NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A TNT ORIGINAL SERIES • “A first-rate tale of crime and punishment that will keep readers guessing until the final pages.”—Entertainment Weekly “Caleb Carr’s rich period thriller takes us back to the moment in history when the modern idea of the serial killer became available to us.”—The Detroit NewsWhen The Alienist was first published in 1994, it was a major … The Alienist was first published in 1994, it was a major phenomenon, spending six months on the New York Times bestseller list, receiving critical acclaim, and selling millions of copies. This modern classic continues to be a touchstone of historical suspense fiction for readers everywhere.
The year is 1896. The city is New York. Newspaper reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned by his friend Dr. Laszlo Kreizler—a psychologist, or “alienist”—to view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy abandoned on the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge. From there the two embark on a revolutionary effort in criminology: creating a psychological profile of the perpetrator based on the details of his crimes. Their dangerous quest takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who will kill again before their hunt is over.
Fast-paced and riveting, infused with historical detail, The Alienist conjures up Gilded Age New York, with its tenements and mansions, corrupt cops and flamboyant gangsters, shining opera houses and seamy gin mills. It is an age in which questioning society’s belief that all killers are born, not made, could have unexpected and fatal consequences.
Praise for The Alienist
“[A] delicious premise . . . Its settings and characterizations are much more sophisticated than the run-of-the-mill thrillers that line the shelves in bookstores.”—The Washington Post Book World
“Mesmerizing.”—Detroit Free Press
“The method of the hunt and the disparate team of hunters lift the tale beyond the level of a good thriller—way beyond. . . . A remarkable combination of historical novel and psychological thriller.”—The Buffalo News
“Engrossing.”—Newsweek
“Gripping, atmospheric . . . intelligent and entertaining.”—USA Today
“A high-spirited, charged-up and unfailingly smart thriller.”—Los Angeles Times
“Keeps readers turning pages well past their bedtime.”—San Francisco Chronicle
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I usually read a book prior to seeing the movie but I just happened to see the TV Movie first then read the book – movie OK – the “Book” sooooo good – one of the best I’ve read in a very long time! There’s history – super characters – and as you read you can see it happening in your mind – the author is super descriptive and the whole thing comes alive.
as far as i know caleb carr only wrote two of these books (historical mysteries). i own both and have read numerous times. they are absolutely fabulous and he is doing this of us who love his style a disservice by not writing more!! aaawwwweeessssome reads!!!
I picked up this book because TNT was advertising it as a new series with a few actors I love (Luke Evans, Daniel Bruehl, and Dakota Fanning), and I love serial killers and police procedurals. When I had to kill thirty minutes in the grocery story before I could buy alcohol, finding it in the book section was a godsend.
Right off, I appreciated the Dr. Watson-style narration. The description of Doyle-meets-Silence of the Lambs is 100% appropriate. This book hits almost all of my favorite serial killer tropes. The characters are well fleshed-out, all except the narrator, whose personal history (the ex, his family) feels forced or tacked-on. The others and the plot keep this from being an issue, though.
If you like Doyle, Dickens, or Chopin, you will love The Alienist. If you love Silence of the Lambs, I would still give it a try.
Note: Despite the criticism below, I have still purchased and am looking forward to the second book in the series.
There were a few details in the narration that irked me and pulled me out of the story: odd or awkward word choices, long, meandering (but not quite confusing) sentences, sentences in the passive voice that could easily have been active, the overuse of dialogue tags and at awkward times, and the narrator’s irritating habit of referring to future suspense (“Little did we know…”).
All of this is easily explained by understanding Carr’s wheelhouse is nonfiction, and The Alienist is only his second work of fiction–and his first in fourteen years. As I said, I’m looking forward to the sequel and his later works.
Revisiting after twenty or so years. The Alienist is just as fresh and exciting now as it was the first time I read it. Next up Angel of Darkness and Surrender New York.
Kept me intrigued at every turn.
Excellent page turner
If you watched this mini-series on television recently (ten episodes), you will love this book. It was a real page turner, a step back in time like the mini-series, which followed the book very well.
I read it the first time 25 years ago, and it was just as good the second time around, although I’ve been reading what I can only describe as simpler books recently, so it was a little hard to get into. Wonderful descriptions of New York and life in New York at the turn of the 20th century.
Love these characters!
Excellent writing, great sense of the history and how things really were in New York City in the lat 1880’s. Suspenseful and intelligent. Very refreshing.
I began watching the TV series and was so fascinated that I immediately bought the book. It is an historical novel of 1890’s New York, a search for a serial killer of young boys using psychology and very early forensic science by a team of very interesting/diverse well developed characters. I read it and the sequel (“Angel of Death” – which I also highly recommend) within 10 days!
I enjoyed every moment reading this book! The real life New York landmarks, the glimpse of New York before she was the financial epicenter; Caleb Carr’s dedication to historical accuracy of the area made me smile more than once.
Caleb breathed life into our band of heroes! You’ll find yourself unable to stop read until they have returned to their base of operations – safely.