Helpful Score: 16
I have been a fan of Erik Larson ever since I read Devil In The White City. Larson has a talent for making historical nonfiction read like a good mystery novel. While Thunderstruck did not disappoint, it is not on the same level as Devil.
I believe that the key to enjoying Larson's books is knowing what you're getting into. Both Devil and Thunderstruck involve two seemingly unrelated storylines, woven together to form some intersecting and intertwining conclusion. Larson gets you to that conclusion through meticulous research and a lot of detail. I did not find this book boring, but readers who do not like to trudge through pages of technical explanation and minute detail might disagree with me.
In other words, people who really enjoyed Devil might not necessarily enjoy this book. While Devil was a seriel killer murder mystery wrapped up in the glamour of the Chicago World's Fair, Thunderstruck is more of a slow march towards a single domestic murder wrapped up in the technological baby steps in the development of wireless communication. By nature, the subject matter of Thunderstruck will be less appealing to a wider audience.
With that said, I still enjoyed this book (even though I liked Devil better.) You can only do so much with the subject matter available to work with, and I think Larson pulled off Thunderstruck with good success. I think this book is certainly worth reading, but it's not a book that everyone would enjoy.
I believe that the key to enjoying Larson's books is knowing what you're getting into. Both Devil and Thunderstruck involve two seemingly unrelated storylines, woven together to form some intersecting and intertwining conclusion. Larson gets you to that conclusion through meticulous research and a lot of detail. I did not find this book boring, but readers who do not like to trudge through pages of technical explanation and minute detail might disagree with me.
In other words, people who really enjoyed Devil might not necessarily enjoy this book. While Devil was a seriel killer murder mystery wrapped up in the glamour of the Chicago World's Fair, Thunderstruck is more of a slow march towards a single domestic murder wrapped up in the technological baby steps in the development of wireless communication. By nature, the subject matter of Thunderstruck will be less appealing to a wider audience.
With that said, I still enjoyed this book (even though I liked Devil better.) You can only do so much with the subject matter available to work with, and I think Larson pulled off Thunderstruck with good success. I think this book is certainly worth reading, but it's not a book that everyone would enjoy.
Helpful Score: 5
Erik Larson is one of my favorite authors & his story-telling skills are unparalleled. In Thunderstruck, he weaves together seemingly unrelated stories about Marconi & the development of the wireless & the murder of a "celebrity". The way the two converge is astounding & Larson expertise shines through during this part of the story.
I found this book to be a bit slow-it took me a while to "get started" on it-but understand that Larson has an enormous back story to tell, so the details are necessary. If you love true crime & historical non-fiction, then this is a great book to read. I personally liked Larson's Issac's Storm about the 1900 Galveston Hurricane better, but this is definitely an engaging read.
I found this book to be a bit slow-it took me a while to "get started" on it-but understand that Larson has an enormous back story to tell, so the details are necessary. If you love true crime & historical non-fiction, then this is a great book to read. I personally liked Larson's Issac's Storm about the 1900 Galveston Hurricane better, but this is definitely an engaging read.
Helpful Score: 3
This is an excellent read! There are two parallel stories: The difficultes Marconi had in developing his wireless radiotelegraph system (back in Edwardian times, the main use was for transatlantic communication between ships, and ships and land), and the story of Dr. Crippen's murder of his wife. Towards the end of the book the two stories intersect when Dr. Crippen and his lover (disguised as a young man) try to escape to America, and are recognized by the captain of their ship who sends wireless communications about their life on board. The book blurb is - for once - accurate in its praise of the book.
The characters are great, and you really get a feel for the Edwardian pre-WWI era.
The characters are great, and you really get a feel for the Edwardian pre-WWI era.
Helpful Score: 2
Not as good by far as Devil in a White City. Made it about 1/3 of the way through it and just couldn't finish it. Was more interested in the murder side of the story than of the radio side, but even that wasn't enough to hold my attention.
Helpful Score: 1
In Thunderstruck, Erik Larson tells the interwoven stories of two men; Hawley Crippen, a very unlikely murderer, and Guglielmo Marconi, the obsessive creator of wireless means of communication; whose lives intersect during one of the greatest criminal chases of all time. There is fascinating detail of Edwardian London which causes the story to start out slowly. I'm not sure everyone will enjoy this book as much as The Devil in the White City but mid-point Larsen merges these subjects and the story finally takes off. Larson's ability to make the 1890's come alive through his research is no small fete and proves Larson to be the great writer that he is. I have read all of his books and have enjoyed all of them. If you love historical accounts of true events then you should read his books.
