The Alienist by Caleb Carr

This is the third book I’ve chosen to read in hopes of further creating a definition for the academic mystery genre. Based on an interview with the author, Carr, I’m led to believe it is a “disturbing” book, involving such topics as serial killers and “maternal violence—the idea of mothers who kill.” Although this is a bit creepy, at the same time, its also interesting thinking about what the book could possibly be about, pertaining to these subjects and the academic setting. Perhaps it will involve analyzing what happens in the mind of serial killers (or other killers) at a college, given the fact that the two other books were “big” on analysis.

Also from this interview, I was able to learn that Carr grew up an angry kid in Manhattan. He loved studying about military tactics (violent for a young kid, suggesting his books will most likely be so too!). Also, his father committed murder (possible motivation for his stories?) and introduced the Beat generation to his son Carr. The Beat generation refers to a “heterogeneous mix of young people, artists and intellectuals of the 1950s (and later) whose unconventional work and lifestyle reflected profound disaffection with contemporary society.” So basically, they were rebels and nonconformists of the 50s, led by writer Jack Kerouac. This information leads me to believe that Carr’s books may do just this—be rebellious and starkly different from others of the time. To read the entire interview, visit http://www.salon.com/books/int/1997/10/cov_si_04carr.html. For more about the Beat generation, visit http://www.fb10.uni-remen.de/anglistik/kerkhoff/beatgeneration/index.htm.