Graham Moore’s The Last Days of Night is dazzling. Moore, the Academy Award-winner for Best Adapted Screenplay (The Imitation Game), delves into nineteenth century America and the patent war between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse. The story is narrated by young Paul Cravath, Westinghouse’s new (and very green) attorney. At first glance, the subject matter seems dreadfully boring, but Moore’s expert pacing, plot and character development create a dramatic and entertaining story. While the novel is historical fiction, the characters are real men and women and most events really took place. Moore does include a lot of technical explanations of creating light, but most descriptions were easy to understand. The Last Days of Night is a highly recommended book. Read it before the major motion picture, starring Eddie Redmayne, is released!

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Random House

Review of an Advance Reader’s Copy

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 15 religious exclamations; 28 mild obscenities; 8 religious profanities; 3 anatomical terms; 1 derogatory name; 3 scatological words.

Violence/Gore: Several secondhand reports of violence including an assassination, arson, and a man murdering his wife; a few brief scenes of violence involve arson and a character being slapped; dogs are electrocuted in two brief non-detailed scenes of violent death; a few brief scenes of intense violence when a dog is electrocuted, as well as an attempt at execution by electric chair.

Sex/Nudity:  A few incidents of kissing; a few sexual references and an implied account of underage sexual activity.

Mature Subject Matter:

Bribery, corruption, prescription drugs, breaking and entering/stealing, arson, accidental electrocution, death by electric chair.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

A few characters smoke; a couple is drunken; a few scenes take place at an alehouse; a character talks of wanting to be drunk.