Thunderstruck - Erik Larson

General info: historical nonfiction, published in 2006

Storytelling: 7 – I, like most people, read this book because I absolutely loved The Devil in the White City. Larson seemed to be using the same formula here by intertwining two stories, one about a grisly murder and one about a turning point for cultural/technical advancement.
This book disappointed me, but only because I had such high expectations. Admittedly, The Devil in the White City was a hard act to follow. (Lest you don’t know, DITWC covers the 1893 World’s Fair held in Chicago while telling the story of both the main architect of the fair and the serial killer H.H. Holmes who used the fair to draw in all sorts of unsuspecting victims. It’s truly awesome, so please go read immediately.) And I commend Larson for finding a unique formula and sticking to it for a second time. However, this book didn’t have the flair or the drive that DITWC had.
 Larson chose to tell the dual stories of Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the wireless telegraph, and Hawley Crippen, an unfortunate man who murdered his wife in London at the turn of the 20th century. The Marconi story bored me a bit, and I had to force myself through his chapters. Most of Marconi’s struggle was getting everyone in London to take him seriously, and he came across to me as an unlikeable snob who cared little for his others and could only focus on the success of his invention. He does eventually transmit a wireless signal across the Atlantic (the big goal of the book), but his wayward and sometimes frivolous advancements didn’t captivate me.
Crippen’s story, although a bit more interesting, also seemed lackluster at times. Crippen is a pathetic but kind-hearted man who marries a vain, and emotionally abusive woman. He stays married to her and continues to finance her expensive whims until, long story short, he falls in love with someone else and decides to murder his wife. The reader never finds out the motives of the crimes, or if in fact Hawley did commit the murder, but they find numerous human innards buried in the cellar of their house. Larson spends several chapters leading up to this development, and then when it finally comes, he writes a brief paragraph on Crippen’s execution and seems to be done with it. Huh?
The connection between these two stories seemed pretty weak as well. Crippen is caught trying to flee to the U.S. with his new lady, but thanks to Marconi’s new invention, they are able to pinpoint his whereabouts using wireless telegraphy. I didn’t find this big connection terribly convincing and I left the book thinking it was informative but “just ok”. Larson does earn points, however, for his fun facts incorporated throughout, and his amazing research skills are evident. I did learn quite a bit. Larson tells a great story with what material he has; I just didn’t happen to think the material was that engaging.

Writing: 7 – Larson is a marvelous writer, and I give him major points for his ability to organize the vast amount of information that he includes in his books. In addition to telling two complex stories at once, he’s also working hard to grab the reader and keep their interest. The most amazing thing to me about Larson’s writing is that he’s dealing with non-fiction. His novels read like a well-researched thriller, and you sometimes have to sit back and remind yourself that all of this truly happened.
However, writing a thriller is a double-edged sword, and Larson goes a little over the top sometimes. His cheesy cliffhangers really get old halfway through the book, and it became overly evident that he was trying a little too hard to make wireless telegraphy seem exciting. His dramatic prose got wearisome a few times. Larson is a writer who I’d prefer to stay crisp and exact but with a sense of humor. I’ll also repeat my complaint from above - that the pace of the book bored me, dragged, and got bogged down with details. I love Larson for being well-researched, and for wanting to share as much as possible, but the story suffered because of it. This book could have done with a bit more editing.

Characters: 6 – The characters in this book didn’t really grab me in the way I wanted them to. Sure, they all lived through some extraordinary life events, but I feel like Larson kept trying to add more pizzazz than there actually was.
Marconi just kind of seemed like an insensitive elitist, and I found myself caring little for his successes in the story. I mean, how exciting is it really to tinker with telegraph technology and then fight against other squabbling scientists for a patent? Not very. I do, however, have to give Larson a little credit for trying to add in excitement using very little. He drummed up enough to make Marconi’s life readable.
Crippen, however, just made me sad. I’m sure he was a nice enough guy who was just driven to murder in impossible circumstances. Now, obviously I don’t condone murder under any circumstances, but his wife sounded like an emotional wrecking ball of vanity and self-importance; I probably would’ve smacked her up. Crippen wasn’t a monster by any means (unlike H.H. Holmes…), and instead of feeling like justice was done, I just ended up feeling incredibly sorry for the guy. I’m not sure what Larson was getting at using this story, but it just seemed to completely not jive with Marconi’s. The only connection happened to be that they happened kind of around the same time. It all fit loosely together and felt forced.

Best part: I did like the little bit of suspense there was after Belle (Crippen’s wife) disappeared, and the reader had to wait anxiously to find out the details. The old school methods they used to figure out the details of the murder and which poisons might have been used were also pretty interesting.

Recommend to: History buffs (ideally ones interested in Edwardian London and/or scientific discoveries) who want to read something a little different.

Reminded me of: Hm. It really just reminded me of Devil in the White City, which is to be expected.

How I would murder the main character: I’d tie Marconi to the top of one of his failing electrical stations, force-feed him low quality food, and tell him how I was going to publicly unveil the details of his inventions.

Sexy parts: Crippen starts an affair with the poor Ethel La Neve, who he invites into his home as soon as his wife mysteriously disappears. He also lets her wear his wife’s clothing and her jewelry, and then he parades her around town like a prized peacock. Ok, so maybe this isn’t that sexy, but it’s sure sketchy.

To sum it up: A fairly entertaining but poorly-matched account of invention and marital mayhem at the turn of the 20th century

Overall: 7

Iberia - James Michener

General info: Non-fiction travelogue, published in 1968

Storytelling: 10 – My grandparents sent me this book after hearing I had planned a 10 day solo adventure through Spain and Portugal. According to Rick Steves (demigod of travel books and advice) this should be required reading for anyone planning to run around the Iberian peninsula, and I really couldn’t agree more. I learned a great deal about Spain, and I am excited to compare Michener’s observations with what I’ll see over there. I didn’t think it possible but I think it also made me even more excited for my trip.
I was a little daunted by the fact the book is 960 pages and printed in size six font, but I had to trust my well-traveled and well-read grandparents. I was hooked during the first chapter. Michener divides the book up into meaty chapters based on cities in Spain (aside from one chapter titled “The Bull”) and he includes many tales of his adventures in the outlying regions. This book was created after 30+ years of travels in Spain, so Michener had a lot of good content to work with (hence the size). Any traveler knows your best stories usually happen when you’re stuck in a small town in the middle of nowhere and no one speaks English, and Michener seems to have perfected this art. He includes all sorts of fun details about enjoying picnics in almond and orange fields, buying tickets for bullfights, enduring confusing train rides, and witnessing severe severe poverty. This is a grandiose collection of Michener’s observations as a humble tourist, and he approaches Spain with respect and curiosity (while also inserting his own ideas and opinions) which makes for great reading. And there are even occasional pictures!
However, Michener really impressed me by realizing that no one really wants to read 960 pages just about “This is what I did in Spain”. He infuses the book spectacularly with tidbits about history, architecture, Catholicism, art, food, bullfighting, flamenco, etc. etc. I had read that Michener researches his books tirelessly, and this is definitely the case; I learned a fantastic deal about Spanish history, and Michener was smart enough to include lots of juicy and scandalous details. He is also largely committed to researching the culture of Spain as a polite observer, and he seemed to have a knack for meeting all of the most interesting individuals. Unfortunately, this is all about 1930-1960’s Spain so as a traveler going in 2012 I’m sure things will be largely different, but you can’t really fault the book for being dated…and a tiny bit sexist.
 I really can’t find any issue with the way Michener structured this book and how his stories flowed smoothly into each other. I was entertained by a master storyteller and sailed through the pages.

Writing: 7.5 – I will admit that Michener’s writing is not for everyone; the man loves lengthy descriptive phrases, and his writing is quite dense. And for the most part, I’m all for that. This book is travel account + encyclopedia, and Michener is pretty clear about that. He’s a frank and straightforward writer who crafts a scene carefully while also keeping the reader engaged. It’s almost journalistic in style at times.
I found Michener to be a good writer and I obviously enjoyed his storytelling, but he wasn’t a great writer who was blowing my socks off. I didn’t find myself awe-struck by any passages, but I did find myself reflecting on how detailed they were and how honestly they were crafted. I’ll likely read Michener again, but it’ll likely be when I’m in a matter-of-fact mood…or when I’m about to travel someplace he’s written about.

Characters: 9 – Michener spent enough time in Spain to form a vast collection of fabulous friends from all over the country. I think he also started to become a fairly famous author, so seeking out the town major or a famous art collector became a little easier during his later travels. Also, give the variety of wacky experiences Michener has, this book introduces the reader to all sorts of delightful individuals. Michener interviews them all a bit, but many of them are eager to share their knowledge and tell their story. This book made me heart ache for European hospitality.
Since these were all real-life people, I can’t very well credit Michener with crafting these characters, but I was very impressed by the variety of people he met in Spain and the ease with which he introduced them to the reader. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll get to meet one or two people as interesting when I’m off tromping.

Best part: I’d have to say either Michener’s super detailed account of the Holy Week parades in Seville, the opera and dances he sees in Barcelona, or if very first experience in Spain just outside of Valencia (where he first encounters flamenco). I am insanely jealous of all the cool stuff he got to experience.

Recommend to: All my traveling buddies, and obviously anyone going to Spain.

Reminded me of: You know, weirdly enough, his writing reminded me a lot of Rick Steves.

How I would murder the main character: Michener writes ad nauseum about birds, so I’d probably lock him in an overly decorous Virgin shrine (apparently these are all over Spain) with some carnivorous little birds. But I wouldn’t do that to Michener because he’s an ok guy.

Sexy parts: Obviously times have changed since the 60’s, but Michener offers some funny details about courting habits of Spanish teenagers. Women are expected to be demure and subservient, and the men are all insanely arrogant, according to Michener. And although he never gets graphic, it’s interesting how Michener talks about how sexually liberated young Swedish and German women are when compared to the more reserved Spaniards. We’ll see what I observe fifty years later.

To sum it up: A magical and enjoyable account of mid-century travels as told by a master storyteller.

Overall: 8.5