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Summary: Light the fire, feed the cats & prepare to submerge.
Review: Gloomy winter weekends are perfect for Caleb Carrs "Angel of Darkness". Much to the relief of my fiance, I've just finished this eerie character sketch of maternal instinct gone mad. Poor man was neglected until I finished it. Caleb Carr's editors could stand to watch out for repetitive passages & those cutesy end of chapter cliff hangers. Those points aside, Libby Hatch is one of the most realistic villianesses I've read. Beware, do not pick up this book if you've got an agenda. All in all a tasty bit...Write faster Caleb... we're waiting for more!!
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Summary: A good sequel
Review: Most sequels are disappointing. This one is not. Indeed I enjoyed it more than The Alienist. To be sure, there are loose ends and a feebleness in the central premise (why doesn't the mom of the kidnapped baby go to the police?). All in all, a good book. From one avid reader to others: buy this one. Recommended.
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Summary: This is a good book that evokes New York City in the 1890's
Review: Building on the characters of The Alienist, this book is good but ultimately less satisfying. It feels formulaic next to Caleb Carr's previous best seller. The feeling this reader gets is that the author simply did not have as much passion for this story as he did for that in The Alienist. Yet, if you like long and detailed docu-history, it is an entertaining dive into the recent urban past.
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Summary: The wait for the Alienist sequel is over
Review: Since "The Alienist" was my favorite book of the past few years, I had been waiting anxiously for the next Caleb Carr book. Much to my delight, "The Angel of Darkness" is a sequel to that wonderful book. The story line, characters, and historical tie-ins are just as engrossing as in Mr. Carr's previous novel. I was captivated throughout, until Teddy Roosevelt shows up to contribute to a ridiculous conclusion. Still, I recommend reading it, at least until up to the last twenty pages. You may want to make up your own ending. Despite the finale, I can't wait for Carr's next work!
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Summary: Angel of Darkness sometimes struggles with its'own darkness
Review: Caleb Carr's sequel to The Alienist was certainly one of this year's most readable novels. I was certainly satisfied with it, when I isolate it to the category of a good story well told. Certainly, being an ex-New York City dweller, the historical descriptions of people, places, and things are more than engaging. Somehow, these same descriptions, and the entire plot of the book, left me feeling that by comparison, modern day New York is a whole lot better place to live. The moments of bleakness, so liberally interspersed throughout this novel, left me with too many dark images, even though, as it's method of creating action "Angels..." bleakness is a clever tool. Perhaps, novels of an historical context are doomed, one way or another, from the start. When writers mix the absurd with historical fact painted in very broad brushstrokes, the result is, for me, most often very brief in it's satisfactions. I love Carr's use of actual historical characters, but unfortunately, when they engage in absurd activities, such as Teddy Roosevelt does in this novel, one's reach to understand is stretched so much it can leave a person intellectually very tired. Perhaps, my conviction regarding the struggles that most sequels are frought with brings me to the reading of "Angels.." with my own feelings of darkness nurtured by expectations of disappointment. I sometimes wonder if there is a method in which an author can write a mediocre novel and follow it with a sequel that is a great book-the old save the best for last theory. I have given the book an 8 for its'great accomplishment of being a compelling story well written.
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Summary: Great!! A Must Read!
Review: "The Angel of Darkness" is an incredible novel. The characters are life like and excellently developed. The plot is complex and engaging. Caleb Carr is one of the best writers alive today, he proves this by the unbelievable way he creates the setting. The only small disappointment is how Miss. Howard became a feminist and reads a lot like a 90s character. Despite this The Angel of Darkness is brilliant, and is definitly a must read. I hope he continues this magnificent series.
Rating:
Summary: Well done!
Review: Carr has done an excellent job. The story line and the characterizations were excellent. To his credit, Carr manages to refer the reader to the protagonists' earlier adventure (see The Alienist) while at the same time providing enough information about the earlier adventure so that it stands alone. This serves both the reader familiar with the Alienist but who needs to have their recollections refreshed, and the first time Carr reader. (I am often frustrated and annoyed at authors who presume reader familiarity with their collected works.) Carr also manages to portray early-day feminists and feminist theory in what I perceive to be an authentic fashion. In other words, I felt he accurately portrayed feminist thought in its incipient stages. Any so-called immaturity of thought on the parts of those characters seems, in historical context, appropriate. My only complaint was the voice of the narrator, Stevie. The intonation, accent, and method of speaking may very well be accurate. However, I found it grating to see the obligatory "what" every few paragraphs. (E.G. The girl what had the burney.) I am both relieved and intrigued to hear that Carr plans to write additional Alienist volumes and put each one in a different voice. All in all, an excellent work.
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Summary: Not as gory, but still suspenseful
Review: "The Alienist" was much harder to put down, and "Angel of Darkness" still retains that quality. Mr. Carr definitely has a flair for being able to transport one to the past and he pulls no punches with this novel. His glorious descriptions of wondrous locations and characterizations of famous people like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Diamond Jim make you feel as if you are there. The book isn't as gory as the last, but it'll make you sweat nonetheless. All our favorite characters return (Stevie Taggert, Cyrus, Mr. Moore, Sarah, The Doctor and the Issacsons) plus new interesting characters. The bit with Kat is a little drawn out and it'd be great if we could delve deeper into Libby Hatch's psyche, but we get the satisfaction of learning more about Stevie and the Doctor. "Angel of Darkness" is dark, funny, and suspenseful. A perfect combo for a great book.
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Summary: Satisfying Sequel to The Alienist
Review: Fans of The Alienist will enjoy The Angel of Darkness. Give author Caleb Carr kudos for trying to jump over the pitfall of stale sequels by changing point of view from journalist John Moore in the prequel to young former street urchin Stevie Taggert. Unfortunately this shift results in awkward moments, forcing Stevie into often acrobatic stances to listen in on important plot developments. Carr is at this best when seamlessly weaving in historical figures, both human and inanimate; best portrayed in this effort are the brilliant Chicago defense attorney Clarence Darrow and his innovative, and subsequently modern, cross-examining techniques; the high roller gambling tradition of Saratoga; and the cocaine-infested youth underworld of New York City. In between an overdone beginning and a far-fetched ending, The Angel of Darkness is an interesting psychological examination of a turn-of-the-century woman and her "context," her motivation for serial killings of young children. In the end, the predictable plot pattern-- off-the-page revelations, followed by breathless exposition, and resulting action-- keeps a solid suspense novel from resonating deeply, and being anything more than satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: Angel Of Darkness
Review: This is a marvelous sequel to The Alienist and a real page turner.Carr has created another masterpiece and we can only await the next one!
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