The Technologists: A Novel

Sure. This is a great example of historical fiction that immerses into a time period and location so completely it's like being transported. I'm a huge fan of Matthew Pearl after his breathtaking THE DANTE CLUB. But here THE TECHNOLOGISTS throws the reader into a perfectly rendered Boston circa 1866, just after the Civil War. Some madman manipulates science to attack the city of Boston in elaborate spectacles of masterfully planned chaos and death.

Well, The Dante's Club, of course because here too Pearl takes an era and owns it!

Proper, competent, ivy-league

Yes, absolutely.

Set just after the Civil War, with many shadows from that still looming, we are with the first graduating class of MIT, working against rival Harvard to solve the mystery of terrorist technological attacks on Boston. The attacks, and the "Technologists" attempts to engineer solutions, give this the steampunk feel. Pearl is a good writer, so this does not read like pulp.

As with many of these historically-based novels, it's fun to research who and what is based in reality, and what is pure fiction. Pearl's epilogue tells some of that story.

Reader was quite good.

Recommended.

Stephen Hoye's voice is not well modulated. His inflections and acting are actually inappropriate. Everything seems dire when it is just normal conversation

I enjoyed the story and the history it portrays. The narration uses a fairly passive voice throughout, for all characters, which detracts from the story.

I enjoyed the story and the history it portrays. The narration uses a fairly passive voice throughout, for all characters, which detracts from the story.

No I would not read again. But I did recommed it to friends who attend or work at MIT.

I like the story of the first woman student at MIT. The fact that she could not attend classes and was confind to a basement lab was facinating.

Yes, he is very good

way too long for that!

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I live in Boston and have many friends that have attended MIT. I felt that this book was written to become a movie. It was a bit too fantasitc and contrived. I did like the historic bits about Boston and Cambridge and respect the research that Matthew Pearl puts into his books. I liked the Poe Shadow bettet than this one. Not a bad read but just a bit too much drama for me.

So boring, if you want an inventory of inventions, this is the book. Put it down 1/2 way through, could not stand the repetition of going nowhere in the plot. I have read other Pearl stories, and enjoyed them, but this one does not do justice to what he is capable of.

Storyline was not very believable. I could not get myself to really believe the plot.

I would give him a second chance if other reviews were very positive.

Yes

Stephen Hoye's narration was excellent but the material itself was way too lengthy and became boring. I would be cautious before picking up another Matthew Pearl book.

I'm still interested in techno thrillers and action based history novels.

Realistically tried to personify the characters without over playing it. I did appreciate the changes in character being reflected in his voice but he did not go overboard.

Way too long to build up the story. Plot was predictable and juvenile (at times). I gave up about 2/3s the way though. Tired of hearing the back story and minor character development. Motivations of the characters was too simplistic.

It's a good story, but the narrator's repeated mispronunciation of one chief character's name (the "z" in Agassiz is silent) was a continual annoyance, like fingernails on a blackboard.