Blood, like a crimson highway

The Millions has a post on the new Erik Larson book, the title of which, I admit, forces me to immediately think of AC/DC. Anyway, the principal complaint is that the structure is a cut and paste from the prior book, which also featured gruesome death contrasted with ascendant goodness. I worry about that, but I don't think it will impact my ultimate decision to read it. Many authors repeat technique or theme. Ted Conover, for example, lives amongst a group and then writes (excellent) pop-sociology about the experience. On the musical side, the Ramones churned our their first four albums (in about four years) that were very similar, but also uniformly excellent. So there is nothing particularly wrong with copying a format into a new story, as long as the story is a good one.

The Post has a discussion with Larson which reveals a few interesting items including the facts that the Devil in White City will be a movie, his hurricane book has been optioned twice.

EDIT: I should note that Max's post is for the most part positive. I realize my post implied that it wasn't.