The Alienist (1994) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Characters/People edit see section history

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• John S. Moore: John Schuyler Moore is a typical "New York Times" police reporter in the opening of this book, but following him in his first person view, his life gets a complicated because of his childhood friend Laszlo and a comidity of events. A little daft at times, but seemingly brilliant, Moore is a realistic character that is easy to like.
• Dr. Laszlo Kriezler: Laszlo Kriezler is truly the man behind the mission. His profound and innovative ideas for psychology at the time, does win a few enemies, but also an equal amount of admirers. Keizler is a genius when it comes to making hypotheses and really getting inside the murder's mind.
• Theodore Roosevelt: Theodore Roosevelt is portrayed as the man of action he truly was, even before his presidency, which is were he stands right now, as Police Commissioner. Although only highlighted in the book, he still brings a more tangible feel to the cast.
• Stevie Taggert: Stevie Taggert is a feisty strapling, caused by a rough life on the streets. As a former patient of Keizler's Stevie makes his keep by assisting the master he truly cares about.
• Cyrus Montrose: Another one of Keizler's ex patients, Cyrus has a nasty past, but manages to be a helpful servant to the group, always there in times of need.
• Mary Palmer: A third addition to Keizler's staff of ex patients. Mary is pretty girl with the an unfortunate past like the others. She cannot speak well due to her childhood, but doesn't let that stop her determination to make her way through the once cruel world.
• Sara Howard: Miss Howard is the definition of an independent woman. With the high ambition of becoming the first woman on the police department, she has no thoughts of romance, and so devotes herself to proving that she is capable of detective work.
• Marcus Isaacson: Detective Sergeant and brother to Lucius Isaacson.
• John Beecham: Add a description of this character.
• Lucius Isaacson: Detective Sergeant and brother to Marcus Isaacson.
• Japheth Dury
• Byrnes: Inspector
• Jesse Pomeroy
• Patrick Connor: Sergeant of Detectives
• Lasky
• Murray
• Comstock
• Biff Ellison
• Georgio Santorelli: First murder victim in the story. Worked for Biff Ellison
• Paul Kelly: Biff Ellison's overseer
• John Pierpont Morgan
• Mrs. Piedmont: John Beecham's land lady -- briefly.
• Flynn: Sergeant
• Corrigan: Archbishop
• Potter: Bishop
• Adam Dury
• Harriet: John Moore's grandmother's maid
• Miller
• Ali
• Fatima

Quotes edit see section history

• “We're all still running, according to Kreizler - in our private moments we Americans are running just as fast and fearfully as we were then, running away from the darkness we know to lie behind so many apparently tranquil doors, away from the nightmares that contineu to be injected into children's skulls by people whom Nature tells them they should love and trust, running ever faster and in even greater numbers toward those potions, powders, preists, and philosophies that promise to obliterate such fears and nightmares, and ask in return only slavish devotion.”

  John Schuyler Moore

• “". . . . Between Twenty-second and Twenty-third actually." (Sara)"But that's outside your assigned area." (Moore)"Yes. I sometimes don't say my prayers at night, either." She sighed once. (Sara)”

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• the answers one gives to life’s crucial questions are never truly spontaneous; they are the embodiment of years of contextual experience, of the building of patterns in each of our lives that eventually grow to dominate our behavior.

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• you cannot objectify the subjective, you cannot generalize the specific.

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• “We are not obligated to provide everyone who comes to this country with a good life,” Morgan went on. “We are obligated to provide them with a chance to attain that life, through discipline and hard work. That chance is more than they have anywhere else. That is why they keep coming.”

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• Every human being must find his own way to cope with such severe loss, and the only job of a true friend is to facilitate whatever method he chooses.

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• ‘Habit dooms us all to fight out the battle of life upon the lines of our nurture or our early choice, and to make the best of a pursuit that disagrees, because there is no other for which we are fitted, and it is too late to begin again.’”

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• running ever faster and in ever greater numbers toward those potions, powders, priests, and philosophies that promise to obliterate such fears and nightmares, and ask in return only slavish devotion.

  Highlighted by 35 Kindle customers

• “context”: the theory that every man’s actions are to a very decisive extent influenced by his early experiences, and that no man’s behavior can be analyzed or affected without knowledge of those experiences.

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• “The degenerative processes in children have their chief encouragement in the equally defective home surroundings.”

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• Renouvier, who taught that a man could, by force of will, overcome all psychic (and many physical) ailments. “My first act of free will shall be to believe in free will!”

  Highlighted by 31 Kindle customers

• Stevie Taggert, “the Stevepipe,” as he was known. In his first eleven years Stevie had risen to become the bane of fifteen police precincts; but he’d then been reformed by, and was now a driver and general errand boy for, the eminent physician and alienist, my good friend Dr. Laszlo Kreizler.

  Highlighted by 8 Kindle customers

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• New York
• Washington Square
• Broadway
• Manhattan
• Ise
• Mulberry Street
• New Paltz
• Chicago
• Boston
• Lower East Side
• Bellevue
• Newton
• Massachusetts
• High Bridge Tower
• St. Elizabeth's Hospital
• Seventeenth Street
• Castle Garden
• Williamsburg Bridge
• Black
• Brooklyn Bridge
• Delmonico
• Tenderloin
• Harvard
• Santorellis

First Sentence edit see section history

Series & Lists edit see section history

Followed by The Angel of Darkness.

Preceded by The Old Wives' Tale, and followed by Midnight's Children.

Preceded by Jaws, and followed by Red Dragon.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Caleb Carr (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Bram Stoker Award (Finalist, 1994: Novel)
• Anthony (1995: Best First Novel, winner)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PS3553.A76277 A44 1994
• Dewey: 818'.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Themes and scenes are really not appropriate for teens

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Mystery & Thrillers › Authors, A-Z › ( C ) › Carr, Caleb
• Books › Mystery & Thrillers › Thrillers › Psychological & Suspense
• Books › Mystery & Thrillers › Mystery › Historical

Movie Connections edit see section history

• The Alienist (IMDb): 2006

More Books Like This edit see section history