Saturday, November 3, 2018

This Week's Review of. . .


A Discovery of Witches
It begins with absence and desire.
It begins with blood and fear.
It begins with a discovery of witches.

What those words mean remains a mystery as you journey ever deeper through a cleverly constructed world of intrigue and wonder. One where vampires prowl the shadows through the centuries, daemons influence the outcome of history, and witches hide away in plain sight.

Always with us – always separate, the creatures hold to an uneasy, millennia old covenant that teeters on the brink of collapse. And the discovery of a long lost text by a young witch who has shunned her heritage threatens to trigger a war the likes of which will change mankind forever. . .

I have to say, having seen only several episodes of the TV series, I purchased the books. A wise choice, for the depth of background history and foundation added by the creator’s original ideas are spellbinding. It’s superbly written too, and details the struggle of two people falling in love against centuries of tradition prohibiting any form of dalliance with “the enemy.”

In a nutshell – THIS is a quality work you’ll quickly become immersed in. Outstanding!



The Alienist


The Alienist is an American period drama television series based on the novel of the same name by Caleb Carr. The series stars Daniel Brühl (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler), Luke Evans (John Moore), and Dakota Fanning (Sara Howard), as an ad hoc team assembled in mid-1890s New York City to investigate a serial killer who is murdering street children. The series incorporates fact with fiction by including characters that are historical figures, such as Theodore Roosevelt, who held the post of police commissioner from 1895 to 1897.
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When a series of gruesome murders of boy prostitutes grips New York City, newly appointed police commissioner Roosevelt calls upon Dr. Laszlo Kreizler – a criminal psychologist and John Moore a newspaper illustrator – to conduct the investigation in secret. Joining them is Sara Howard, the first woman to work for the police department as secretary to the commissioner, as well as the Jewish twin brothers, detective sergeants Marcus and Lucius Isaacson.
Needless to say, the team meets stiff opposition from the majority of officers within the NYPD, primarily from Captain Connor and the recently retired Chief Byrnes, both of whom are more committed to protecting the reputations of New York's high society than they are to finding the architects behind the crimes.
Overall, I found the Alienist to be a rather entertaining, breathtakingly gruesome murder–mystery possessing a brooding intensity and a complex narrative. The contrast between the exaggerated gentility with which the denizens of 1890s America address one another and the casual savagery of their everyday existence worked wonders. The actors certainly do their jobs too: Daniel Brühl portrays a haunted, painfully introverted and aloof man with an irritating arrogance that demeans the brilliance of his insights. Luke Evans is equally annoying, displaying the foibles of his character superbly, while retaining a loyalty to his friends that put the rest to shame. But it’s Dakota Fanning who shines in my opinion. She’s patient, sharp, strong and brave, while displaying a vulnerability that helps you appreciate the uphill struggle women must have faced to get themselves recognized in a man’s world. The cheapness of life is revealed in all its glory, along with the corruption that ate away at the soul of a burgeoning city.
Excellent stuff, spoilt only by the last 15 minutes or so. I won’t ruin it for you by revealing why here, but I felt a fabulous series and surefire winner fell at the very last hurdle because of its lackluster ending. “Anticlimax” doesn’t describe the injustice.


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