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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
informative
mysterious
the quotes in front of the chapters to me are better than the book. The epilogue at the back of the book was good.
Nothing 'thrilling' about this story. Painfully predictable.
I stopped as obvious love interest with alternate motive came on the scene
The prose could be terribly dull when the writer wanted to squeeze in more historical facts to show off their extensive research (i presume?)
The prose could be terribly dull when the writer wanted to squeeze in more historical facts to show off their extensive research (i presume?)
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Slow paced, did not care for characters, when they described torturing a dog with electricity, I had enough
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty
Fascinating, absolutely fascinating. To read of the lives of the geniuses who invented, created, and patented the light bulb was so interesting. In a time which innovation was key and the first man with a patent was the winner, this novel provided an in depth look at the stories only briefly told in history books.
Paul Cravath is a young attorney who has just been handed his single and biggest client, George Westinghouse who is being sued by the famous Thomas Edison concerning his patent for the light bulb. I thought that this novel would be a trifle of legalities and the boring nonsense of pretentious men unable to leave their egos at the door. And while a good deal of this novel was just that, it was also an intriguing tale that involved the very fundamentals of how corporations started and still run today. Joining the mix was Nikola Tesla, a personal favorite of mine who was portrayed splendidly, and several historical figures including J.P. Morgan. Of course, there was the side story of a love interest for our main character, Paul, but such is the way of keeping things going some times. It didn't hinder anything, in fact Agnes Huntington proved to be a vital instigator of the plot instead of just a useless girl in the background, which was refreshing. The root of this novel was the ambitions of men in the dawn of the electric age and what they were willing to do to light the world. It was astounding that even as everyone won, it was still a loss to many. And, like Agnes, I cared deeply for Tesla, despite knowing the outcome of his history. Some men deserve better and this told the story of all of them.
Without a doubt, this novel was very engaging and kept me reading. It was a look into an era of history I have not previously read about and found absolutely interesting. Though, in the end, men are simply unbelievable when it comes to their business schemes. A theme that stays with us even today.
Paul Cravath is a young attorney who has just been handed his single and biggest client, George Westinghouse who is being sued by the famous Thomas Edison concerning his patent for the light bulb. I thought that this novel would be a trifle of legalities and the boring nonsense of pretentious men unable to leave their egos at the door. And while a good deal of this novel was just that, it was also an intriguing tale that involved the very fundamentals of how corporations started and still run today. Joining the mix was Nikola Tesla, a personal favorite of mine who was portrayed splendidly, and several historical figures including J.P. Morgan. Of course, there was the side story of a love interest for our main character, Paul, but such is the way of keeping things going some times. It didn't hinder anything, in fact Agnes Huntington proved to be a vital instigator of the plot instead of just a useless girl in the background, which was refreshing. The root of this novel was the ambitions of men in the dawn of the electric age and what they were willing to do to light the world. It was astounding that even as everyone won, it was still a loss to many. And, like Agnes, I cared deeply for Tesla, despite knowing the outcome of his history. Some men deserve better and this told the story of all of them.
Without a doubt, this novel was very engaging and kept me reading. It was a look into an era of history I have not previously read about and found absolutely interesting. Though, in the end, men are simply unbelievable when it comes to their business schemes. A theme that stays with us even today.
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved the story. There's a lot I didn't know about the invention of the light bulb. It sometimes got bogged down in too much detail.
I was not expecting to like this book! It was a random choice that I stumbled upon in my mom's library - I did not know what it was about before I started it... I chose it based on it's cover. However, it really started to grip me (once I got about 40% of the way in). I love that I kept up with this book even though initially the subject matter didn't interest me. I ended learning so much about that period of history, the inventors and lightbulb (and electical current) than I ever would have learned otherwise. I love that the author became fascinated with a person in history that very little was written about and decided to give him a story. I also loved learning more about Nikola Tesla!
A perfectly acceptable book that was oddly written, weirdly paced but still fascinating. I can't say as I'd exactly know who to recommend it to, but if I could figure that person out, I'd be completely willing to press it upon them.