RARA-AVIS: New York historical HB

From: Cristoforo ( Cristoforo@mediaone.net)
Date: 12 Jan 2002


Although I found the story of the Alienist to be a bit ho-hum (the first use of a pyschiatrist/alienest tracking down a serial killer) the setting of late nineteenth century New York is what made the book so fascinating to me. Has much in common with Luc Sante's (non-fiction) Low Life, also an excellent read.

Can anyone recommend any other pre-20th century HB or noir fiction based in NYC?

Brad

Carrie wrote:
> Carr's
book does have a lot of elements of hard-boiled - violence, corruption, a
> generally negative view of human nature, and a somewhat lazy dissolute
> journalist narrator who fits well into the HB ethos. On the other hand,
HB
> is about style as well as substance, and The Alienist is written in a sort
> of faux-late-Victorian style with a lot of "if we had but only known what
> dire fate awaited us. . ."

certainly a very
> compelling read, interesting characters, and a completely convincing and
> eye-opening picture of urban life in the late 19th century. I'd like to
see
> Carr try a Ripper book.

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