Thunderstruck

By: Erik Larson

Narrated by: Bob Balaban

Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

In Thunderstruck, Erik Larson tells the interwoven stories of two men: Hawley Crippen, a very unlikely murderer, and Guglielmo Marconi, the obsessive creator of a seemingly supernatural means of communication. Their lives intersect during one of the greatest criminal chases of all time.

Set in Edwardian London and on the stormy coasts of Cornwall, Cape Cod, and Nova Scotia, Thunderstruck evokes the dynamism of those years when great shipping companies competed to build the biggest, fastest ocean liners; scientific advances dazzled the public with visions of a world transformed; and the rich outdid one another with ostentatious displays of wealth. Against this background, Marconi races against incredible odds and relentless skepticism to perfect his invention: the wireless, a prime catalyst for the emergence of the world we know today. Meanwhile, Crippen, "the kindest of men", nearly commits the perfect crime.

With his superb narrative skills, Erik Larson guides these parallel narratives toward a relentlessly suspenseful meeting on the waters of the North Atlantic. Along the way, he tells of a sad and tragic love affair that was described on the front pages of newspapers around the world, a chief inspector who found himself strangely sympathetic to the killer and his lover, and a driven and compelling inventor who transformed the way we communicate.

Thunderstruck presents a vibrant portrait of an era of séances, science, and fog, inhabited by inventors, magicians, and Scotland Yard detectives, all presided over by the amiable and fun-loving Edward VII as the world slid inevitably toward the first great war of the 20th century.

Gripping from the start, and rich with fascinating detail about the time, the people, and the new inventions that connect and divide us, Thunderstruck is splendid narrative history from a master of the form.

©2006 Erik Larson (P)2006 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Larson has a knack for creating genuine suspense in his writing, and his latest is thoroughly enthralling." (Booklist)

"Splendid, beautifully written.... Thunderstruck triumphantly resurrects the spirit of another age." (Publishers Weekly)

Passable story related by a terrible reader

I'm a big fan of Bob Balaban. I've never heard his read an audiobook before, but have listened to him in Audible plays and seen much of his TV and film work. So I was painfully disappointed by his clumsy narration.

I re-listened to Devil in the White City earlier this year, and was eager to have a similar experience with another Larson book. But Balaban's rushed reading, his klutzy mispronunciation, as well as ambient noise or echo in the early chapters, ruined the attempt. I made it about 30% in, but I'm going to ask for a refund. Even as the story is concerned, I find myself terribly bored by the Marconi tales and anxious to get back to Dr. Crippen. This particular mash-up feels very strained.

Thunderstruck

What made the experience of listening to Thunderstruck the most enjoyable?

Feeling the tension of Marconi, and the ignorance of Belle, and the love between the two.(No spoilers)

What was one of the most memorable moments of Thunderstruck?

When they talk about the retrieval of Belle

Which character – as performed by Bob Balaban – was your favorite?

Dr. Crippen

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I couldn't it was to long. I read it in a day.

Any additional comments?

Erik Larson is such a fine writer. I would love to sit down and talk with him sometime. Please write about WW 2- Pearl Harbor, Edward 6, Titanic etc

keeps your attention throughout until the end

this is an extraordinary historical book because it's also almost a thriller at the same time. Very good read!!!

Same as Devil in the White City

If you enjoyed Devil in the White City you'll love this: same format, same in-depth reporting, same time period, same contrast between industry and crime.

Thunderstruck is a winner

After listening to and enjoying Dead Wake I decided to try another Erik Larson book. I must admit if my history book would have read like a Larson book I would have done much better in school. I enjoyed the way the story played out and the connections were made. This is an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in history.

mystery like you have never read before

if you've never heard of the Crispin murders, you're about 100 years behind! Larson should be listened to in his first paragraph, he is dedicated to detail and anything he writes on you will become an expert in.
in this case he reviews an internationally known favorite mystery, that has had a number of books written on it before, and that even Alfred Hitchcock and other luminaries have incorporated into some of their movies.

this is ostensibly about a murder, you'll only get a glimpse of it in the first couple of chapters. then you will go on an unrelenting quest for understanding about the physics and politics of wireless transfer in the early part of the 1900s. the central character for most of the book is Marconi, who developed the technology or at least applied it. his contemporaries considered him to be a tinkerer and not a true scientist. the book reveals the war between the elites and the practitioners that go on even today in medicine and science. the academics of the day considered people like Edison to be tinkerers, and people who took scientific knowledge and turned it to their own benefits. it's a lucky thing that Marconi persisted, if you finish this book you'll know more about electromagnetism, hertz waves, another gobblinggook not only to the few people in the world that understand the history of science. you'll be challenged to keep up if you're not that scientifically interested, and in some ways it's about science the same way that the Queen's Gambit is about Chess. the connection is there but you don't know have to know anything about it.

one measure of a book is to see if it continues challenging you after you're finished. if you tell your neighbors and friends about this book you'll know you're hooked on the detail associated with Edwarian times and politics.
I recommended as an exercise in thinking, and those of you who are looking for a fast action murder mystery won't find it here. what you will find is a story that captivated the entirety of Europe during a period where ships at sea were mostly isolated. while everyone in Europe knew what was going to happen, it was a daily event in English media because the public knew as a whole what the murderer did not. it showed the efficiency of wireless transfer which was actually after the telephone and telegraph had been invented. you will think it's the greatest book you've ever read or he'll drop it after 5 minutes. either way you'll have an exposure to an exceptional author.

Another great book from Larson

I love Larson's books and this one was no exception. I enjoy the way he intertwines major historical events with the personal stories of people who lived through the events. I would recommend it to Larson fans and to anyone who enjoys learning about history in an entertaining way. Readers who appreciate historical fiction and have not read Larson, would likely find "Thunderstruck" very interesting. His character development is excellent and most of his books move at a good pace. To be fair, there were a few points where this one dragged. The only other minor criticism is that I would have appreciated more details on how the "wireless" worked from a technical perspective.

For lovers of historical detail, scientific discov

Many (most?) readers may find the buildup to the amazing revelations in the final 25% of the story too much of a slog...unless the reader truly revels in historical details and the trial-and-error of scientific discovery. I, for one, am fascinated by Marconi's journey and eventual recognition with a Nobel Prize in Physics. The story of Crippen, meanwhile, was only impactful to me once I realized the gravity of what he had done and had almost escaped.

The performance is narrated by Bob Balaban, an American actor whose roles in Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration, played an unfortunate bias in my enjoyment of the production. I kept picturing him as one of those mockumentary characters and although he is excellent at what he does, my brain distracted me.

Not my favorite Larson novel

I've always enjoyed Erik Larsons novels but this one was a little slow and dragged out. It almost gave too much detail bordering on boring at times.

Excellent

Larson never disappoints. A great story. Truth is stranger than fiction. Fast paced with great characters.