historical fiction..it opened up a whole new exciting genre for me! I need to read this at some point." This one open..." You'll learn :))