Rating: 
Summary: Blend of History and Mystery
Review: Erik Larson's "The Devil in the White City" focuses primarily on the World's Fair of 1893, a monumental achievement headed by architect Daniel Burnham. That the Fair itself was built under severe time contraints and beaurocratic tangling was a near miracle. A cast of historical figures like Susan B. Anthony, Buffalo Bill, Theodore Dreiser, and nobility from around the world, attended. (A major exception was writer Mark Twain, who fell ill and ultimately did not attend the Fair.)Larson sprinkles bits of info on H.H. Holmes, a manipulative and criminally minded man who ultimately murders between 27 to 200 people, some of them while operating a hotel near the World's Fair. Larson may have had difficulty either finding enough information on Holmes, and Larson may even have been disinterested in some of the more macabre details of his crimes. It is only until the last 50 pages of the book that Larson goes into serious detail about Holmes's final murders and his own fate. Larson's major achievement here is bringing a major event of American history to light. To be sure, he could have balanced the book with a bit more info on "The Devil" and less on "The White City," but that may just be a subjective assessment. Informative, enjoyable, and highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: A great reading experience
Review: This magical, fresh, and highly unusual book came recommended by a friend. I read it in three sitting and don't usually do that, but I found the subject matter, the historical connnections, and the characters so riveting that I couldn't put it down. Reminiscent of Doctorow's RAGTIME or even THE ALIENIST, this stellar read is bound to over take you. The writing is on the same level as Jackson McCrae's THE BARK OF THE DOGWOOD or some novel by Boyle, and you'll find yourself completely caught up in this new and exciting book. And like the McCrae or the Boyle books, you get everything, and I do mean everything--murder, mayhem, magic, and atmosphere. But don't think this book is some mish-mash of ideas thrown loosely toghether, for it's not--rather, it's a well crafted piece of fiction that weaves historical fact and the city of Chicago so well into its fabric that you'll be spellbound. Do yourself a favor: Buy it, read it, and pass it on to a friend. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent Read
Review: This was a book that never really seemed to mesh but still provided some interesting tidbits and an overall pleasant reading experience. I kept expecting more meat but kept getting side dishes that never seemed to tie together. Other than the Chicago connection, there never seemed to be a real unifying reason for doing a book that covered both the World's Fair and Holmes. I think it would have been much more interesting to have gone into greater detail on one or the other but not both.
Rating:
Summary: Buy one book and get the second free!
Review: Ok- I know that is a cheesy title for a review, but it is completely true! Larson has morphed together two short pieces of history into one book. We have the story of the great Architect, Burhnam and his amazing (and almost unbelievable) struggle in organizing the 1893 Chicago Worlds's fair. The second story revloves around the Holmes, a serial killer, who happened to live in Chicago at the time of the exposition. The truth be known - these two events are almost completely unrelated. The exposition did not "Cause" Holmes to murder, nor did Holmes' murders "cause" the Fair. The blend of these two stories causes the work to be a little uneven. Three pages may seperate the inner-thinkings of a pyschopath from a discussion on theories in landscape architecture. With that- I will say that Larson's portrayal is very entertaining. In fact, I would compare it Caleb Carr's historical fiction (The Alienist), which is set (almost) during the same period... but in New York. Definitely worth the time to read... even if it does read as two different books!
Rating: 
Summary: Research Methods must be questioned
Review: Mr. Larson relied heavily on the writings of the participants. In some cases he did not check outside sources, i.e. The Chicago Tribune to verify these sources. A good example of this is that he purports that Francis Millet invented the cold water paint spray system, while Joseph Binks, founder of Binks Manufacturing, is the patent holder for this system. Mr. Binks' company is still existant and is currently owned by Illinois Tool Works. The professional painting industry widely holds the understanding that Mr. Binks, not Mr. Millet is the said inventor. Relying on Mr. Millet's own notes for this information is suspect and not a good example of thorough research.
Rating:
Summary: It was ooo-kay.
Review: I couldn't help but feel cheated when I finished this book. I read the title "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America", and I read the reviews. Then I read the book for myself. At times, this book was so dry that I couldn't wait to finish it. I thought the book was supposed to be "gripping". Taking place in the late 1800's, it is basically about the architect that designed the Chicago World Fair, Mr. Burnham, and a serial killer, Mr. Holmes, who was in town about the same time the fair was open. I regret to say that I dont see how the two characters were connected. They never met each other in the story, although the serial killer did attend the fair, which is pure concidence.
The murder scenes were few and in between, very vague and ambiguious. For a title boasting so much about murder and madness, I think that there should have been more gore and description of Mr. Holmes' dirtywork. When Larson wrote about the building of the World Fair, (in my opinion) the architectual events were downplayed. Perhaps he should have written more about the sizes of each building so we could put it into perspective how massive and grand the buildings actually were. I felt as though a lot of information was left out. How did other countries feel about the WORLD FAIR? How did people from other countries come to hear about the fair and how many from outside the United States attended? Larson DID do his homework and researched the facts he did write about so very well, and that was nice. But he should have included more pictures. I think that there were 4 or so pictures total. The book was not completely awful but not a perfect work either. It is refreshing to read about something (The Chicago World Fair) that isn't too common or over-played. I don't think many people in this day know too much about the history of Chicago's World Fair or about early architecture. Erik Larson has a writing style that flows well, making a easy read book.
Rating:
Summary: The Devil In The White City
Review: Devil In The White City-Review
Amber Yoder
A powerful big-name architect and a psychotic serial killer...so different yet so similar at the same time. Both possessed a stunning appearance and charming personality to help them master the game of persuasion. With just a few words, a quick grin, and a twinkle of the eye, each man used their devious measures to persuade those around them to their ideal beliefs. Architect Daniel Burnham and serial killer Dr. H. H. Holmes knew just what to say and when to say to get what they wanted. Although Burnham worked for a good cause and Holmes worked for Satan, both men would not give up on their plans and in Holmes' case, "victims".
The Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893 was the dawn of a new era, an era filled with Ferris wheels, cracker jacks, shredded wheat, juicy fruit gum, and the pledge of allegiance; each originating from this fair. It's amazing to think that the entire fair was built in a matter of a few years and "one single exhibit hall had enough interior volume to have housed the U.S. Capitol, the Great Pyramid, Winchester Cathedral, Madison Square Garden, and St. Paul's Cathedral, all at the same time." For Holmes, the fair was a gold mine, serving as the perfect luring device for his poor unfortunate victims, and for Burnham, the fair served as his masterpiece eventually creating his name among the greatest architects of the time.
The author, Erik Larson, captures the readers' attention with the intense detail and the two separate stories leaving the reader determined to find out how the stories intertwine. While reading The Devil In The White City, you know there has got to be more of a twist to the characters than just living during the time of the fair, which could be Larson's way of keeping the readers attention throughout the entire book. Upon reading, I often found myself wondering how these two different men were tied together and if fate would eventually cross their paths somehow. The immense amount of research needed to complete this book is unreal. Larson is an amazing author for even attempting, let alone surpassing this overwhelming story.
The Devil In The White City is an excellent choice for the more experienced reader and Larson deserves the best reviews for this story laid out from day one.
Rating:
Summary: Short, sweet, and to the point!
Review: As an avid reader, I found The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson, a skillfully written piece of writing. He did very well on combining two nearly unlike stories into one. On one side is one of America's most infamous serial killers, and on the other side is the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The book was very well written. Larson did an excellent job focusing on both the two main characters, Burnham and Holmes. Burnham is the architect of the World's Fair and Holmes is America's first serial killer preying on the tourists of the world's fair. So there is a definite connection between the two, while other readers say there isn't. Larson did an excellent job conveying both the historical aspect of the fair and the detailed murders of Holmes. That, to me, is a great way to write a book. As what other people say, I don't think that not having more pictures in the book is a negative in any way. I didn't get this book to look at the pictures. I did have a little trouble with keeping up with all of the characters in the book, but you only need to remember a few. It was troubling how much detail there was in the book, but that is what makes a historical book good, is all of the facts. Also, the book tended to jump from character to character at times, which for some people could be a little bit confusing. Other than the negative points I've described, the book is extremely well written and I highly recommend this book to anyone that has the slightest interest in American history. After reading this book, you will want to learn more about Holmes' other murders and the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.
Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile read
Review: Erik Larson's book, The Devil in the White City is a vivid and extremely well written book. As a reader I was captivated from the first page of this true story. Larson uses vivid descriptions to give the reader heavily detailed pictures in their minds. The book takes place throughout the 1890's in Chicago covering the building, the maintenance and the dismantling of the Chicago Worlds Fair. The book's introduction of each character is somewhat lengthy and notably descriptive. Larson cuts each chapter up into many sections, each in which he describes one event or person, then moves onto another section in which he describes a different event or person, only to return to each section later and expand on it. We meet and follow H. H. Holmes, a doctor who embarks to the fair to prey on women as a serial killer, and Daniel Burnham who is the fairs greatest architect whom has taken on the monumental task of designing and building the greatest fair in the world in a matter of two years while other fairs have taken twice as long. Larson uses an unusual style to tell us this story. We follow numerous people through their connections to the fair, and they slowly tie together in dramatic fashion. Although Larson's book is non-fiction, I am positive any reader will question the genre all the way to the end of the book. Larson's description of Dr. Holmes's experiences and Burnham's building of the fair are simply unfathomable. Larson has done an unimaginable amount of research to write his book, and this shows through to the end, including his thirty-nine page sources cited and notes section. The incorporation of quotes and events are factual. From the first page to the last, every account and quote is accurate, coming from various newspapers, books and diaries. Like every book, The Devil in the White City has its weaknesses. Larson uses vivid descriptions on every page of the book to give visuals to the reader, yet there are very few pictures incorporated into the book. At first the reader can get confused due to the immense amount of information being given to them, but one should keep reading because Larson continues to mention the important characters and events, tying them together beautifully. If this book were to have a few more pictures, I am certain I could not find a fault worth noting. I believe that anyone who enjoys fiction or non-fiction would thoroughly enjoy reading this magnificent piece of non-fiction. Larson tells us about the Chicago Worlds Fair and the unbelievable amount of activity that surrounded it. This book comes highly recommended from myself and anyone else I've come into contact with who has read it.
Rating:
Summary: Read this book
Review: Larson is a master of words and history. He ties together events and faces with beautiful irony. You find yourself shaking your head in amazement of all that happened around one event and a few people. This book will make us all want to be historians when we grow up.
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