Ponder: The Last Days of Night

In The Last Days of Night ©2016, author Graham Moore postulates and spins the fascinating tale about legal battles between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse for patent rights to the light bulb. The young lead lawyer embroiled in the case is Paul Cravath who is, per journalist/reviewer Erik Larson, "a name that will resonate with ambitious law students everywhere"; this comment first made me realize how true to life this story could very well be. I have never been a fan of history but in this novel, as Graham Moore painted famous people as real characters, he cultivated in me a much deeper appreciation and a more pervasive curiosity for the past.

This book caused me to question my perception that a novel is a work of fiction. The Last Days of Night was filed in my local library using the fiction protocol, alphabetized by the author's name. Slightly perplexed, I asked Google the question if a novel was always fiction. Per wikipedia a non-fiction novel can informally be called a faction.

The non-fiction novel is a literary genre which, broadly speaking, depicts real historical figures and actual events woven together with fictitious conversations and uses the storytelling techniques of fiction. The non-fiction novel is an otherwise loosely defined and flexible genre. The genre is sometimes referred to using the slang term "faction", a portmanteau of the words fact and fiction.

The settings and portrayal of the life and homes of the extremely wealthy – J.P. Morgan, Edison, Westinghouse – drew me in. The described eccentricity of scientist Nicola Tesla startled me and aroused my curiosity. The beauty and glamorous lifestyle of opera singer Agnes Huntington  impressed me while still leaving me a bit in awe of her people skills as evidenced by her EQ (emotional quotient) as well as IQ (intelligence quotient). I myself have been guilty of falling prey to the popular stereotype of lawyers as dishonest charlatans without scruples. After reading this novel I gained a much broader view of lawyers as skilled professionals. Purely and simply, I respected and liked the lawyer/hero of this book. Paul Cravath was not merely very learned in book knowledge. To be successful in his job, he needed to understand people and their motivations as well as how to secure their trust and enlist their help. Paul Cravath also introduced a set of business management principles to the legal profession, now referred to as the Cravath System. The science in this novel was fascinating as well. I had not been aware that such dissension between direct current and alternating current existed and that the battle for dominance of one over the other was so bitterly fought.

The Last Days of Night opened me up to a better appreciation of history and a more balanced view of the legal profession. Any book that can broaden my horizons is well worth reading. Picturesque settings, strong characters, intricate character interactions, an engaging plot, and historical significance resulted in making this book a real winner for me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and give it 5 stars.