The Alienist

By: Caleb Carr

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

A new breed of evil in Old New York

New York, 1986: Lower Manhattan's underworld is ruled by a new generation of cold-blooded criminals...Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt battles widespread corruption within the department's ranks...and a shockingly brutal murder sets off an investigation that could change crime-fighting forever.

In the middle of a wintry March night, New York Times reporter John Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a brilliant pioneer in the new and much-maligned discipline of psychology, the emerging study of society's "alienated" mentally ill. There they view the horribly mutilated body of a young boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels. Supervised by Commissioner Roosevelt, the newsman and his "alienist" mentor embark on a revolutionary attempt to identify the killer by assembling his psychological profile -- a dangerous quest that takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who has killed before...and will kill again before the hunt is over.

As rich in vivid period ambience as Ragtime and Time and Again, and as relentlessly suspenseful as Red Dragon or The Silence of the Lambs, The Alienist will take you to a New York that no longer exists -- to confront an evil of timeless savagery.©1994 Caleb Carr, All Rights Reserved; (P)1994 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved; Audioworks is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.

Abridged! NO!! /cry

I thought it was strange that the book was only 4+ hours and it wasn't until the end credits did I hear the dreaded word "abridged"! Other than feeling robbed of a more in-depth read it's still a great story.

Good as far as it went

Would you listen to The Alienist again? Why?

No. A good enough story, but not sufficient for a second listen.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Obviously the heroine.

What about Edward Herrmann’s performance did you like?

Yes, well done

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no

Death and Decay inhabit more then the murders

I admit this was not the type of book I'd pick up for fun, I was told to read for a class on cultural History in North America on the advance of the Prof with the cheery comment that it was a best seller and write by a person with an MA in History.

If you LIKE Freud theories of childhood, poop and sex then you may very well find the ideas of a police investigation team using them to be interest and exciting. The murders are grim, dark and of children.

The main "police" characters are flat, having each a single attribute of virtue and nothing else to define them.

The Reporter - Bravery - though it look more like fool heartiness
The Female Admin - Knowledge of Children - not that she has any
The Good Doctor - Intelligent - or more correctly the ability to connect the others ideas into a chain

Edward Herrmann does a good job, giving each of the characters there own voice and feel but is fighting an uphill battle with 1 D plot and little better characters. Truely if you want a thrill there MUST be something less girt, grim and with a storyline.

Moved quick thriller

An excellent read that's quick and we'll casted. Highly recommend this for commutes or trips.

Great Story, Excellent Narration!

I got the abbrieviated version of The Alienest as part of a BOGO special, and because I love Edward Herrmann's narrations... this was great! Now I almost wish I'd gotten the long version by my other favorite narrator, George Guidell!