![]() ![]() Encountering the great inventor, Cravath is intimidated by Edison, who appears here as a single-minded bully: “ ‘If you think you can stop me,’ Edison said softly, ‘go ahead and try. ![]() Electricity, we are told, is a mixed blessing. Hurrying to a meeting with Edison, he witnesses the horrific electrocution of a workman hanging power lines. Our way into the tale is the real-life lawyer Paul Cravath, a prodigy in his mid-20s hired by Westinghouse to defend his growing empire from Edison’s attack.Ĭravath arrives as an underdog on the very first page. Specifically, it explores Edison’s attempts to drive Westinghouse (and his superior A/C current) out of business. What makes a fictional story feel true and a true story feel fictional? This is a question I considered often while reading “The Last Days of Night,” a novel by Graham Moore, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “The Imitation Game” and author of the 2010 novel “The Sherlockian.” His new book is a thriller built around the so-called electricity wars fought over a century ago between the rival inventors Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse. THE LAST DAYS OF NIGHT By Graham Moore 368 pp. ![]()
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