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Freud #2
The Death Instinct
BRAND NEW, Exactly same ISBN as listed, Please double check ISBN carefully before ordering.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published September 16, 2010
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2591 people want to read
About the author
Jed Rubenfeld
10 books208 followersJed Rubenfeld a summa cum laude graduate of Princeton University and magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School is the author of the hystorical and psychoanalytical novel Intepretation of Murder.
His experience in both Shakespearean Plays and his thesis on Sigmond Frued helped him to make an anlytical yet fictional work; Intepretation of Murder.
A master in the field of Law, he has proved himself to be also a master in fiction and thus making a mark in the history of literature through his psychoanalytical novel Intepretation of Murder.
His experience in both Shakespearean Plays and his thesis on Sigmond Frued helped him to make an anlytical yet fictional work; Intepretation of Murder.
A master in the field of Law, he has proved himself to be also a master in fiction and thus making a mark in the history of literature through his psychoanalytical novel Intepretation of Murder.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 502 reviews
February 6, 2017
Wow, this probably is one of the best historical mysteries I have ever read, it's a shame Rubenfeld has written only two books. I've bought it 2 years ago assuming it might be decent enough to read, and I couldn't have been more wrong. It has surpassed my expectations, the plot, the thrill and twists, everything was amazing.
The story revolves around three people: Captain James Littlemore of the New York Police Department, A war veteran Dr. Stratham Younger and a French radiochemist, Miss Colette Rousseau, who survived a bombing that targeted Manhattan's wall street, and later get caught in a series of unexplainable events that eventually turned out to be related to that attack.
The story also features real characters like Sigmund Freud and Madame Curie, and I also liked the Author's notes at the end. I have't read the first book yet, But I will definitely buy it and read it.
The story revolves around three people: Captain James Littlemore of the New York Police Department, A war veteran Dr. Stratham Younger and a French radiochemist, Miss Colette Rousseau, who survived a bombing that targeted Manhattan's wall street, and later get caught in a series of unexplainable events that eventually turned out to be related to that attack.
The story also features real characters like Sigmund Freud and Madame Curie, and I also liked the Author's notes at the end. I have't read the first book yet, But I will definitely buy it and read it.
August 22, 2011
I'm typically leery of books in the 450+ range - in my experience, few authors are able to pull it off without unnecessary padding/exposition. Jeb Rubenfeld's IS NOT one of them. When the Booklist reviewer wrote "But readers should prepare to wallow in the book and take it slowly" he wasn't kidding. And using "wallow" to describe a book isn't meant as a compliment.
I have to hand it to the author, taking a little known terrorist act from the 1920's was inventive. Rubenfeld is a decent writer and his historical research seems good; it's his storytelling I take issue with. The pacing was awful: he starts off with an explosion, followed by a kidnapping, a gallant rescue, then guts the pace by spending the better part of the first third of the book having Dr. Younger relate his meeting with the Rousseau woman to Det. Littlemore. All the momentum was bled out of the story. Add to that some superfluous interactions of the investigation and subplots (Luc's muteness, Rousseau's Hans? Please!) only served to kill the pace altogether. The tedium was so bad that I stopped short of finishing Part I to read another book. Once I finished that one, it was, "Oh well, I guess I should finish Instinct now..."
Next, Rubenfeld's characters. When Littlemore was regaling Younger & Collette with his powers of observation I thought, "What's he trying to do, a poor man's version of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson?" What's next? Describe them as Robert Downey Jr. & Jude Law? And although Ms. Collette was supposedly French, she displayed no affections of actually being French; she might as well have been Colette Rousseau of Poughkeepsie New York. I mean, for a French native her English was remarkably free of French vernacular, not even a "Mon Dieu!" when she narrowly avoids death. And I'm all for dark, edgy protagonists, but when Younger emotionlessly recalls slapping his wife around and almost forcing himself on Rousseau (to the point where she has to fend him off with a gun) I was put-off. Maybe it's my 20th century sensibilities, but I'm supposed to sympathize with this guy?
All these criticisms amount to a book & author I'd have trouble recommending. It's unfortunate because Death Instinct had the potential to be a standout novel: an unsolved crime, a great book cover, good prose...I think if someone had forced Rubenfeld to cut about 100 pages or so, it would have been a better book: more focused, less fluff. As it stands, it's overly long, has too many subplots, and meanders in too many places. I *might* (a very big might) consider another Rubenfeld book but ONLY if it's less than 350 pages. If he can show me that he can tighten up his plot, I'll put his name on my "to read" list.
I have to hand it to the author, taking a little known terrorist act from the 1920's was inventive. Rubenfeld is a decent writer and his historical research seems good; it's his storytelling I take issue with. The pacing was awful: he starts off with an explosion, followed by a kidnapping, a gallant rescue, then guts the pace by spending the better part of the first third of the book having Dr. Younger relate his meeting with the Rousseau woman to Det. Littlemore. All the momentum was bled out of the story. Add to that some superfluous interactions of the investigation and subplots (Luc's muteness, Rousseau's Hans? Please!) only served to kill the pace altogether. The tedium was so bad that I stopped short of finishing Part I to read another book. Once I finished that one, it was, "Oh well, I guess I should finish Instinct now..."
Next, Rubenfeld's characters. When Littlemore was regaling Younger & Collette with his powers of observation I thought, "What's he trying to do, a poor man's version of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson?" What's next? Describe them as Robert Downey Jr. & Jude Law? And although Ms. Collette was supposedly French, she displayed no affections of actually being French; she might as well have been Colette Rousseau of Poughkeepsie New York. I mean, for a French native her English was remarkably free of French vernacular, not even a "Mon Dieu!" when she narrowly avoids death. And I'm all for dark, edgy protagonists, but when Younger emotionlessly recalls slapping his wife around and almost forcing himself on Rousseau (to the point where she has to fend him off with a gun) I was put-off. Maybe it's my 20th century sensibilities, but I'm supposed to sympathize with this guy?
All these criticisms amount to a book & author I'd have trouble recommending. It's unfortunate because Death Instinct had the potential to be a standout novel: an unsolved crime, a great book cover, good prose...I think if someone had forced Rubenfeld to cut about 100 pages or so, it would have been a better book: more focused, less fluff. As it stands, it's overly long, has too many subplots, and meanders in too many places. I *might* (a very big might) consider another Rubenfeld book but ONLY if it's less than 350 pages. If he can show me that he can tighten up his plot, I'll put his name on my "to read" list.
February 17, 2011
In Jed Rubenfeld's sexy, moody, Hitchcockian-cum-Freudian-cum-Jungian literary novel, The Interpretation of Murder, Dr. Stratham Younger narrates a story within the framework of a fictional journal, focusing on his experiences with Drs. Jung and Freud on their revolutionary visit to the United States in 1909. Rubenfeld braided historical fact and fiction in this Manhattan corkscrew murder mystery, centering on Freud's pioneering "talking therapy" and penning some biting dialogue between the three psychoanalysts. Younger's skepticism and attraction to Freud's theories enhanced the mesmerizing story of his attempt to cure a damaged, neurotic, and mute woman. The novel was peopled with a sprawling cast of doctors and louche politicians, drawing the reader into a lush, dissecting mixture of cerebral scrutiny and emotional desire.
Rubenfeld's second and very ambitious novel also weaves fact and fiction, with extensive scope, while adopting some of the motifs and themes from his debut work. This time the author is tacitly paralleling events in the novel to the economic depression of contemporary times, as well as the 9/11 tragedies.
The year is now 1920, the eve of the roaring twenties, women's suffrage, and the transition from Wilson to Harding. Nobel Prize winner (twice) Madame Curie is about to tour the United States to raise funds for her research on radium. Radium is already being used in industry to paint luminous watch dials, poisoning the working women at a factory in Manhattan. Many factory workers are out of work altogether. Prohibition starts and gives rise to speakeasies, Babe Ruth has been traded to the Yankees (1919), and Freud has advanced his theory of human drives in his essay, "Beyond the Pleasure Principle," which expounds on the theory of the death instinct. The Mexican Revolution is officially over, but tensions are not.
The Treaty of Versailles had severed many of Germany's provinces from its territories (1919). J.P. Morgan & Company is the titanic leader of finance. Moreover, a billion dollars in gold is being transferred from the old Sub-Treasury to the adjacent Assay Office via overhead bridge. The author incorporates all these historical events, (and more) into a multi-faceted, sometimes brilliant, not quite numinous, but intriguing and educating story.
Stratham Younger, now a veteran of the Great War and an ex-psychiatrist and ex-husband, is standing on Wall Street when a bomb explodes, killing and maiming many civilians. It was at that time the biggest terrorist attack ever executed on American soil. Unsolved to this day, there is insubstantial conjecture that Italian anarchists were behind it. This leaves it wide open for Rubenfeld to create a capital, confabulated truth from historical, anecdotal, documented, and apocryphal background and a florid imagination. He does it superbly, with an expansive cast that includes authentic politicians and businessmen, the FBI and Treasury kingpins, as well as fictional characters. It also alludes, by comparison, that a proper criminal investigation was never conducted for 9/11.
(Fictional) Detective Littlemore, of the New York Police Department and Younger's best friend (present in Rubenfeld's first novel), comes on board to help him try to solve the case. Accompanying Younger during the explosion are Littlemore, and an enigmatic and beautiful French scientist and student of Madame Curie, Colette Rousseau. Her relationship with Younger has a fiery chemistry with lots of obstacles. And, using a motif from his former novel, we are introduced to another mute, this time Colette's young brother, Luc.
Rubenfeld straddles the investigation into the Wall Street attack with the story of Younger's relationship with Colette and Luc via a well-paced balancing act. Freud's presence will be included to help unravel the origin of Luc's muteness and try to cure it. Someone(s) is after Colette, it seems, and she is very close to not escaping dangerous villains. She is on a serious mission to explore the medical benefits of radium and raise money for Madame Curie's research, as well as find employment as a scientist again. Prior to WW1, she was at the Sorbonne. And--love story? We have a fetching love story, too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, but with a bit of a caveat. Rubenfeld pulls off this byzantine plot handily, but with some sacrifice of character and some crowd-pleasing tidiness where I would have liked it messy. (I liked the messier first novel.) Younger, who is no longer the narrator in this omniscient perspective, comes across as a White Knight and brooding, taciturn hottie. That was quite a switch from his younger and more self-effacing and uncertain days. The war and maturation may have had an effect, certainly, but he was too predictable here.
Jimmy Littlemore was also a caped crusader of sorts, a committed family man with flawless scruples. No equivocations to his character, as he always took the moral high ground. The villains and white hats were often too clearly delineated, except where Rubenfeld decided to bait and switch. There were more obvious contrivances at work in this novel, which lent a more mainstream adjustment. And there were some hokey types used to drive the narrative action and plot tension.
The language occasionally felt too modern and anachronistic, speaking too closely in the verse of today. The author generally pulled back before going too far with it, but it did peal at times. For example,
"Germany hates us because we beat them. England and France hate us because we saved them. Russia hates us because we're capitalist. The rest of the world hates us because we're imperialist."
Finally, the ambiguities were conspicuously ambiguous and not sufficiently nettling or beguiling. Rubenfeld did most of the work for us, although it was impressive work. It was a dazzling ride through most of the story--a little boggy in the middle, but fine and tight at the end, and worth the investment. I'd like to see Rubenfled aim his concept just a little bit smaller the next time, furthering story lines about psychiatry--his forte--and give us some main characters with a bit more incertitude and mystique.
Rubenfeld's second and very ambitious novel also weaves fact and fiction, with extensive scope, while adopting some of the motifs and themes from his debut work. This time the author is tacitly paralleling events in the novel to the economic depression of contemporary times, as well as the 9/11 tragedies.
The year is now 1920, the eve of the roaring twenties, women's suffrage, and the transition from Wilson to Harding. Nobel Prize winner (twice) Madame Curie is about to tour the United States to raise funds for her research on radium. Radium is already being used in industry to paint luminous watch dials, poisoning the working women at a factory in Manhattan. Many factory workers are out of work altogether. Prohibition starts and gives rise to speakeasies, Babe Ruth has been traded to the Yankees (1919), and Freud has advanced his theory of human drives in his essay, "Beyond the Pleasure Principle," which expounds on the theory of the death instinct. The Mexican Revolution is officially over, but tensions are not.
The Treaty of Versailles had severed many of Germany's provinces from its territories (1919). J.P. Morgan & Company is the titanic leader of finance. Moreover, a billion dollars in gold is being transferred from the old Sub-Treasury to the adjacent Assay Office via overhead bridge. The author incorporates all these historical events, (and more) into a multi-faceted, sometimes brilliant, not quite numinous, but intriguing and educating story.
Stratham Younger, now a veteran of the Great War and an ex-psychiatrist and ex-husband, is standing on Wall Street when a bomb explodes, killing and maiming many civilians. It was at that time the biggest terrorist attack ever executed on American soil. Unsolved to this day, there is insubstantial conjecture that Italian anarchists were behind it. This leaves it wide open for Rubenfeld to create a capital, confabulated truth from historical, anecdotal, documented, and apocryphal background and a florid imagination. He does it superbly, with an expansive cast that includes authentic politicians and businessmen, the FBI and Treasury kingpins, as well as fictional characters. It also alludes, by comparison, that a proper criminal investigation was never conducted for 9/11.
(Fictional) Detective Littlemore, of the New York Police Department and Younger's best friend (present in Rubenfeld's first novel), comes on board to help him try to solve the case. Accompanying Younger during the explosion are Littlemore, and an enigmatic and beautiful French scientist and student of Madame Curie, Colette Rousseau. Her relationship with Younger has a fiery chemistry with lots of obstacles. And, using a motif from his former novel, we are introduced to another mute, this time Colette's young brother, Luc.
Rubenfeld straddles the investigation into the Wall Street attack with the story of Younger's relationship with Colette and Luc via a well-paced balancing act. Freud's presence will be included to help unravel the origin of Luc's muteness and try to cure it. Someone(s) is after Colette, it seems, and she is very close to not escaping dangerous villains. She is on a serious mission to explore the medical benefits of radium and raise money for Madame Curie's research, as well as find employment as a scientist again. Prior to WW1, she was at the Sorbonne. And--love story? We have a fetching love story, too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, but with a bit of a caveat. Rubenfeld pulls off this byzantine plot handily, but with some sacrifice of character and some crowd-pleasing tidiness where I would have liked it messy. (I liked the messier first novel.) Younger, who is no longer the narrator in this omniscient perspective, comes across as a White Knight and brooding, taciturn hottie. That was quite a switch from his younger and more self-effacing and uncertain days. The war and maturation may have had an effect, certainly, but he was too predictable here.
Jimmy Littlemore was also a caped crusader of sorts, a committed family man with flawless scruples. No equivocations to his character, as he always took the moral high ground. The villains and white hats were often too clearly delineated, except where Rubenfeld decided to bait and switch. There were more obvious contrivances at work in this novel, which lent a more mainstream adjustment. And there were some hokey types used to drive the narrative action and plot tension.
The language occasionally felt too modern and anachronistic, speaking too closely in the verse of today. The author generally pulled back before going too far with it, but it did peal at times. For example,
"Germany hates us because we beat them. England and France hate us because we saved them. Russia hates us because we're capitalist. The rest of the world hates us because we're imperialist."
Finally, the ambiguities were conspicuously ambiguous and not sufficiently nettling or beguiling. Rubenfeld did most of the work for us, although it was impressive work. It was a dazzling ride through most of the story--a little boggy in the middle, but fine and tight at the end, and worth the investment. I'd like to see Rubenfled aim his concept just a little bit smaller the next time, furthering story lines about psychiatry--his forte--and give us some main characters with a bit more incertitude and mystique.
January 3, 2019
I enjoyed the main characters and the twisting storyline as it jumps from plot-to-plot and character-to-character. There is romance, financial intrigue, and police procedural elements all mixed into an enjoyable book.
March 1, 2011
Sequel to the Interpretation of murder taking place ten years later, a fantastic historical mystery centered around the Wall Street bombing of 1920. The fist World War has ended, Freud has become famous and Madame Curie and her discovery of radium has had an impact on the medical field as well as used for a great deal of profit by nefarious industries.
July 13, 2012
Complicated story about the bombing of Wall Street in 1920. Half fact half fiction with death and terror the main themes. Definitely written more for male readers with a lead character that will remind you of some guy you dumped for being a manipulative jerk. Don't bother.
April 24, 2018
Tas momentas, kai skubi, lauki pabaigos, atomazgos, nes viskas taip neaišku ir painu, o kai ją pasieki kiek liūdna, jog jau pabaiga, laikas atsisveikinti su veikėjais, jų pasauliu. Fikcija bei realybė - trumpai ir aiškiai apie knygą. 1920m. rugsėjo 16 sprogimas Wall Street'e. Pagrindinis veiksmas, o aplink jį sukasi dar keli. NYPD Littlemore'as mėgina išnagrinėti sprogimą, o gal tai teroro aktas, o gal kas daugiau, kas buvo auka, kas nusikaltėliai. Tuo pat metu tame pačiame veiksme dalyvauja jo draugas Doc. Younger bei prancūzė Collete, kuri yra Mari Kiuri mokinė, kurie ne tik aiškinasi savo santykius, bet ir susiduria su keistomis moterimis, kurias kažkas išdarkė, o dar Collete's ir jos brolio Luc pagrobimas. It būtų maža šių spalvingų asmenybių prie jų prisideda ir Zigmundas Freudas. Kaip ir mažomis įžangomis autorius supažindina su epochos spalvingumu. Viskas taip perpinta ir skaniai pateikta, jog fikcijos net nesijaučia, tik vėliau autorius pateikia kas tikra, o kas tik jo išmonė. Skanu
June 18, 2018
The story was quite interesting lots of plot twists but something just didn’t work for me, it was an ok read.
April 26, 2025
Great sequel to the first novel, tied up all loose ends by the finale and strong emotional scenes throughout, they almost killed my goat though
July 4, 2011
Eh. This historical thriller had an interesting premise -- a bombing on Wall Street in the 1920s shocks the nation, and Captain James Littlemore wants to get to the bottom of it. Meanwhile, his good friend Dr. Younger is in the throes of apparently unrequited love for WWI survivor Colette Rousseau, a beautiful (of course) protegee of Marie Curie who is desperate to have her traumatized younger brother treated by none other than...Freud. An additional subplot involves a lot of subterfuge surrounding newly discovered radium.
So the book was moderately engaging; unfortunately, it suffered several amateurish flaws. First, there's that classic historical fiction gimmick of having your characters intersect with famous figures in history. I also found Colette to be a bit of a Mary Sue -- of course she's beautiful and charming and all the men want her, and she's also super smart, capable, and a doting older sister to her younger brother. Yawn. Not to mention the fact that Colette keeps getting kidnapped by people who are after her body or her secrets or both only to be dramatically rescued. Captain Littlemore had some Mary Sueness to him as well -- constantly shocking people with his brilliant deductions from subtle clues (this got REALLY old after 3-4 times); impervious to the intense (kind of over the top, really -- was he that gorgeous?) seduction efforts of a beautiful woman because he's faithful to his wife; above taking bribes though he struggles because his daughter needs an operation, etc., etc. All the chase scenes were really a bit much -- does Jed really think they're going to option this for a movie? And it really didn't need to be this long; eliminating a subplot or two would have made things tighter and more enjoyable.
I gave the book three stars because it kind of worked despite these gripes. You won't hear me raving about it but I didn't hate it enough to stop midway, even though I'm ahead in my goodreads challenge for once.
So the book was moderately engaging; unfortunately, it suffered several amateurish flaws. First, there's that classic historical fiction gimmick of having your characters intersect with famous figures in history. I also found Colette to be a bit of a Mary Sue -- of course she's beautiful and charming and all the men want her, and she's also super smart, capable, and a doting older sister to her younger brother. Yawn. Not to mention the fact that Colette keeps getting kidnapped by people who are after her body or her secrets or both only to be dramatically rescued. Captain Littlemore had some Mary Sueness to him as well -- constantly shocking people with his brilliant deductions from subtle clues (this got REALLY old after 3-4 times); impervious to the intense (kind of over the top, really -- was he that gorgeous?) seduction efforts of a beautiful woman because he's faithful to his wife; above taking bribes though he struggles because his daughter needs an operation, etc., etc. All the chase scenes were really a bit much -- does Jed really think they're going to option this for a movie? And it really didn't need to be this long; eliminating a subplot or two would have made things tighter and more enjoyable.
I gave the book three stars because it kind of worked despite these gripes. You won't hear me raving about it but I didn't hate it enough to stop midway, even though I'm ahead in my goodreads challenge for once.
July 28, 2011
This was a really enjoyable piece of historical fiction. I thought it was a taut and interesting melding of real events and people (the 1920 Wall Street bombing, Sigmund Freud, members of Woodrow Wilson's cabinet, etc.), psychological investigation and wonderfully creative crime story. Part Sherlock Holmes, part alienated Holden Caulfield, the duo that sets out to solve the mystery of the Wall Street bombing are fascinating, and brilliant, but at least one is psychologically damaged from his experiences in WWI. Although the back story is fictictious, the issues and characteristics surrounding the story's main event - the terrorist bombing - deal with many of the psychological and moral issues of 9/11 giving the story a more modern feel.
The book has surprise plot twists, evolving Freudian theory (from Freud himself, no less!), and an interesting rhythm. It also starts off with a bang:
"The church bells struck twelve. With the final, sonorous note still echoing, a curious taxi driver drew back one corner of moth-eaten burlap and saw what lay beneath. At that moment, among the jostling thousands, four people knew that death was pregnant in Wall Street: the cab driver; a redheaded woman close by him; the missing pilot of the horse-drawn wagon; and Stratham Younger, who, one hundred and fifty feet away, pulled to their knees a police detective, and a French girl.
The taxi driver whispered 'Lord have mercy.'
Wall Street exploded."
Great start and a great read throughout.
The book has surprise plot twists, evolving Freudian theory (from Freud himself, no less!), and an interesting rhythm. It also starts off with a bang:
"The church bells struck twelve. With the final, sonorous note still echoing, a curious taxi driver drew back one corner of moth-eaten burlap and saw what lay beneath. At that moment, among the jostling thousands, four people knew that death was pregnant in Wall Street: the cab driver; a redheaded woman close by him; the missing pilot of the horse-drawn wagon; and Stratham Younger, who, one hundred and fifty feet away, pulled to their knees a police detective, and a French girl.
The taxi driver whispered 'Lord have mercy.'
Wall Street exploded."
Great start and a great read throughout.
Read
February 18, 2012Having adored Jed's first novel, 'the interpretation of murder' i had high hopes for this hotly anticipated one. i have to say that although the latter parts of the story were great, with the now signature twists, plot and characterisation, the first third of the book was a disappointment. a great deal of time was spent on war description and although i understand that this was required to a degree to set the scene for later plot points- i do feel that the author perhaps let his personal passion for the topic interfere with the balance of storytelling. for me, at least a third of the earlier parts of the book could have been dropped without affecting the overall plot.
in addition, and this is neither a positive nor a negative, merely an interesting point- the character of stratham younger seems to have undertaken a subtle yet massive overhaul. whereas in the interpretation of murder i found him to be amusing, eccentric, gifted, charming and almost brotherly; in this story i found him irritating, overly confident and rather annoying!
overall though another great basic plot and i very much enjoyed (apart from the war droning!) and i will look forward to the next offering from mr rubenfeld!
in addition, and this is neither a positive nor a negative, merely an interesting point- the character of stratham younger seems to have undertaken a subtle yet massive overhaul. whereas in the interpretation of murder i found him to be amusing, eccentric, gifted, charming and almost brotherly; in this story i found him irritating, overly confident and rather annoying!
overall though another great basic plot and i very much enjoyed (apart from the war droning!) and i will look forward to the next offering from mr rubenfeld!
March 16, 2011
Too many plots going on in this book. The most interesting one is the one about a bomb that exploded in Manhattan's financial district in September -- of 1929. The mystery of who set the bomb and why has never been solved. An honorable Irish police officer -- he doesn't take bribes, he doesn't drink on the job, he's faithful to his wife -- tackles the case.
Much much less interesting plots involve a Frenchwoman who's studied with Marie Curie and who keeps getting kidnapped, and the troubled doctor who loves her despite himself, and her speechless brother who gets analyzed by Freud according to Freud's theory of "the death instinct." Yawn. Halfway through yet another improbable rescue of the French girl, I completely lost interest and skipped to the end to see who blew up Wall Street. Meh.
This could have been a good and shorter book if someone had suggested that Rubenfeld stick to the bombing story line.
Much much less interesting plots involve a Frenchwoman who's studied with Marie Curie and who keeps getting kidnapped, and the troubled doctor who loves her despite himself, and her speechless brother who gets analyzed by Freud according to Freud's theory of "the death instinct." Yawn. Halfway through yet another improbable rescue of the French girl, I completely lost interest and skipped to the end to see who blew up Wall Street. Meh.
This could have been a good and shorter book if someone had suggested that Rubenfeld stick to the bombing story line.
March 17, 2019
Trata-se de um thriller histórico-político, assente em factos reais da história da América e nas teorias de Freud acerca do papel dos sonhos e das duas grandes forças que nos governam: o eros (o amor, a pulsão de vida) e o thanathos ( a força da destruição, a pulsão de morte). A história gira em torno de dois acontecimentos que surgem desligados - um atentado bombista em NY e a perseguição, sequestro e tentativa de assassínio da jovem Colette, colaboradora da Madame Curie. A narrativa desenrola-se maioritariamente nos EUA mas as circunstâncias de vida da jovem Colette e o recordar do seu encontro com o Dr. Younger (amigo de Freud) levam-nos à Europa. Gostei do livro, embora esperasse que, à semelhança do anterior desta série, o papel de Freud e das suas teorias desempenhasse um papel de maior relevo na história.
October 15, 2024
Absolument superbe! (Borrowing language from Colette Rousseau's provenance) Rubenfeld again masterfully weaves a deceptively deep and poignant work of fiction into the well documented and substantiated threads of historical fact. The brilliant execution of which isn't fully known until he acknowledges the reuse in his notes.
Thank you, Mr. Rubenfeld for a beautiful and moving story wrought with intrigue, suspense, and the unpredictability of the human condition. I look forward to another installment, if you'd be so kind?
Thank you, Mr. Rubenfeld for a beautiful and moving story wrought with intrigue, suspense, and the unpredictability of the human condition. I look forward to another installment, if you'd be so kind?
August 4, 2020
Sižets interesants, bet izklāstījums gan nebija no tiem veiksmīgākajiem
June 21, 2022
4,5 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Een historische detective met een extra "geestesziekte" laag.
New York, 1919. Wall street wordt getroffen door een serie bomaanslagen.
Inspecteur Younger wordt ingeschakeld samen met zijn vriend Jimmy Littlemore en Colette Roussau een Française en probeert grip te krijgen op de zaak.
Littlemore en Clolette ontmoette elkaar in de eerste wereld oorlog. Zij is een meisje van madame Curie. Ze reed op een vrachtwagen waarin een röntgenapparaat stond waardoor vele levens gered konden worden. Helaas niet die van haar ouders. Haar broertje praat daardoor niet.
Dan verstrengeling zie twee verhaallijnen.
De eerste de bomaanslag die ontrafeld moet worden, wie, wat, waar, hoe
. Hierbij wordt wederom de hulp van Freud ingeroepen.
Dan de tijd van Littlemore en Collette in Frankrijk bij het slagveld en haar nood om Sigmund Freud om raad te vragen over haar broertje.
Deze twee verhaallijnen spinnen zich uit over het boek waar je nergens de weg kwijt raakt waar je bent en met welke personages. Brilljant dus.
Het verplicht zich tot een verhaal met wetenschappelijke ontdekkingen waaronder het röntgenapparaat en Freud ontdekking van de pchygo-analyse. Ook reizen we lustig naar New York en Europa ten tijde van het begin van de vorige eeuw.
Mooi, echt goed gedaan. Waarom voor vele de recensies zo slecht uitvielen? Ik denk dat je iets moet afweten van alle opgevoerde ontdekkingen met inachtneming van de tijd waarin het zich in afspeelt om het boek volledig te kunnen waarderen.
Ik ben blij dat ik hem las.
Een historische detective met een extra "geestesziekte" laag.
New York, 1919. Wall street wordt getroffen door een serie bomaanslagen.
Inspecteur Younger wordt ingeschakeld samen met zijn vriend Jimmy Littlemore en Colette Roussau een Française en probeert grip te krijgen op de zaak.
Littlemore en Clolette ontmoette elkaar in de eerste wereld oorlog. Zij is een meisje van madame Curie. Ze reed op een vrachtwagen waarin een röntgenapparaat stond waardoor vele levens gered konden worden. Helaas niet die van haar ouders. Haar broertje praat daardoor niet.
Dan verstrengeling zie twee verhaallijnen.
De eerste de bomaanslag die ontrafeld moet worden, wie, wat, waar, hoe
. Hierbij wordt wederom de hulp van Freud ingeroepen.
Dan de tijd van Littlemore en Collette in Frankrijk bij het slagveld en haar nood om Sigmund Freud om raad te vragen over haar broertje.
Deze twee verhaallijnen spinnen zich uit over het boek waar je nergens de weg kwijt raakt waar je bent en met welke personages. Brilljant dus.
Het verplicht zich tot een verhaal met wetenschappelijke ontdekkingen waaronder het röntgenapparaat en Freud ontdekking van de pchygo-analyse. Ook reizen we lustig naar New York en Europa ten tijde van het begin van de vorige eeuw.
Mooi, echt goed gedaan. Waarom voor vele de recensies zo slecht uitvielen? Ik denk dat je iets moet afweten van alle opgevoerde ontdekkingen met inachtneming van de tijd waarin het zich in afspeelt om het boek volledig te kunnen waarderen.
Ik ben blij dat ik hem las.
October 10, 2024
The Death Instinct book my Jed Rubenfeld is a classic novel based on psychoanalysis and parallelly a bomb blast is being solved. In this book many things happen as the story is just based after the world war one. The story starts from Stratham Younger yes the same doctor who paycoanalysed in the first book the interpretation of murder. This book continues with Jhonny Littlemore being a detective and Dr Younger Stratham. They both witness the bomb blast in the close quarter. Collette a french girl who meets younger during the war in France as he also had nominated for war as a doctor. In the authors note got to know this fictional story was woven around the actual incident that happened on 16 th September 1920 in wall street new york. Collette has a brother who does not talk. So how Dr Freud helps her brother to start speaking again. Littlemore how he solves the bomb blast case and other things that has happened on the pretext of bomb blast. Many things happen in this book and author has also kept us engaged to the last page. Overall I would say a very very good and awesome Goodreads....🙂
June 9, 2017
Loved the history and the way the story was worked into the real events. Very interesting and enjoyable book...
September 11, 2020
This book is amazing in how it connects historical facts with fiction. Reading the Author's note in the end made it absolutely surreal
December 25, 2020
The story keeps unfolding and when you think you finally have reached the climax, you are thrown in another lane. Thoroughly enjoyed.
June 10, 2016
Somehow Jed Rubenfeld has managed to create a fantastic follow - up story that lives up to his first book. I can't believe that the huge and true - to - life terrorist attack the novel is centred around is so little - known - I'd certainly never heard of it - and unsolved to this day. Through meticulous research, abundant imagination and skill Rubenfeld has weaved a fascinating and exciting thriller, bursting at the seams with plots and characters that fit perfectly together like a jigsaw.
Freud again features in this novel with ever - developing theories, and Dr Younger, the narrator from last time. I wish it hadn't been several years since my reading of the last novel so I could compare Younger's character development more, but I believe he has changed quite a bit (largely due to the war and a failed marriage) and is much less likeable here. Yet that didn't lessen my overall enjoyment at all! He has a new love interest too, and whilst I wasn't crazy with how much she toyed with him, she was an intriguing character, and her mute little brother too. She introduces another famous historical figure into the mix -Marie Curie and her radium. I loved this element of the tale too.
James Littlemore, the police detective from last time is back too, and a much more likeable character than the doctor. He of course investigates the bombing (while Younger is distracted by the various deformed/glow - in - the - dark people after Colette.) His investigation takes many twists and turns, as does Younger and Colette's story, but everything links together so cleverly and satisfyingly in the end, that I personally wasn't bothered by the odd little coincidence here and there.
Along the way the story is peppered with factual information which is helpful, interesting and not jarring at all. And somehow it is still easy to separate the fact from fiction, and the author adds a note at the end discussing this further. I really am so impressed with how he managed to tie together so many random ideas and make such a fluid, brilliant and plausible story that kept me riveted from start to finish that I don't care about any negatives whatsoever! I really hope there is more to come in this series, as I find Rubenfeld to be a very talented storyteller.
Freud again features in this novel with ever - developing theories, and Dr Younger, the narrator from last time. I wish it hadn't been several years since my reading of the last novel so I could compare Younger's character development more, but I believe he has changed quite a bit (largely due to the war and a failed marriage) and is much less likeable here. Yet that didn't lessen my overall enjoyment at all! He has a new love interest too, and whilst I wasn't crazy with how much she toyed with him, she was an intriguing character, and her mute little brother too. She introduces another famous historical figure into the mix -Marie Curie and her radium. I loved this element of the tale too.
James Littlemore, the police detective from last time is back too, and a much more likeable character than the doctor. He of course investigates the bombing (while Younger is distracted by the various deformed/glow - in - the - dark people after Colette.) His investigation takes many twists and turns, as does Younger and Colette's story, but everything links together so cleverly and satisfyingly in the end, that I personally wasn't bothered by the odd little coincidence here and there.
Along the way the story is peppered with factual information which is helpful, interesting and not jarring at all. And somehow it is still easy to separate the fact from fiction, and the author adds a note at the end discussing this further. I really am so impressed with how he managed to tie together so many random ideas and make such a fluid, brilliant and plausible story that kept me riveted from start to finish that I don't care about any negatives whatsoever! I really hope there is more to come in this series, as I find Rubenfeld to be a very talented storyteller.
January 24, 2014
I'll admit to being a little disappointed with this book, but it was only because of mistaken expectations.
First of all, this is a fun, very complex, historical thriller that has a strong flavor of genre fiction to it. Make no mistake, it is enjoyable to read, and reads quickly, like a Clive Cussler Isaac Bell story. However, considering the subject matter, I expected something more literary, something weightier. So it just kept feeling like it was falling short.
The story involves, a massive bombing in New York City in 1920, anarchists, thieves, crooked politicians, coppers, scientists, Sigmund Freud, Marie Curie and her new science of radium, WWI veterans, and a mysteriously disfigured triumvirate of red-headed women. As I said, it is complex, fast-paced, and it will keep you guessing as to what sort of novel it is you're reading. At least it did that to me.
The characters didn't ever really get off the page for me, though there were many that were entertaining. But the style of the book, pure genre fiction style, just seemed to disappoint. I even wonder if maybe it was written with a bit more care and artistry, but an editor came along and pruned it all down to this made-for-TV-movie style/atmosphere.
I gave it four out of five stars, however, for the ingenious use of historical fact woven into such an incredibly creative idea.
Addendum: Okay, I went back to Amazon and checked to see why I thought this would be some sort of literary work. It was easy to see why. Here is a blurb from the first book in this series:
"It has been said that a mystery novel is "about something" and a literary tale is not. The Interpretation of Murder has legitimate claims to both genres. It is most definitely about something, and also replete with allusions to and explications of Shakespeare, to the very beginnings of psychology, to the infighting between psychoanalytic giants--all written in a style that an author with literary aspirations might well envy." (from a Valerie Ryan, an Amazon.com review.)
Wow, this couldn't be further from the truth. Like I said, it was like reading Clive Cussler. And that was difficult to do, since the subject matter should have helped it rise out of that genre style.
First of all, this is a fun, very complex, historical thriller that has a strong flavor of genre fiction to it. Make no mistake, it is enjoyable to read, and reads quickly, like a Clive Cussler Isaac Bell story. However, considering the subject matter, I expected something more literary, something weightier. So it just kept feeling like it was falling short.
The story involves, a massive bombing in New York City in 1920, anarchists, thieves, crooked politicians, coppers, scientists, Sigmund Freud, Marie Curie and her new science of radium, WWI veterans, and a mysteriously disfigured triumvirate of red-headed women. As I said, it is complex, fast-paced, and it will keep you guessing as to what sort of novel it is you're reading. At least it did that to me.
The characters didn't ever really get off the page for me, though there were many that were entertaining. But the style of the book, pure genre fiction style, just seemed to disappoint. I even wonder if maybe it was written with a bit more care and artistry, but an editor came along and pruned it all down to this made-for-TV-movie style/atmosphere.
I gave it four out of five stars, however, for the ingenious use of historical fact woven into such an incredibly creative idea.
Addendum: Okay, I went back to Amazon and checked to see why I thought this would be some sort of literary work. It was easy to see why. Here is a blurb from the first book in this series:
"It has been said that a mystery novel is "about something" and a literary tale is not. The Interpretation of Murder has legitimate claims to both genres. It is most definitely about something, and also replete with allusions to and explications of Shakespeare, to the very beginnings of psychology, to the infighting between psychoanalytic giants--all written in a style that an author with literary aspirations might well envy." (from a Valerie Ryan, an Amazon.com review.)
Wow, this couldn't be further from the truth. Like I said, it was like reading Clive Cussler. And that was difficult to do, since the subject matter should have helped it rise out of that genre style.
January 24, 2011
A horse-drawn wagon passed through Wall Street's lunchtime crowds on September 16, 1920. Inside the wagon was 100 pounds of dynamite and 500 pounds of cast-iron slugs to act as shrapnel. The wagon exploded in front the Morgan Bank and the US Treasury building, killed 38 people and seriously injured hundreds.
It was the most destructive terrorist attack on US soil until the Oklahoma City bombing. Jed Rubenfeld draws some analogies between the 1920 attack and the 9-11 attacks. Unlike those attacks, the 1918 attack went unsolved. There were some vague accusations of plots by Italian anarchists, but nobody was ever charged.
Rubenfeld puts together a sweeping storyline to find his explanation for the bombing. He inserts many subplots branching out from the main story line. He also includes several real-life characters, fictionalized for the book. This includes Marie Curie, Sigmund Freud, Senator Albert Bacon Fall, and former Treasury Secretary William G. McAdoo. The main protagonists are Dr. Stratham Younger, Colette Rousseau - a radium scientist, and James Littlemore a detective with the NYPD.
There is a lot going on and I thought the story might go spinning out of control at a few points, but Rubenfeld manages to keep it together.
My biggest quibble is with the title. When the publisher offered me copy I almost passed on it. The "Death Instinct" is one of Freud's theories. He came to the conclusion that humans have not one but two primary instincts: the life-favoring instinct and the death instinct. In other words, humans strive for both tenderness and thrills. Personally, I found the whole Freud sub-plot to be a distraction to the story and the title merely reinforces an aspect that I did not like.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the main characters and the twisting storyline as it jumps from plot-to-plot and character-to-character. There is romance, financial intrigue, and police procedural elements all mixed into an enjoyable book.
It was the most destructive terrorist attack on US soil until the Oklahoma City bombing. Jed Rubenfeld draws some analogies between the 1920 attack and the 9-11 attacks. Unlike those attacks, the 1918 attack went unsolved. There were some vague accusations of plots by Italian anarchists, but nobody was ever charged.
Rubenfeld puts together a sweeping storyline to find his explanation for the bombing. He inserts many subplots branching out from the main story line. He also includes several real-life characters, fictionalized for the book. This includes Marie Curie, Sigmund Freud, Senator Albert Bacon Fall, and former Treasury Secretary William G. McAdoo. The main protagonists are Dr. Stratham Younger, Colette Rousseau - a radium scientist, and James Littlemore a detective with the NYPD.
There is a lot going on and I thought the story might go spinning out of control at a few points, but Rubenfeld manages to keep it together.
My biggest quibble is with the title. When the publisher offered me copy I almost passed on it. The "Death Instinct" is one of Freud's theories. He came to the conclusion that humans have not one but two primary instincts: the life-favoring instinct and the death instinct. In other words, humans strive for both tenderness and thrills. Personally, I found the whole Freud sub-plot to be a distraction to the story and the title merely reinforces an aspect that I did not like.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the main characters and the twisting storyline as it jumps from plot-to-plot and character-to-character. There is romance, financial intrigue, and police procedural elements all mixed into an enjoyable book.
April 15, 2011
I enjoyed this historical mystery, set in 1920 in New York, Paris and Vienna and populated by a mix of real and fictional characters, including Sigmund Freud and a rebellious former disciple and Marie Curie and a promising student. The action centers on the 1920 Wall Street bombing that remains unsolved today, though Rubenfeld posits a solution that resonates with post 9/11 events today. Against this backdrop is set a love story between the former Freudian and Curie's beautiful young student, a French woman who is caring for her traumatized, mute younger brother and who enlists Freud's help to uncover the mystery of his muteness to cure him. We also get to know a New York City cop who uncovers rottenness in Washington when he joins the feds, a mysteriously deformed twin, the new-money owner of a company that uses radium to decorate watches and make cosmetics, an aristocratic cab driver, and a whole variety of Great War veterans, corrupt lawmen, and denizens of war-torn Europe.
I'd have given this another star had I not been put off by the fairly ham-handed attempts to link this story to the story of 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq. We can draw our own parallels -- we don't need a red-state senator talking about how a U.S. military action will be "a cakewalk," for example. Just too on-the-nose.
I'd have given this another star had I not been put off by the fairly ham-handed attempts to link this story to the story of 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq. We can draw our own parallels -- we don't need a red-state senator talking about how a U.S. military action will be "a cakewalk," for example. Just too on-the-nose.
October 17, 2010
What a great story! Set in and around 1920, “The Death Instinct” is played out in both the United States and Europe. At the beginning of the novel, Dr. Younger, a WWI veteran, a French woman, Collette, and her young brother Luc, along with New York Detective Littlemore find themselves at the scene of a bombing on Wall Street. Amidst the devastation of the blast arises a mystery - who could have been responsible?
Throughout this great novel are many twists, turns and other mysteries, which quickly grab your attention and hold you enthralled until the very end of Jed Rubenfeld’s novel, “The Death Instinct”.
I loved this book! Rubenfeld does a great job of explaining the complex nature of radium and Madam Curie’s fight to obtain more for research and save lives, while others were using radium in makeup and jewellery, and making people ill in the process. “The Death Instinct” also tells of moments during WWI, and touches on Freud’s work in psychology.
Jed Rubenfeld has created a fantastic fast paced novel; “The Death Instinct” quickly grabs your attention and keeps you enthralled to the very last page.
I received this book for free from the Penguin book club. I am a member of the Penguin book club, Goodreads, Librarything, and Book Divas.
Throughout this great novel are many twists, turns and other mysteries, which quickly grab your attention and hold you enthralled until the very end of Jed Rubenfeld’s novel, “The Death Instinct”.
I loved this book! Rubenfeld does a great job of explaining the complex nature of radium and Madam Curie’s fight to obtain more for research and save lives, while others were using radium in makeup and jewellery, and making people ill in the process. “The Death Instinct” also tells of moments during WWI, and touches on Freud’s work in psychology.
Jed Rubenfeld has created a fantastic fast paced novel; “The Death Instinct” quickly grabs your attention and keeps you enthralled to the very last page.
I received this book for free from the Penguin book club. I am a member of the Penguin book club, Goodreads, Librarything, and Book Divas.
January 10, 2011
This is not my "normal" genre of book to read. I'm not a big detective/historical mystery type reader, but this book looked interesting so I took a chance on it - and boy did it pay off.
When I picked up the book (after procrastinating long enough, see above comment), I was immediately drawn into a world that was filled with interesting characters, strange circumstances and terse, to the point prose that had me on the edge of my seat. Every single scene was knit together so carefully that I had a hard time finding a spot to stop without feeling as if I should just go.. a few pages more.
Although the book is a lengthy one (480 pages) it felt more like a 200 page novel due to the speed with which the story progressed. In addition, there are some great flashbacks, a story within the story, where the characters lead the reader through bits and pieces that help tie the entire story together.
Set around the 1920 bombing of Wall Street, this is a story that I thoroughly enjoyed, that I've already talked about to three separate people, and that will be taking a permanent spot on my bookshelf.
When I picked up the book (after procrastinating long enough, see above comment), I was immediately drawn into a world that was filled with interesting characters, strange circumstances and terse, to the point prose that had me on the edge of my seat. Every single scene was knit together so carefully that I had a hard time finding a spot to stop without feeling as if I should just go.. a few pages more.
Although the book is a lengthy one (480 pages) it felt more like a 200 page novel due to the speed with which the story progressed. In addition, there are some great flashbacks, a story within the story, where the characters lead the reader through bits and pieces that help tie the entire story together.
Set around the 1920 bombing of Wall Street, this is a story that I thoroughly enjoyed, that I've already talked about to three separate people, and that will be taking a permanent spot on my bookshelf.
December 25, 2010
Won this book through Goodreads giveaway.
I struggled with what to rate this book. It kept my interest up enough that I wanted to keep reading, but ultimately it just didn't do much for me. The historical period is interesting, and I was previously unaware of the unsolved 1920 NYC bombing. However, it seemed the author couldn't decide whether he was writing an historical piece or a modern day whodunit story with lots of plot twists and chase scenes that seem more suited to a current day action movie. That the main characters have personal relationships with both Freud and Madame Curie and also help solve the bombing strained credulity. I'm not sure why Freud and Curie were in the story at all- I guess just because of the time period.
Probably not something I would recommend to my friends.
I struggled with what to rate this book. It kept my interest up enough that I wanted to keep reading, but ultimately it just didn't do much for me. The historical period is interesting, and I was previously unaware of the unsolved 1920 NYC bombing. However, it seemed the author couldn't decide whether he was writing an historical piece or a modern day whodunit story with lots of plot twists and chase scenes that seem more suited to a current day action movie. That the main characters have personal relationships with both Freud and Madame Curie and also help solve the bombing strained credulity. I'm not sure why Freud and Curie were in the story at all- I guess just because of the time period.
Probably not something I would recommend to my friends.
July 5, 2011
Having failed to finish Rubenfeld's previous book, I am really pleased that this one worked out so well. Set in the 20s, it deals with a bombing of Wall Street and its aftermath bringing together some of the characters from his earlier book, Straford Younger and Freud, with Jimmy Littlemore now a Captain in New York Police Department; also Colette a young French woman who is a radiologist and her young brother Luc who has been dumb since his parents were killed during WW1. Rubenfeld weaves several story lines into his novel and presents a suspensful solution to the bombing, which was never solved in real life. So glad i gave him another go.
March 22, 2013
I really liked this book. Learning about lesser known historical facts like the terrorist attack mentioned in here was interesting. I enjoyed Freud's scenes quite a lot, I think it was a very good depiction of him and his work. Littlemore I liked a lot, he was smart, witty, honest and faithful. Younger I didn't like so much; always so aloof and reckless. Colette and the whole deal about Hans being her fianceé was so tiring,
It's a nice book. Would have been better if it was a bit shorter.
It's a nice book. Would have been better if it was a bit shorter.
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