50 50 Book Review
Thunderstruck By Erik Larson “A Ripping Yarn of Murder and Invention.”
Gwangju News, August 2022
gwangjunewsgic.com
CULTURE & ARTS
Reviewed by Michael Attard
I
n this non-fiction book, Erik Larson sets out two distinct stories that appear to have no connection to each other. And it is also the case that the large cast of characters in each story never meet each other, nor do they ever have any desire or reason to meet. Yet, while one protagonist is crucial to the downfall of the other, the second protagonist is significant in the success of the former. The time in question roughly spans the last decade of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century. The heart of the story takes place in England. It is the end of the Victorian era and the transition to the more open reign of Edward VIII. On page four, we learn that there has been a gruesome murder, the details of which have captivated the minds and imagination of millions of people around the globe. But that line is left dangling, and we are introduced into the world of 19th-century physics. Our first protagonist is the famous Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi. The author’s concise descriptions create a desire to know more. On the other hand, the scientific background presented will not be of interest to all readers, but I found it to be brief enough to enhance the story rather than detract from the main themes and plot. The crux of Marconi’s work may escape our 21st-century, technologically savvy minds. However, it was the case that “in 1894, no means existed for communicating without wires
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over distances beyond the reach of sight.” And this was Marconi’s quest. The author continually switches back and forth between stories. We learn about Marconi’s scientific successes and failures, as well as his sometimes socially obtuse character and personal romances. I found the more interesting story to be about a Dr. Crippen. The author’s way with words makes the reading easy. In his description of the doctor, he says, “Crippen was lonely, and genetic fate had conspired to keep him that way. He was not handsome, and his short stature and small bones conveyed neither strength nor virility. Even his scalp had betrayed him, his hair having begun a brisk retreat years before.” Nevertheless, the doctor had met a woman who later called herself Belle, and even though they were poles apart in virtually every way, they married. Throughout the book, we are reminded that to those who knew them, the couple appeared quite happy with each other. Marconi, on the other hand, is consumed by his work and his romances fail. Possibly, as with the scientific background, many readers will not be interested in the author’s description of the times or the details pertaining to the growth of Marconi’s company. Despite Dr. Crippen’s shortcomings, and his marriage to Belle, he and a younger woman named Ethel fall
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