Customer Reviews

Thunderstruck

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This book follows the exact same formula that Larson used in his popular novel Devil in the White City. Which is to say that it is one chapter about Marconi followed by one chapter about Crippen. While the back and forth style really worked to build up suspense in his earlier work, I found it kind of distracting in this novel. However that is not to say that this novel is dull. Far from it in fact.

Larson provides the reader with an excellently researched novel concerning the history of wireless communication. For anyone interested in the life and times of Marconi, this fact alone should be compelling enough to purchase the book. Added to this is the a side yarn about one of England's "quiet killers" and the reader is provided with a book that is hard to put down.

And just like Devil in the White City, I was disappointed that this novel had to end. The characters were so interesting, and the story so fascinating, that I could have read another 200+ pages easily.

...and educational effort.

It's easy to forget that Erik Larson isn't a novelist. But what he presents in this book, as in 'The Devil in The White City', is often tantamount to a novel. It's rich in texture, it's engaging in its complexities, it has characters to pique your interest...and just as with a good novel, you tend to wish it wasn't ending.

Having said that, it also behooves me to say that 'Thunderstruck' isn't perfect. The balance between the two stories isn't quite right. And in comparison to the build-up, the ending doesn't provide...well, a fitting clap of thunder. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

However, there's just so much stuff to wrap your head around that it's easy to forgive the book's shortcomings.

And I have to admit, as a screenwriter, I kept thinking 'Could this be adapted to the silver screen?' Let's face it; if they can take a threadbare novel like 'The Prestige' and turn it into Nolan's masterpiece, than maybe it's possible with this gem from Larson, too. Time will tell.