Rating: 
Summary: The city is the star
Review: This is an engaging recreation of Chicago in the 1890s, with deftly interwoven mini-biographies of a handful of movers and shakers, some now venerated, some almost forgotten.It may seem an odd comparison, but in that respect this book reminded me of "Seabiscuit". (I wasn't particularly interested in horse racing or the architectural history of Chicago, but in both cases, the authors did such compelling research, I became engrossed.) I think the only readers who might be disappointed are those in search of a gory account of the crimes of Mudgett/Holmes. The hardcore true crime fans might prefer Harold Schechter's "Depraved" instead.
Rating: 
Summary: can't put down
Review: a fantastic historical recounting of the great worlds fair in chicago in the late 1800's. and woven in is a truly chilling tale of one of the most nefarious serial killers in history. the book is extremely well written, with insight into the lives of many famous people of the times.
Rating:
Summary: Good Job
Review: A fun and very readable popular history! Readers should be aware, however, that the life of H.H. Holmes is covered much more extensively in Harold Schechter's true crime classic, DEPRAVED, which Larson cites as one of his main sources.
Rating:
Summary: Prepare to be mesmerized!
Review: Larson's book is a pure enjoyment--a historical journey into the history of Chicago, warts and all. The reader not only learns about Daniel Burnham's amazing feat pulling together the Columbia Exposition of 1893 and the ways it changed the nation, but he contrasts this event with America's first serial killer, ironically steps away from the fair. The reader is tugged from good to evil, from risk to murder, from heaven to hell. Enjoy the ride and thanks Mr. Larson for allowing us to take that ride!
Rating:
Summary: Unspeakable Wonders and Startling Evil
Review: Larson has created the first must-read nonfiction title of the year, an assured and satisfying work which vividly portrays the one of the last grand gasps of the nineteenth century, the World's Fair of 1893.
Daniel Hudson Burnham, architect and overseer of the fair, builds the White City itself, while Henry H. Holmes is the titular devil, a charismatic young doctor with blood-curdling obsessions. The British of the period may have dealt with Jack the Ripper, but our ever-expanding country weaned its own monster, whose house of horrors stood in the shadows of the great architectural triumphs of the Fair.
This compelling book moves with the relentlessness of the greatest novels of our time. The supporting cast includes such luminaries as Edison, Archduke Ferdinand, Buffalo Bill, and Susan B. Anthony; the ill-fated Titanic even makes an appearance in the books opening pages.
Larson's evocative prose fully engulfs the viewer in the period, and the dark and dreadful scenes with Henry H. Holmes are given welcome respite by the tales of Burnham's amazing accomplishment. The enjoyment of this stunning work is only heightened by the knowledge that the story is true.
Rating:
Summary: A devil of a good time
Review: The juxtapositions between horror and fun in this rollicking rollercoaster of a ride make this one of the most entertaining and yet informative books to ever get printed. I was reminded somewhat of the book RAGTIME in that this one mixes facts with fiction. But "THE DEVIL" is far more intense. The narrative takes place in the years between the Civil War and the turn of the century--that no man's land of problems and healing that is all but forgotten today. Larson gives us a wonderful portrait of the time, and, as the title says, "Murder, Magic, and Madness." This is just a remarkable read and should not be missed. Also would recommend another great Amazon book: BARK OF THE DOGWOOD by Jackson McCrae.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I looked forward to reading this book both because it had such an intriguing premise and it won the Poe award last year. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.
The year 1893 was both a triumphant and tragic year for the city of Chicago. Daniel Burnham and his fellow architects put together a grand World's Fair despite numerous obstacles. Larson does a great job in describing the problems in organizing the fair including the economic difficulties, the feuding between architects, and especially the actual construction of the White City. The central character in this story is architect Daniel Burnham who toils for years in order to make sure Chicago pulls the fair off in grand style. Though Burnham is the primary subject, the secondary characters, including Louis Sullivan, Frederick Olmsted, Frank Lloyd Wright, and George Ferris, are what give body to the fair's history.
Larson alternates the chapters on the World's Fair with ones telling the parallel story of the evil Dr. H.H. Holmes. Dr. Holmes is probably the most twisted man I've ever read about. He succeeded in defrauding and murdering dozens of people in his eerie mansion adjacent to the fair and performed his activities like a consummate professional. How does a doctor turn into such a beast? Larson does a fine job in revealing the chronology of Dr. Holmes murder spree but does little in attempting to answer the previous question.
Both stories are told well, but Larson has essentially combined two separate books into one. The stories of the World's Fair and of Dr. Holmes did occur at the same time in the same city, but they are essentially separate tales. The book jacket implies that the two stories are integrated, but in fact, there is not much that links them. Dr. Holmes interaction with the fair was fairly limited. He took some of his victims there and housed many of its visitors in his hotel, but that is the extent of his involvement in the story of the fair.
This book does present an interesting history of Chicago in the late 1890's, but perhaps, I expected something more than the author offered.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: I was referred to "Devil in the White City" by my literature loving uncle, and with nothing else high on my list of books at the time; I took it on last fall. I'll be brief and to the point - This was one of the best books I have ever read. I'm neither an architecture buff or huge reader of this period in history. But from the first chapter on, I found it almost impossible to put this book down, as the cliché goes.
The greatest accomplishment of this book is the dual suspense built between the respectable architect's quest for Chicago glory and the evil doctor's quest for more death. I have always been more a fan of non-fiction than fiction. But "Devil" felt more like a novel than a book based almost completely on facts.
It amazes me that I had never heard of this killer before the book. A man far more dangerous and likely more prolific than Jack the Ripper ever was.
Rating:
Summary: An elegant description of genius and horror
Review: Beautifully written, this evocative book compares and contrasts the glory and gaudiness of the Chicago World's Fair with the gore and evil of Chicago's first serial killer. Both stories are spellbinding, and the way Larson brings them together is brilliant. Be careful, though. Holmes' crimes are brutal and appalling. While Larson's writing is sophisticated and not at all lurid, that doesn't disgusting how horrid these crimes were
Rating:
Summary: A great read!
Review: I found this book to be a fascinating journey into a period of American history I knew very little about. Larson's well researched novel style will draw you in and paint the entire picture, leaving no detail uncovered. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone!
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