Science and Murder

I just finished Thunderstruck which Juan gave me for Christmas. I had read The Devil in the White City a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to read Erik Larson's next similarly constructed non-fiction story.

Larson's technique in each of the books is to follow a notable man of science and his pursuit of change and fame, all the while following a seemingly regular fellow who will ultimately become an infamous murderer (I'm not giving anything away, you get this from reading the back cover).

I had an easier time getting into The Devil in the White City because it was so full of 'pop culture' from just before the turn of the 20th century, but once I got into Thunderstruck, I ended up liking the characters more. Devil in the White City takes place around and during the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, while Thunderstruck was primarily based in England (although there are jaunts across the Atlantic here and there) during the Edwardian era and the development of wireless telegraphy.

With both books, I really enjoyed reading about a time that, although not so long ago, was incredibly different than the world we know. People getting rundown on city streets by trains or horse carriages being a commonplace occurrence. Streets that are so dark at night that you can't see a block in front of you because although there are street lights, they are gas and throw very little light (actually though if you want to experience this, you can walk through Beacon Hill in Boston at night because they have kept the original gas street lamps. Fun for effect, but also can be unsettling on a moonless night). Or being a part of a scientific community where you're expected to reveal every method and secret to everyone before you're sure you've found a solution or explanation. This last part may not mean much to a lot of you, but as someone working in the science field, things do not work this way now!

I really enjoyed both books and learned a lot from them. Larson does a great job turning these historic accounts into cohesive stories that propel you forward wanting to know what and how things happen. Unlike in The Devil in the White City, I truly liked the 'villain' in Thunderstruck, he seemed like a sweet man, and I bet most readers come away feeling badly for him.