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korunicorn's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
a_chickletz's review against another edition
3.0
Eh.
I guess I expected more from this book. I came away kind of let down.
I wanted a brawl. I wanted a duel to the death - er, brains, with Tesla and Edison. I wanted something that was focused on their hatred/dislike. Instead, I get a book that focuses too much on the lame lawyer and this girl he is trying to woo.
I know that the book is based on real life, and there probably wasn't any of that, but I was looking for something that was akin to a Bettie Davis / Joan Crawford feud. Anyway, if you're gonna pick up the book hoping for something like that then you'll be disappointed.
The story I got was ... kind of lame. It just spent too much time focused on the lawyer. I did not care about him. Edison is HARDLY focused on or appears in the book. Just at the beginning or the end. Tesla is sprinkled throughout the book has being a bit of a loopy scientist - think of Huxley from Kingdom of the Crystal Skull before his brain was re-righted at the end.
It wasn't a bad book, just not what I was looking for.
I guess I expected more from this book. I came away kind of let down.
I wanted a brawl. I wanted a duel to the death - er, brains, with Tesla and Edison. I wanted something that was focused on their hatred/dislike. Instead, I get a book that focuses too much on the lame lawyer and this girl he is trying to woo.
I know that the book is based on real life, and there probably wasn't any of that, but I was looking for something that was akin to a Bettie Davis / Joan Crawford feud. Anyway, if you're gonna pick up the book hoping for something like that then you'll be disappointed.
The story I got was ... kind of lame. It just spent too much time focused on the lawyer. I did not care about him. Edison is HARDLY focused on or appears in the book. Just at the beginning or the end. Tesla is sprinkled throughout the book has being a bit of a loopy scientist - think of Huxley from Kingdom of the Crystal Skull before his brain was re-righted at the end.
It wasn't a bad book, just not what I was looking for.
acmarinho3's review against another edition
5.0
Queria muito ter devorado este livro, mas as tarefas diárias não me permitiram tal prazer. Adorei este livro. Do início ao fim conseguiu manter-me sempre interessada. Uma obra inteligente na conjugação dos factos históricos com os ficcionais, tanto que, na maioria das vezes, gostava que fosse real. Juntar Edison, Westinghouse e Tesla (e ainda mencionar Bell e Ford) revela mesmo uma sabedoria fora de série. Todas as descrições de energia e eletricidade são fascinantes, a luta do advogado, a constante corrupção, o desejo e a possessão das patentes, o fervilhar de ideias dos inventores... o livro é tão harmonioso que é impossível não ficar colado. Aconselho vivamente.
scarygm89's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
awesomebrandi's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. The main thing I disliked here, was the portrayal of Tesla as some extreme “savant” who could barely function in society. I don’t doubt Tesla was a neurodiverse individual with a unique personality, but the portrayal in this book is pushed to the point that he becomes a caricature, and not a valid human. Being an immigrant and neurodiverse doesn’t mean he should become a cartoon character. That my primary complaint with this book. Otherwise, I liked it and it had some solid, page turning sections.
agoines's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
serinde4books's review against another edition
3.0
This is the January book for my book club NNCC. I listened to the book on audio, and as plus the narrator did a good job, in fact my kids listened to parts and liked it too.
This is the story of the famous lawsuit between Edison and Westinghouse over who invented the light bulb, and the reality that it was about much more than a simple patent, it was about the future of electricity as we know it. It is set in New York in 1888; George Westinghouse hires Paul Cravath fresh out of Columbia Law School to be his lawyer on the billion dollar lawsuit between Westinghouse and Thomas Edison. The case affords Paul entry to the heady world of high society—the glittering parties in Gramercy Park mansions, and the more insidious dealings done behind closed doors. The task facing him is beyond daunting. Edison is a wily, dangerous opponent with vast resources at his disposal—private spies, newspapers in his pocket, and the backing of J. P. Morgan himself. Yet this unknown lawyer shares with his famous adversary a compulsion to win at all costs. In obsessive pursuit of victory, Paul crosses paths with Nikola Tesla, an eccentric, brilliant inventor who may hold the key to defeating Edison, and with Agnes Huntington, a beautiful opera singer who proves to be a flawless performer on stage and off. As Paul takes greater and greater risks, he’ll find that everyone in his path is playing their own game, and no one is quite who they seem.
The book was good; I liked the dynamics and the writing style. I knew a little about the historical figures, especially the rivalry between Edison and Tesla because my Ex was fascinated by Tesla and had both told me a lot about him and I had read some of Tesla's papers and biography. I liked the main character Paul and how in the end everything wrapped up nicely, I suspect if this had been more fact than historical fiction it may not have been quite so smooth, life rarely is. I liked that there was enough fact in the fiction to make the story feel authentic and I don't feel like Moore took too much creative license.
For additional reviews please see my blog at www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot.com
This is the story of the famous lawsuit between Edison and Westinghouse over who invented the light bulb, and the reality that it was about much more than a simple patent, it was about the future of electricity as we know it. It is set in New York in 1888; George Westinghouse hires Paul Cravath fresh out of Columbia Law School to be his lawyer on the billion dollar lawsuit between Westinghouse and Thomas Edison. The case affords Paul entry to the heady world of high society—the glittering parties in Gramercy Park mansions, and the more insidious dealings done behind closed doors. The task facing him is beyond daunting. Edison is a wily, dangerous opponent with vast resources at his disposal—private spies, newspapers in his pocket, and the backing of J. P. Morgan himself. Yet this unknown lawyer shares with his famous adversary a compulsion to win at all costs. In obsessive pursuit of victory, Paul crosses paths with Nikola Tesla, an eccentric, brilliant inventor who may hold the key to defeating Edison, and with Agnes Huntington, a beautiful opera singer who proves to be a flawless performer on stage and off. As Paul takes greater and greater risks, he’ll find that everyone in his path is playing their own game, and no one is quite who they seem.
The book was good; I liked the dynamics and the writing style. I knew a little about the historical figures, especially the rivalry between Edison and Tesla because my Ex was fascinated by Tesla and had both told me a lot about him and I had read some of Tesla's papers and biography. I liked the main character Paul and how in the end everything wrapped up nicely, I suspect if this had been more fact than historical fiction it may not have been quite so smooth, life rarely is. I liked that there was enough fact in the fiction to make the story feel authentic and I don't feel like Moore took too much creative license.
For additional reviews please see my blog at www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot.com