The Good Doctor Guillotin
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The Good Doctor Guillotin
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3.5 of 5 stars

The extraordinary story of the Devil in the Device follows five characters to a common destination — the scaffold at the first mechanical ... read full description


reviews

Jul 12, 2010
Jasmine rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Okay I am bias in regards to this book. I really liked it. I think it is probably only a four star book objectively but I liked it five stars worth.

The book is a discussion of the lead up to the first use of the guillotine in france. The book has a habit of going into philosophical rants not unlike the first chapter of the unbearable lightness of being, and they tend to be a bit alienating.

On the other hand the character portrayals are really fantastic. The characters a More...
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Jul 16, 2011
Karyl rated it: 3 of 5 stars
It is difficult to determine what kind of book this is. One begins, thinking it is a novel based on historical fact, but then one is presented with a section discussing the author's opinion on capital punishment. It makes for interesting reading, although it can be jarring. I enjoyed the use of the five characters involved in the first execution carried out by the guillotine to tell the story, especially at the end when the author discusses exactly how he had taken liberties with historical f More...
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Apr 03, 2010
Americanogig rated it: 3 of 5 stars
This is a somewhat fictional history (but not too fictional) of four main players in the saga of the guillotine’s creation. Dr. Guillotine (who was a humanitarian and also anti-capital punishment), the designer of the machine Tobias Schmidt (who normally worked with instruments of music, not death), Father Pierre, the priest (who is now an agent of state) who accompanies the condemned, Sanson the executioner (who regards himself as a necessary evil) and the first man to die by Madame Guillotine More...
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Jul 19, 2009
Julie rated it: 3 of 5 stars
For November's HNR
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Feb 10, 2012
Joni rated it: 4 of 5 stars
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Oct 03, 2011
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Oct 31, 2011
Andi marked it as to-read
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Aug 10, 2011
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Jul 28, 2011
Vivienne rated it: 3 of 5 stars
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Jun 26, 2011
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Jun 12, 2011
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Jun 11, 2011
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Jun 11, 2011
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Jun 10, 2011
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Jun 09, 2011
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Jun 11, 2011
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Jun 11, 2011
Ron rated it: 4 of 5 stars
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Apr 22, 2011
Amy marked it as to-read
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Sep 25, 2011
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Dec 01, 2010
Andrea marked it as to-read
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Oct 28, 2010
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Jun 06, 2010
Amanda rated it: 4 of 5 stars
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Mar 17, 2010
Bill marked it as to-read
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Mar 10, 2010
Gabriella rated it: 3 of 5 stars
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Feb 23, 2010
Mel marked it as to-read
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Feb 22, 2010
Kaleigh marked it as to-read
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Feb 04, 2010
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Jan 19, 2010
Julie marked it as to-read
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Nov 18, 2009
Cherie is currently reading it
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Oct 17, 2009
Ron rated it: 4 of 5 stars
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