March Reading Wrap-Up
Books read: 2.5
Favorite of the month: The Alienist by Caleb Carr
The Alienist by Caleb Carr
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4/5
Description: “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.” -Goodreads
I’m a sucker for Victorian era crime fiction. Something about the culture and atmosphere of the time period is the perfect setting for a twisted thriller, and The Alienist is no exception. The cast of characters in this novel is fantastic, and I immediately had a crush on John Schuyler Moore. The best part of this book was the earliest forms of criminal profiling. Carr did a fantastic job demonstrating how far the practice has come and how skeptical many were of it. My only complaint about this book was the writing style, and it’s only a half-complaint. Carr’s style is a bit embellished, and I really wasn’t into it at first. However, the farther I got into the book, the more fitting the style seemed. I couldn’t imagine the story being told any other way.
Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church by the Boston Globe
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 4/5
Description: “Here are the devastating revelations that triggered a crisis within the Catholic Church. Here is the truth about the scores of abusive priests who preyed upon innocent children and the cabal of senior Church officials who covered up their crimes. Here is the trail of "hush money" that the Catholic Church secretly paid to buy victims' silence--deeds that left millions of the faithful in the U.S. and around the world shocked, angry, and confused. Here as well is a vivid account of the ongoing struggle, as Catholics confront their Church and call for sweeping change.” -Goodreads
This book is a challenging read. It is gut-churning, shocking, and truly disturbing, but it is also one of the most important and impactful cases of investigative journalism in recent history. The clergy abuse scandal that was exposed in the early 2000s is an issue that is near and dear to me, and after I saw Spotlight--the film portraying the heroic work of the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team--I knew I needed to read this book. It truly is an astounding work of journalism, and I highly recommend it for any nonfiction reader. I can be a slow read at times, simply because of the sheer amount of information that has to be presented, but it is a very important book.
The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates
Genre: Gothic Horror
Rating: DNF/Work-In-Progress
Description: “New Jersey, 1905: soon-to-be commander-in-chief Woodrow Wilson is president of Princeton University. On a nearby farm, Socialist author Upton Sinclair, enjoying the success of his novel The Jungle, has taken up residence with his family. This is a quiet, bookish community - elite, intellectual and indisputably privileged. But when a savage lynching in a nearby town is hushed up, a horrifying chain of events is initiated - until it becomes apparent that the families of Princeton have been beset by a powerful curse. The Devil has come to this little town and not a soul will be spared.”--Goodreads
I came across this book in a local bookstore and was immediately drawn in by the beautiful cover and intriguing description. Unfortunately, despite the alluring plot, the execution left something to be desired. As is the curse with all gothic fiction, the story was incredibly slow. This book is over 600 pages, and I could only read 30 or so pages at a time, because it would put me to sleep. Additionally, there were too many characters and subplots to follow, and I got lost. I labeled this book as a Work-In-Progress, because I’m not quite ready to give up on it just yet. I am interested to see how the story ends, but I really just needed a break from it.
Have you read any of these books? I’d love to hear your thought! Comment below, or join the discussion on Instagram