The Devil in the White City

Rating:
Summary: 5 star PLUS
Review: The story is so engaging that it's almost hard to believe it's all true! This book gave me a good understanding of an important time in history and entertained me too.


Rating:
Summary: Excellent historical work
Review: I went to school in Chicago and this book made Chicago come to life. Parallel tales of the World Columbian Fair in 1893 and a serial killer living close to the location of the World Fair. The World Fair is set in present day Hyde Park, Chicago. It was a monumental undertaking and quite a show - 6 months long! The stories are both riveting (though a little disturbing). Buffalo Bill Cody, the Ferris Wheel, and more come together in this great book.

Rating:
Summary: Five Stars
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was well written and tells an engrossing tale that is so incredibly odd and unnerving, that it is hard to believe that it is true!! (but it is!) Larson paints a very vivid picture of not only the turn of the century era in Chicago, but also the behavior of Holmes. I kept reading it thinking, "Why haven't I heard about this story before!" I highly recommend this for anybody who is interested in nonfiction crime/suspense books. It is a great read.

Rating:
Summary: A time of change...a loss of innocence
Review: It is the last decade of the nineteenth century and the world is seeing a major change. The skyscrapers are now beginning to appear in the cities of America, with Chicago leading the way.

After the Paris World's Fair, in which the Eiffel Tower was unveiled to the wonder of all, that the United States had to try and top the Frech fair. Several cities bid and lobby for the opportunity, with Chicago winning. Now the leading architects were banding together to design, build, and operate a world's fair that will ahve to outdo the French.

The story involves the complex and consistently difficult task of building a world class fair. Larsen takes throught the process of who and how the fair was conceived, dsigned, and built. The main character in this effort is Daniel Burnham, a leading architect in Chicago (Burnham would design several key architectural buildings, including the Flatiron building in NYC). The story takes us through the entire process including the running of the fair. It is a facinating account, bringing the conditions of the times into focus. I enjoyed the side stories involving the other architects. John Root (Burnham's partner), Louis Sullivan, and even mentions Frank Llyod Wright. The talent at this time is incredible! The fair galvanizes the entire city and capitvates the world.

THe parallel story line involves pure evil. Henry Mudgett (aka H.H. Holmes) is a chronic liar and thief. It isn't until he arrives in Chicago that his true evil is brought out. During this period of time, I believe more people are familiar with the story of Lizzie Broden and the death of her parents. I am surprised I never really heard anything regarding Holmes. Holmes appears to be the first serial killer in America.

Larsen is able to capture the pure evil of Holmes and how he was able to control women and men with his charisma. It is truely disturbing.

Larsen alternates each chapter between the events of the fair and Holmes. At times this can be a little tedious, but I quickly got used to how the tale jumped back and forth between all of the characters.

While I recommend this book, it is not for the faint of heart. Holmes is truely a monster of the late nineteenth century and for all time.

Rating:
Summary: Fact is truly stranger than fiction
Review: What a great book. It is great for those who enjoy history as well as those who enjoy a suspense novel. An eye-opening account of what the United States and the world was like around the end of the 1800's. It is incredible what those architects were able to produce in such a short amount of time. It is hard to believe that it was merely over 100 years ago. We are introduced to many major world players in different industries who all happened to be involved in the World's Fair. The way it is written between the chapters and lives of Daniel Burnham and H.H. Holmes was genius. I found myself eager to start the next chapter to see what was happening with the "other" story.

Rating:
Summary: Pleasantly Surprised!
Review: I actually started reading this book because it was mentioned everywhere. The topic didn't sound terribly interesting at first, but I was immediately hooked! I learned some amazing things about notable figures and events that I never knew were missing from my life! The juxtaposition of the two stories was fascinating. The creepiness of the sociopath, Holmes, was tempered by the flashes into the logistics and stories of the fair. The two really balanced each other out and made for a very interesting and memorable read. Definitely check it out!