The Technologists

by Matthew Pearl

A city held to ransom. A brave few determined to fight. A race against time.





Spring 1868, and the population of Boston is being terrorised by a series of mysterious attacks: first a magnetic storm causes ships in the harbour to collide in flames, then in another bizarre catastrophe every piece of glass in the financial district spontaneously melts - clocks, windows, eyeglasses. The city's fate relies on four young students: Civil War veteran Marcus Mansfield, brash Bob Richards, meticulous Edwin Hoyt and the eccentric but brilliant Ellen Swallow. Together, they are The Technologists. In a climate of rising hysteria, these four courageous individuals must unite against the forces of darkness to uncover the mastermind before he can stage his greatest outrage.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Historical, Audiobook, Historical Mystery

576 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Note from the author:Hi everyone. My newest novel is The Dante Chamber, out May 29, 2018. It's a follow-up to my debut novel, The Dante Club, but you do not have to read one before the other, each stands on its own two feet. Hope you'll enjoy any of books you choose to pick up.

Matthew Pearl's novels have been international and New York Times bestsellers translated into more than 30 languages. His nonfiction writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, The Atavist Magazine, and Slate. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that Matthew's books are part of "the growing genre of novel being written nowadays -- the learned, challenging kind that does not condescend." Globe and Mail declares him "a writer of rare talents," Library Journal calls Matthew "the reigning king of popular literary historical thrillers," and the New York Daily News raves "if the past is indeed a foreign country, Matthew Pearl has your passport." Matthew has been chosen Best Author for Boston Magazine's Best of Boston and received the Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction.

In addition to Goodreads, you can keep in touch and learn more at my website, www.matthewpearl.com, and:
Twitter: @matthewpearl
Facebook: fb.me/matthewpearlauthor
Instagram: matthewpearlauthor

Reviews

[Richard Derus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rating: one ill-tempered star (p54)

I gave up on this boring, clanking, juddering steampunk-lite edifice of rusty cogs and leaking pipes when I read one character from MIT's first graduating class saying to another that their technological age had an engine but no engineer. (A quote from Emerson.)

Ugh.

I started the book with serious interest, based on some good reviews of people whose taste I trust, and on my great desire to see technology applied to problem-solving in extreme situations (the reason I read thrillers). I was wincing from the first scene, where a naked "charity scholar" swims in Boston's Charles River, then is dragooned by his buddies to crank up a rowing scull, and then there is engineered (bad pun, sorry) a confrontation with one of the men's acquaintance from Harvard. It was both too much information, and too little characterization. The utterances of the parties to this watery contretemps simply made no difference to me, I felt they were there to further some Point the author wanted to make.

Anyway. Mr. Pearl and I are not a good fit. I've tried his Dante book, and foundered about 60pp in, then I read his Dickens book to about the same place. We do not seem to be made for each other. As his books are tremendously successful commercially, he won't miss my money, and as his critical reception is rapturous, he won't miss my praise.

I will miss the interesting ideas all of his works to date have served rather unappealingly. Who loses? Me. Which makes me really grumpy.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a surprise on two accounts: first because it is a little slower to start than expected, but second because the characters, action, intrigue and all-round quality of the story increases exponentially from there to the end. I admit I am impatient with scene-setting and sorting out who's who, but perhaps a little more preparation in the reader would allow them to enjoy it sooner.

Boston in the 1860s, at the tail end of the Industrial Revolution, is still generally uneasy about scientific development. New 'technology' institutes - focusing on practical experimentation in science for the benefit of society - are struggling for recognition in an academic world prejudiced against anything outside the Harvard hierarchy. The 'Tech' students are the poor cousins of the 'collegy boys', and there is rivalry between them. Female students are an anomaly in a predominantly male student body. There is division among professors about whether technological developments should be privately managed (and 'protected'), or whether they are something that the general public should have a right to access.

Pearl's Technologists zooms in on a group of Tech students who must grapple with all of these issues. The public catastrophes orchestrated to bring their struggles to a head are fictional, but based on actual scientific developments of the time. And once the catastrophes begin, the pace quickens and it is increasingly difficult to put the book down.

As historical fiction it is impeccably crafted, with every detail, piece of machinery, article of clothing, character trait, vocal expression, indeed every breath of wind seeming to be a direct channel to life in the 1860s. But the characters hold the show, and it is their interactions that draw you into the story. By the end one feels one belongs in the 1860s Boston college scene, and that the Technologists' fight for their place in the academic world is an essential part of your life's purpose. And most extraordinary (for me, at least) was that chemistry should prove to be of such fascinating importance to life as we know it. I'll never look at the periodic table in the same way again. www.GoodReadingGuide.com

[Mary Shyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book suffers from a marketing problem. The blurbs call it a thriller, but it's written like a straight historical fiction. Pearl does his damndest to end every chapter -- and sometimes every section! -- dangling off a ledge, but somehow the adrenaline just doesn't kick in. The lush writing style defuses the urgency and the pacing's slow (it's 500+ pages but it seems like 200 pages could've been removed; editors? editors?). All the technobabble, while thorough, makes the mind glaze over. Also, it's tough to care about MIT's future when we know they go on to become a world-renowned institution, and it's REALLY tough to care about MIT vs. Harvard (especially to the extent that Pearl cares about MIT vs. Harvard) when you're outside Boston or Cambridge.

That said, it's a hell of a historical fiction. The depth of Pearl's research is mind-boggling, and it can be enjoyed as a window into a long-past era at the very worst. (Writers, even American writers, tend to explore the nineteenth century from a British lens, and good God it's refreshing to see that time period in America. And this book is so American it made me want to chant "U-S-A! U-S-A!") Pearl makes Boston into a character the same way Algren treated Chicago. In fact, the anthropomorphizing of Boston is what enables the reader to invest in the book, even if you could care less about Ivy leagues.

Speaking of characters, that's what'll make you stay with the book. Although it's easy to roll the eyes at Righteous Marcus Mansfield, and even easier to cringe at Agnes "I'm Just Here to Give Marcus Depth" Turner, Marcus' cohorts are FLAWLESS. Bob Roberts is a charming rake, Ellen Swallow's grit (and surprising tenderness) makes up for the archetyping sins of Agnes and Chauncy Hammond Junior ... let's just say historical fiction needs less All-American geniuses ala Marcus and more Asperger's-y geniuses ala Hammie.

Summary -- it takes patience to get into, but the pay off isn't in the plot -- it's in the characters and historical Boston.

[Scott Rezer · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, The Technologists is a long read, but that’s okay because it is a clever and addicting story. Pearl does his homework, and even though there are places you can tell he’s just including things you know he discovered in his research, it works because it helps build a believable, multilayered historical atmosphere to the story. I’ve read a couple of Matthew Pearl’s other books (The Dante Club and The Dante Chamber) and they were just as immersive and convoluted. You never know who the culprit will turn out to be and that’s the fun of it. So many red herrings keep you guessing and he creates some interesting characters. Pearl isn’t a prolific writer, but his work is solid. It is a cross between a mystery, an adventure, a thriller, and a historical. A thrilling tale from the dawn of the modern technology/science era in 1868 Boston and the first graduating class of M.I.T. that doesn’t disappoint. Definitely worth five stars just for originality alone!

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, I wanted to like this book. A mystery set in Boston in 1868, centered around the first graduating class of MIT. I think that particular historical period is rich ground for mysteries, because the developing technology makes for new types of detecting, and societal roles are so in flux. And this book has William Barton Rogers and Ellen Swallows as characters, names writ large in the establishment of my alma mater.
But it's just so bad. The characters are sketchily developed and sometimes just laughable stereotypes. (The red-headed buxom Irish maid and the arrogant Boston Brahmin Harvard boys were particularly grating.) There is an art to writing historical slang and yet making it sound natural. Pearl doesn't have it, so the dialogue lurched between wooden and jarring. And finally, the historical background is shoe-horned into unrealistic monologues or clumsy exposition, like a child's school report in which he wants to show how much research he's done.
As I was reading, I was mentally trying to give the author a chance, thinking it was a first novel from an inexperienced new writer that somehow got published because it has such a great hook. Then I saw that he's a NY Times best-selling author and this is his fourth much-publicized book. Clearly the market for factoid-based thrillers is insatiable. I blame Dan Brown.

[Jason Golomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Pearl’s “The Technologists” is a historical mystery set in post-Civil War Boston. Pearl does a magnificent job of recreating a 19th century Boston that I can only compare to the New York City of Caleb Carr’s “The Alienist”. The book is sort of a CSI-Boston (1800’s)…a cast of strong characters sleuth a series of attacks on the city and use science to uncover a growing plot.

Pearl centers his mystery on a few members of the first-ever graduating class of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT’s creation comes at a time when the country is feeling the impact of the Industrial Age. Factories and their smokestacks dot the Boston landscape. Heavy machinery is being operated by the uneducated masses. A generalized fear creeps across the city – the fear of technology, of what it can do, of what it means.

In this context reside two schools: the well-established, respected, and religiously-based institution that is Harvard; across the river in a partially filled building is the upstart and technology-focused MIT. Not only does this new school focus exclusively on the scientific arts, but they provide scholarships to the underprivileged, and they have a female student on their rolls.

And so the themes of technological emergence, and class and gender equality combine with a wonderfully evocative 19th century Boston to provide the backdrop of this terrific piece of historical fiction. The core plot revolves around two inexplicable attacks on the city itself. The first occurs in the Boston harbor one foggy evening. Navigational compasses go awry on dozens of ships which leads to mayhem and destruction. The next week, all of the windows on the buildings in the financial district of the city literally melt away.

The people of Boston are frightened. In a world where science and magic are virtually indistinguishable, MIT staff and students worry that the finger of blame will be pointed in their direction. Four students band together to uncover the cause of these accidents and prevent any further attacks. Modeling themselves after Harvard’s secret student society, they call themselves The Technologists.

The story hums along at a pretty good pace, despite the character and relationship-heavy middle third of the book. Pearl has developed a very good piece of fiction, with enough depth to push this above standard fictional fare.

I received this book as part of the Amazon Vine program.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

On a foggy night in 1868, all the ships in the Boston Harbor find that their compasses and other instruments inexplicably spin out of control, and because of the poor visibility, several ships collide. Shortly thereafter, the glass in the windows of the businesses in the central city begins to melt! The glass windows become liquid, but then as they drain out of their frames they reconstitute into glass and shatter as they hit the ground, causing some death and a fair amount of destruction. In an effort to identify the cause of the disasters, the city fathers contact Harvard’s leading scientist, Professor Agassiz, a biologist who has not yet bought into that new absurdity, Darwin’s theory of evolution. Fat chance that this guy will solve the problem. [In real life, Agassiz even once defined a species as “a thought of God,” declaring that “Natural History must in good time become the analysis of the thoughts of the Creator of the Universe.” Darwin’s Origin of Species, he insisted, “contributed nothing new to the understanding of nature.”]

It so transpires that there is another academic institution of higher learning in Boston, M.I.T., but it is only four years old in 1868 and is not held in the same high regard as Harvard. In fact, Harvard students openly distain the technocrats, whom they consider less cultured. The boys from M.I.T. are eager to show the police their scientific knowledge, but police aren’t interested, and in fact, they warn the young scientists to stay away from the case. So the boys (and one woman - also a real historical character) have to do their investigating secretly so as not to be discovered by the very people they are trying to help.

The story takes some fairly interesting twists and turns, but the whole premise is highly implausible and the science isn’t even good science fiction. The author, Matthew Pearl, seeks to recreate the atmosphere of 19th century Boston by having the characters speak in a very stilted, fustian manner. For example, much of the writing is like this:

"Hammie had unleashed his wrath before Marcus could reach him. ‘Take your rocks and rioting elsewhere, you ruffians! All the scum of the trades with their bluster won’t frighten a Tech man.’’’

And pity Ellen Swallow, in real life MIT’s first woman student, whose memory has been defiled with bad dialogue:

"When I was at Vassar, the girls were as full of slang as any boy I ever heard. Every sentence began with ‘I vow!’ until I could only dream of cotton in my ears and solitude.”

My heavens, Miss Swallow, I too would only dream of cotton in my ears and solitude.

Evaluation: Pearl’s earlier book, The Dante Club, was more successful in evoking the historical aura, and featured a much more plausible and interesting plot. I finished this book, but it was not a fascinating read.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only way for me to really talk about The Technologists is to pull it apart into its different layers. At its most basic, Pearl's The Technologists is a mystery, a thriller. It is also a novel with a profound sense of place - not only of the where but also when. Pearl takes his setting very seriously, and in it is entirely convincing - in fact, it is primarily in the steampunkish technology that we wander outside of historical fiction into alternative history. Finally, The Technologists reads almost as an Ode to Science and Technology, as well as an exploration of their place and purpose in the world. It explores the morals and ethics of innovation, the value of technology and scientific discovery, and even attempts to distill to its simplest form what science and technology really are.

It is only in that first, most basic layer of the book - they mystery/thriller - that I feel Pearl has failed. His writing style, while beautiful and absolutely perfect for his other aims, hampers the sense of urgency he is attempting to create. I recently read a very interesting blog post from Query Shark in which she talked about word count in sentences, and sentence count in paragraphs, as part of what increases tension in mystery/thrillers. Pearl's writing can at best be called languid. It is the type of prose you wallow in, not speed through. Additionally, I get that it is a convention of the genre to introduce the reader, at a rapid rate in the first of the books, to numerous people who will be among primary characters, secondary characters, as well as mere victims of whatever disaster is imminent. This lack of characterization is okay because it is rapid. Unfortunately, according to my Goodreads status updates, I had read a fifth of the book before I really started getting to know the main characters of The Technologists. I knew that the mystery would eventually unfold; I knew that the Tech boys (and girl) would eventually be my focus; I didn't particularly care. But, here's the thing: I did care enough to keep reading because of all the other layers that Pearl did really, really well.

As a reader, I have to attach myself to someone to continue to invest in a book. Pearl's constant introduction of new characters left me with little other option but to attach to Boston, the city, as its own character. (In fact, I would be quite surprised to find that it was not at least partially Pearl's intent to make Boston so present in the novel that it appeared a character.) Likewise, Pearl's writing is at times so evocative of the mid to late 1800s, that I was surprised when I get to something 'alternative'. Everything from sentence structure to word phrasing to chosen vocabulary firmly places the book in the 19th century, while simultaneously being approachable by the modern reader. Pearl does this with such balance and grace that it is truly beautiful to behold. I was shown 19th century Boston in all its full-bodied glory.

However, where The Technologists really shines is in its handling of science and technology. It is the story of the pioneers of science education. This book is firmly about the time in history when MIT had to fight for its very existence in a world that mistrusted it. Yet, it would require an almost ostrich-like approach to current events to not realize that this is a battle still playing out today. The thing I think I most appreciated about Pearl was his ambiguity. His characters were not always fully formed because they were often embodiments of the different views people take in this fight. Marcus IS MIT, and MIT is Marcus. Agassiz is Intelligent Design, and Intelligent Design is Agassiz. And, in allowing each of these approaches to be embodied by a person, Pearl allows more nuance and ambiguity into the discussion. It is easy to ask MIT to have a protectionist stance, as an institution, within the city of Boston for its own self preservation. However, to think of Marcus sitting idly by feels morally wrong. This duality in the characters allows the reader to see the hypocrisy in thinking something is a safe decision from an institution, but morally repugnant from an individual. They are the same. So often in this fight between science educators and moral objectionists, all the decisions seem to come from cold, faceless institutions; but really they are made by people with fear, hubris, conviction, excitement, etc. - people who are anything but cold or faceless. Pearl is also perpetually defining and redefining science and technology, and the definitions rarely feel wrong. I found myself nodding along with Agassiz at first, until his rants slowly slipped into something that, at first I only could not follow, until finally they reached something I abhor.

The Technologist asks of us, where is the line between protecting ourselves with innovation and from innovation? When have we gone too far? Where does religion fit into a new, more scientific world? Where does science fit into a religious worldview? What about ethics and morality? Where is the moral line between theory and practice? (For example, was it morally acceptable for these scientists to theorize about the construction of this new virus, but wrong to actually create it? Or was it wrong to even theorize? Or should they have been allowed to create it and publish it anyway, for the sake of learning?) Does technology improve society or destroy it? Are we naturally innovators, or do we defy nature by our innovation? Were we already set apart as better than the world around us, or do we set ourselves apart by our attempts to better ourselves? Do great minds arise because of education, or in spite of it? There is not always a set right or wrong in these questions, but dynamic shades of grey that change as often as the faces of science and technology themselves change. Other times there are clear rights and wrongs, and they require action - and Pearl shows that as well. I love how deftly and beautifully Pearl deals with these issues, how he often forces the questions without providing the answers, and so I don't really care that I felt no urgency for his mystery - that wasn't really the most important question he asked anyway.

Review Copy provide by Random House.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Aprial 1868, a number of ships in Boston Harbor lost their instruments together. This caused seven ships to crash and great damage. Officials consider turning to the Harbor Police but one person considers the professors at Massachetts Instrument of Technology which is about to graduate their first class.

Marcus Mansfield is one of the students and the lone student on financial assistance. He listens to the school president telling about a new technology that would combine the city lights in a circut that would save time and expense of having to light each street light individually. The speech is broken up by unionists who claim that this innovation would deprive people of their jobs.

A theme of the novel is advancement in technology with the cost savings but against the loss of jobs.

Another incident causes havoc where the windows in downtown Boston melt. An MIT professor feels that they should investigate since they are the only institute devoted to science and technonoly. However there is distrust and being so close to Salem, some consider science a form of witchcraft.

Marcus and a small group of classmates form a group to secretly find the person causing these disasters.

Fans of Caleb Carr's "The Alienist" will enjoy this novel with its historical, analytical view. The author goes into great detail about the scientific process. Although admirable, with the length of this novel, it slows the story down and this non scientific reader thought all of the details about science to be tedious. A fan of science would probably disagree.

In spite of the excess of scientific fact, the story is enjoyable with the original plot, excellent dialog, comparison of science to witchcraft and historial views.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the local public library when I ran out of things to read, and to some extent regret having done so. I also keep wondering why I feel compelled to finish books I don't really like.

This was a tedious read, all 480 pages of it. It seems more like an author showing off than telling a story. It's well past the middle of the book before the plot gathers any momentum, and after this incredibly slow pace, the last fifty pages or contain an astonishing number of plot twists. Pacing seems to me an important part of fiction writing, and in that respect, "The Technologists" fails miserably.

A novel should also have character development, but this one does not. There are all too many characters, of whom perhaps eight are central. All seem essentially flat, caricatures without depth or compelling features. Two romances occur, and because so little emotional groundwork is laid, they lack credibility.

I'm not sure how to evaluate writing style in a historical setting, but the prose here is in general tough sledding. I am assuming that bits of slang (calling college students "collegies," for instance) are accurate. But the effect is stilted and distancing. I also wonder whether words like "barbecue" existed in 1868. And in a book this long, I expected (in vain) to have more of a sense of what it was like to live in Boston 150 years ago.

I've somehow read two of Pearl's three earlier novels, and find the same problems -- very slow pacing for much of the book with a sprint for the finish which makes better reading. But this book is even less successful than the other two I read, and I keep wondering why I read it.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

One fine day, when the compasses on all the ships in Boston Harbor went haywire......and a while later, all the glass (on Bank Street) melted.....it became obvious that “something was up”, and not just the sky

it’s 1868...shortly after the Civil War

The first class of THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY is about to graduate....and all Hell breaks loose!!

Fear and Ignorance among the general populace......The Hardy Boys meet Harry Potter (meet The Technologists)....Harum scarum pyrotechnics.....corporate greed.....Creationists.....Richy rich Harvard Boys....and one lone female with the brains to attend MIT, albeit sub rosa (“in the basement”)


I loved this book......for the fact that, while it is Historical in content...and I’m sure the research is/was flawless.....but more so, because it was such a damned “fun” read

I haven’t read anything else by Mr Pearl...though The Dante Club has been lurking hereabouts for quite a while, and i do want to read it, now

Recommended for those who won’t be nitpickers or Grouchy Guses.....who want a good story that also makes one think a bit...about our own attitude toward technology/innovation...and Education/Intellectualism....the more things change, they really do stay the same

4 Stars

**This was a Net Galley**

[Althea Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been intrigued by Matthew Pearl for a while - I actually own both 'The Dante Club' and 'The Poe Shadow' and have been planning on reading them - but I got an ARC of his latest, so it went to the top of the list. Well, eh, I might have been a little overexcited.
This wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't really what I expected. I'd read things comparing it to 'The Alienist' so I was expecting a serious, realistic thriller set in the 19th century. It wasn't. Although the author did his research on the early days of MIT (this book's setting), I didn't find his depiction of the school convincing. (The afterword, where he talks about the facts behind the story, was actually the most interesting part, for me.) I found the characters rather cartoonish. The alternate history/steampunk aspects of the story were very far-fetched, again, reminding me almost of a comic book in prose form. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't find myself getting really into it. Although it was a mystery, I didn't find myself compulsively turning pages, either. I'm still planning on reading the other books by this author, though, especially as they all seem to have interesting topics.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Technologists has all the ingredients to create a compelling Boston sited historical thriller. The only thing missing is a good story. At first, I thought that a story about the beginning of MIT with a historical fiction component would make for a great tale but somehow, at least for me, Pearl manages to dilute the post-Civil War Boston scene into a story that appears to be a supernatural story. The plot eventually settles on a path that mires upwards of fifteen potential villains that might have committed dastardly deeds upon the otherwise thriving city of Boston.

I received my engineering degree in Boston and know many people who taught or went to the Institute, and unfortunately, I can’t recommend this book to any them, which is a pity. The main problem is the storyline which forms the type of thriller that wastes too much time attempting to steer the reader away from the actual criminal rather than just telling the story. For these flaws I can only give The Technologists a poor read.

[Dan Radovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new favorite from one of America's better historical thriller writers. Pearl creates fantastic adventures spinning fact with fiction and you can believe everything. THE TECHNOLOGISTS takes you to Boston in 1868, the first graduating of MIT prepared to meet the world. He starts the story off with a huge BANG and from there the pace gets ever faster. Sub-plots, major and minor, are handled with the typical Pearl skill. Nothing he spins into his story is un-needed, this guy really can write. The uproar over the importance of science is dealt with, comically at times; giving the story a steampunk quality. He populates the story with interesting characters, both good and evil; and like all of his previous novels you feel like you are right there in 1968 Boston. He has a brilliant talent to 'take you there'... where ever and whatever time he is writing about.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I just like Matthew Pearl's books. This one was a romp through 19th century Boston and highlighted the first graduating class of MIT. It was a time period when technology was at a turning point and a lot of people feared progress. There was also a murderous engineer going about the city wreaking havoc with experiments that killed bunches. At times I got a little bogged down in the science descriptions but overall I really enjoyed it.

[Carl Alves · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally am a big fan of historical fiction, and The Technologists certainly had a cool concept. Being an engineer (and someone who unsuccessfully tried to enroll in MIT) I liked the setting with the start of the Institute of Technology and their rivalry with Harvard, who are painted as arrogant, egotistical, and regressive in this novel. Having said that, there were some things I liked about this novel and somethings I didn’t like.

The Good: I thought the characterization in this novel was strong. I liked the MIT students and the Technologists. These characters were well done. They were an interesting and diverse bunch who were easy to root for. I also enjoyed how they went about trying to investigate the wild technologically based attacks happening in Boston just after the Civil War. There was good tension in this novel.

The Bad: These wild elaborate technology based attacks were not well explained, making the believability factor low. It’s not that I didn’t think they could happen, but the author didn’t sell it well enough with science and technology to back it up. The other thing was that the ultimate villain in this novel wasn’t believable either. He didn’t have the knowledge, education, or tools to pull off the things he accomplished in this novel. I didn’t buy this person as the evil mastermind, and his motivation to achieve utter destruction was weak. It was also a bit long-winded.

In the end, I thought this was a solid novel and worth reading.

Carl Alves – author of The Invocation

[noël snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh this was absolutely brilliant!! I loved every single bit of it, I never wanted it to end, but oh was that a wonderful ending. This might be one of my new favorite novels yet! The Technologists was so thrilling and witty and suspenseful, keeping me on the edge of my seat almost the whole time. The characters were charming and smart, the unexpected twists caught me off guard every time, and the beautiful friendships that were made between Sir Marcus Mansfield, Robert Richards, Edwin Hoyt, and Ellen Swallow, showed what real teamwork and friendship was like; working together in the deepest of despairs, and creatively overcoming obstacles and challenges even in the weakest points. These four brilliant college students of the great Institution of Technology when it was just starting out in 1868 combine each of their unique skills of science (engineering, chemistry, mathematics, etc) to save their beloved city of Boston by working to solve the enigmatic mystery of chaos surrounding the city caused by strange shocking events and unveil a destructive mastermind behind it all was such a thrill to read and this brilliant novel led me to appreciate the amazing art of technology and the beauty of discovering and working together with each skill we posses to bring hope into this world and the future to come.

(oh and also I shipped Bob and Ellen from the start and when he confessed his love for her at the end a warm smile came across my face <3)

[soda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great historical fiction/detective novel. Like Pearl is known for, I was drawn into the story right away. I've always been a fan of the underdog, so I was rooting for the 'fab 4' as I came to call them right away.

The only character I didn't like was the housemaid Aggie. She just annoyed the crap out of me and I couldn't have cared less that she was hurt; completely useless as far as I'm concerned. But I was COMPLETELY on board with Ellen Swallow. As a feminist I loved her breaking through the glass ceiling attitude of being the first woman at MIT. As a physics fan, if I had read this book 20 yrs ago I might have ended up going there.

I think most people who gave this a low rating aren't "readers"; they just want sex and/or violence instead of a good story. Too bad for them, b/c this was a fantastic read.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a historical fiction book about the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It starts out slowly, has a brief interesting moment then fizzles out for me. Did not finish it. Might get more interesting later but I have no patience for it.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read The Dante Club, The Poe Shadow, and The Last Dickens, but none of them grabbed me and held me captive like The Technologists. Knowing nothing about the formation of MIT, I read with the continual question, is any of this true? But I really enjoyed this mysterious, fun book and was happy with the Author's comments at the end to answer my question is any of this true?

[Jim Botti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good story depicting beginning of MIT. Much I didn’t know about that time. Dragged a bit in the middle but by the last third I needed to know how it ends. Enjoyable read.

[Elgin Ting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing and trilling. It has quite good scientific storyline too

[Cam Yaxley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bones of a good story but feels jankily put together

[Vera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had extremely low expectations for a random book I got for 1$ at the library sale, but it blew me away. This is be best plot I’ve read this year.
Will add more later but this is a 9/10

[Ms.pegasus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Matthew Pearl recreates post-Civil War Boston in this mystery-thriller. To that end, much of the book is spent establishing the historical Zeitgeist. Despite it's prospering manufacturing and shipping industries, Boston was a very conservative city, conscious of social class and “Brahmin” family lines, hobbled by the weight of tradition. Harvard University already enjoyed its elite aura with a curriculum that adhered to mastery of Latin, Greek, classical literature and history as the foundations of an education. Religious doctrine resisted new theories in the life sciences. Despite their participation in the labor force during the Civil War, women were still consigned to a highly circumscribed sphere with domesticity at its center. Into this unwelcoming environment, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was born – an institution of higher learning dedicated to the dynamic between theoretical and applied science, and born from a tradition of pragmatism rather than religion. One of the most surprising revelations is that the school was not granted a charter by the Commonwealth's legislature until a few months before the scheduled graduation of its first class of students.

The protagonist of the story is Marcus Mansfield, a working class youth employed by the Hammond Locomotive Works, until he is persuaded to attend the newly established Technology Institute as a “charity scholar.” The circle of students includes Brahmin scion Bob Richards, an impulsive extrovert; Edwin Hoyt, a scholarly and cautious introvert who left Harvard to study at the Technology Institute; and Ellen Swallow, sole female student, a graduate of Vassar seeking to expand her employment opportunities as a chemist.

The story opens with an intriguing calamity: Ships colliding into each other and the shore across the span of several miles, all of their compasses simultaneously spinning wildly. The mysterious event is related with vivid description. This will be only the first of a succession of bizarre and terrifying events. Many invoke religious reasons for the disasters. Others point to the dangers of technology and science. The disasters could well be the outcome of some experiment gone awry, and many are eager to blame the Technology Institute with it's new ideas and methods. Mansfield and his companions are motivated by both curiosity and a desire to vindicate their school as they pursue their own investigations.

Pearl is an excellent storyteller. However, the prolific dialog spoken by the students felt unconvincing, and slowed the pace of the book. Instead of three dimensional characters, Marcus, Bob, Edwin and Ellen felt like surrogates for various historical themes. Ellen, in particular, sounds unnecessarily brittle and pompous. She becomes interesting only later in the book when she actually has something to do. Similarly, we gain a sense of Bob far into the story when he accosts his brother in order to gain information about a Harvard secret society. Marcus becomes interesting when his Civil War imprisonment at an abandoned tobacco plant in Virginia (Smith Prison) is described.

Too much of the dialogue is used as a pedestrian means for furthering the plot, rather than revealing character. For example, here is a typical passage: “'We both searched the seabed thoroughly down there,' Bob insisted. 'There was nothing else to find!' 'Then we have found nothing,' Edwin replied. 'Let us not make our conclusions yet,' Marcus said. 'It is too early to declare a failure.'”

This is an ambitious book with interesting applications of scientific fact. However, the combination of historical commentary and science thriller produced, in this case, uneven results. I was nearly halfway through the book before I really became caught up in the story.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, won in a Goodreads Giveaway.

Matthew Pearl's The Technologists is the fictional story of several students of the inaugural class of MIT, as they race to stop a mad man from destroying Boston.

The Technolgists opens with the events of a mysterious harbor disaster as boat crew mates and sailors find their compasses going haywire. On a night when the harbor is blanketed by heavy fog, this leads to a huge disaster as ships crash into each other and into the docks, destroying the harbor. Shortly thereafter, another unexplainable catastrophe occurs in Boston. All the glass within the financial district of Boston inexplicably melts, disfiguring many and killing a young actress (who becomes encased in glass). The police are at a loss of just what is happening and how it could be occurring.

It is in this setting that we are introduced to Marcus Mansfield, Robert (Bob) Richards, Edwin Hoyt, members of the inaugural class of MIT, currently in their senior year, about to become the first graduates of the institute. Marcus, the main protagonist, is from a working class background and a charity student at the university. Four years ago, when President Rogers, the head of MIT, visited Hammond works (where Marcus was working), he saw promise in Marcus and made it possible for him to attend the institute.

Although the three boys are looking forward to graduating, the institute itself is still in an unstable and precarious position as many people are suspicious of the institute's teaching of science and technology. Despite the institute's mission to use technology to improve the everyday lives of the common man, detractors such as union workers and even an esteemed Harvard professor make graduation for the senior class seem more like a pipedream than reality. So when the harbor and financial district tragedies occur, the faculty of the institute votes to stay out of the investigation and punish any who do get involved, lest suspicion and blame fall upon the institute's teaching or promotion of technology and science.

Marcus doesn’t agree with the decision of the faculty members and starts his own investigation of the disasters with the help of Eddy and Bob. They are later joined by the only female student at the institute, Ellen Swallow (who had been conducting experiments and inquires of her own into the incidents). Together, they form “The Technologists” society as a cover for their activities. As the Technologists get deeper into the mystery and science of the affair, they find that they are being followed and sabotaged as the mastermind of these disasters won’t let anyone get in the way of his increasingly cataclysmic schemes to destroy the city.

In my opinion, The Technologists was a great read. Most of the characters are well-developed (with the exception of Frank) and highly likeable. The plot is engaging and well-paced. It reminded me a little bit of Dan Brown books in that I couldn’t put the book down (although I don’t really like Dan Brown) and also in that the villain/psychotic mastermind is someone you supposedly wouldn’t suspect since they seem to be helping the protagonists . Also like Dan Brown, parts of the book are clearly implausible, but definitely not to the same extent of Angels and Demons. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone (although I’m not sure Harvard students would appreciate the portrayal of their school, but apparently Matthew Pearl went to Harvard so who knows).

[Franky · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Technologists, Pearl blends historical with fiction and fantasy to pit the original MIT team against a technologically-savvy villain in late nineteenth century Boston. Dubbing themselves “The Technologists,” the brainy team uses their scientific backgrounds in attempts to unearth bizarre catastrophic events happening within the Boston area. The plot focuses on the team’s efforts to piece together the causes of the catastrophe as well as their hopes of saving the city from its next potential disaster. While a few characters (Marcus Mansfield, Chauncey Hammond “Hammie”) are fictional, several of the team members are based on historical members of MIT (Robert Richards “Bob”, William Edwin Hoyt, Ellen Swallow).

While the premise is interesting, the dialogue and characterization suffer, and makes the read mediocre. Odd that in such an intelligent book that dialogue could be so unimaginative and corny. The dialogue has a feel of almost a comic book in many ways (I’m not sure if this is what was intended). I could envision the villain saying something like “And now! I will rule the world! ” and then laughing maniacally or one of the protagonists saying something along the lines of “Quick! To the Technologist’s cave!” So, this makes the characters a bit of stereotypes, and lessens what might have been a better novel.

Still, one redeeming value to Pearl’s novel is simply technology as a centerpiece of innovation. On one side, we have the skeptics who believe that technology is the root of all evil, who are fearful that the Institute is responsible for the tragedies and do not want to support MIT. At the other extreme, there is acceptance of technology as a hope for better quality of life. Reflecting on the novel now, I can see some parallels between Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and The Technologists. Public opinion seems to make the innovation the culpable factor, rather than blaming the one who’s behind the curtains pulling the levers, creating harm. Victor Frankenstein might have been foolish enough to tamper with science just like our antagonist here in The Technologists. Technology is a form of knowledge, and this should never be blamed. It’s commendable that these original MIT members took up a fairly unfavorable cause, and held it together, despite the pitchfork-wielding villagers with torches proclaiming “Burn it down! Burn it down!” in the heart of Boston.

Pearl also has an interesting afterward, where he talks about the real life historical members of the team, as well as their struggles during the institute’s first stages.
Science buffs will probably enjoy The Technologists. While I felt lukewarm about this novel, I still want to check out The Poe Shadow.

[Susan Tunis · Rating 3 out of 5]

My long-awaited intro to Pearl is a mixed bag

I’ve had a galley of Matthew Pearl’s The Dante Club sitting on my bookshelf since before it was published. How long ago was that? That’s how long I’ve been meaning to get around to reading the man. Story of my life. Hurrah! I have finally met this goal!

Set in 1868, this period thriller opens with an act of terrorism. Early one Boston morning, several ships’ compasses and other instruments fail. In the fog, they crash into each other and the wharves. There is pandemonium, destruction, and loss of life. The cause and perpetrator of this mayhem is unknown. This is the first of several incidents that virtually bring the city to its knees. All the attacks seem to involve science, and this is at a time when there’s a great distrust of science in general.

1868 also happens to be the year of the first graduating class of MIT. Pearl’s protagonists, who are determined to secretly solve the mystery and save the city, are several members of the small student body, most of whom are underdogs in one way or another. At the very heart of the tale is working-class charity student Marcus Mansfield. Mr. Pearl has created a mostly appealing ensemble, but I don’t honestly think that character development is his greatest strength. It is clear that historical accuracy and research is. I’m not enough of a history buff to tell you if every single aspect of this novel is accurate, but I was doing a lot of Googling as I read, and there was a tremendous amount of real history worked very effectively into the plot. And the time and place was fascinating—especially to me, having lived in Boston for a number of years. Thank you, Mr. Pearl, for the time machine. Additionally, the science used in the plot was clever and inventive.

About the novel’s plot… Well, it’s complex and convoluted—perhaps a bit excessively so. I found my credulity becoming increasingly strained as the novel proceeded. There were some coincidences late in the game that I found annoying as well. Elements of the story were overly melodramatic. And the dénouement, when it came, was satisfyingly full of surprises and reversals, but I wonder if Mr. Pearl took things just a step too far. There were so many surprises and reversals that it felt like it took forever to finally get the truth!

Did I enjoy reading this novel? Yes I did, unquestionably. But I do feel it had flaws, and overall, after looking forward to reading this author for so long, I was just the slightest bit disappointed. Since this is my only experience of his work, it’s possible this wasn’t the best book with which to start, and I look forward to reading more of him in the future.

[Patrice Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Won Through a Goodreads Giveaway*

It is no secret I enjoy historical-fictions wrapped in a mysterious cloak. The history is a very important part of our society and should be reflected on as often as possible. I am able to do this by reading books that are set in times where the world was completely different. The Technologists is set in 1868's Boston. The Civil War had been over for a few years and the world was a changing place. Technology and sciences were amongst those changes that was not always welcome or accepted. This one aspect of human nature has not changed. Many are unable or refuse to change and would love to see the demise of change.

The story begins with Marcus Mansfield. He is the most developed of the Technologists. He's soon to be part of the first graduating class of MIT. His other school buddies Robert Richards, Edwin Hoyt, and Ellen Swallow make up the "secret" society named the Technologists after a series of unnatural disasters take place. The disasters are the perfect recipe for an already scared Boston people who don't understand or accept technology and the sciences, to use the MIT graduates as scapegoats. In an effort to clear their name, as well save lives, the Technologist are determined to stop this madman who is putting lives in danger to make a point.

I found this novel to be pretty interesting. I love that it's set as Boston with its backdrop. There is so much historical significance in Boston that it makes for a perfect setting. The author does a great job at describing the world at that time and I always felt that I was traveling the streets with these characters.

Although the characters seemed pretty thin to me and cliche, (the poor one, the rich one, the pretty woman, the Harvard meanie) in mysteries, character development is given a little leniency (imo). It was more interesting seeing what sciences were used during that time and how the author worked within the boundaries of the era to convey the story. There were of course moments of action and quick decision making. But the dialogue was a little stale. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I will definitely keep an eye out for other works by this author. This was a great introduction to his work. I recommend this book anyone who likes historical fiction mysteries.

[Maya Panika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fact and fantasy mix in this intricately woven and engaging tale of the first MIT graduates taking on a mad-scientist bent on death and destruction in the city of Boston.

The plot is wildly, madly, terrifically unbelievable! Several stories interweave – the battles between town and gown - and gown and gown, the terror of ordinary people and traditional academia of the new science that is steamrollering over their world, memories of the very recent Civil War, the burgeoning fight for female independence and a touch of romance too - and Pearl keeps these diverse threads consistently interesting and remarkably tight.

It’s not a fast paced book; the style reflects the syntax and literary style of the time in which it's set, and the first half suffered from an excess of rather laboured cleverness, an over-abundance of unnecessary technical detail (which is, admittedly, probably, precisely, what a certain type of steam punk aficionado loves most), but had me skipping chunks; it slowed the story down at crucial moments. The second half is less technical, the plot picks up speed as a result, the characters emerge more strongly and distinctly – it all made for a much better read for me.

The characters - many of whom turn out (according to the end notes) to be based on real people or amalgamations of real people – are excellent, very nicely drawn and utterly believable. My favourite character by far was Hammie, he deserved more of the action. I’d love to see a novel with him as the main character.

In short, It’s a bit too long, especially at the start; a little too in love with the technology – which has its place, of course (the novel is called The Technologists, after all), but rather less of it would have made for a faster-paced and more thrilling read. Still a cracking good tale, though, that I enjoyed very much indeed.