I hated this book.I wanted to love it, but the author's obsequiousness continued to put me off.Repeated mis-use of syntax; placing unbelievable 1990's words and phrasing in the mouths of major, literary characters from the mid-1800's; poor pacing and transition in the first two-thirds of the novel -- all created a framework of high annoyance, and not delight.In truth, the concept for this work was terrific. The author should get high marks for it. His EDITOR, however, should be fired, and banned from any future editorial employment.A much better attempt at this genre was The Alienist, by the accomplished Caleb Carr. Carr created an utterly believable world. Pearl's world is, by comparison, populated by video game characters, stilted and stiff, always a long run away from credibility.