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9.3k reviews for:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
Erik Larson
3.87 AVERAGE
9.3k reviews for:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
Erik Larson
3.87 AVERAGE
dark
informative
fast-paced
The frontier may indeed have closed at last… but for that moment it stood there glittering in the sun like the track of a spent tear” (286)
I found the tale of the World Fair coming to be and its subsequent happening more impactful and strong than the Holmes story which is, of course, why I picked it up. I think that tells me more about myself though than about the book.
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
2 stars
I should’ve taken it as a sign when I kept falling asleep reading this book as an ebook. Two cool premises combined in one book which is weaved through a very loose thread which is quite honestly a reach. I thought the fair history was actually really cool but I am a history buff so that was predictable. But it honestly was weak for a whole book. And I thought the murder would be more interesting and in theory I would have liked the reveal but I think I was just so sick and tired by that point I lost all interest.
In summary, this was a flawed concept for a full book and would’ve been much more interesting if I read it at 2am on Wikipedia.
I should’ve taken it as a sign when I kept falling asleep reading this book as an ebook. Two cool premises combined in one book which is weaved through a very loose thread which is quite honestly a reach. I thought the fair history was actually really cool but I am a history buff so that was predictable. But it honestly was weak for a whole book. And I thought the murder would be more interesting and in theory I would have liked the reveal but I think I was just so sick and tired by that point I lost all interest.
In summary, this was a flawed concept for a full book and would’ve been much more interesting if I read it at 2am on Wikipedia.
dark
informative
slow-paced
This book felt like 2-3 books in one. The chapters about the architecture and landscaping were incredibly dry and the chapters about Holmes were interesting but also not related to the World Fair at all. I guess I'm missing the connection other than that they happened around the same time in the same city. It's interesting to see the things that came about because of the fair, though.
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Great read! The narrative style of the book makes it more engaging than some other nonfiction—I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to begin reading nonfiction books. I was initially more interested in the Holmes story line than the fair itself, but as the book progressed, I found both sides to be equally compelling.
informative
tense
slow-paced
It was an interesting read but often could be hard to follow. Larson tries to weave the lives of too many people during this moment in history. There are often tangents that go on and don’t seem to add much to the story. Others come back later only to scratch your head trying to remember when the last time you read about them was and in what context. The overarching timeline of events seems easy enough to follow, but when considering shorter timelines (days, weeks, or in a month) there’s occasionally enough back and forth of dates that it’s hard to keep track of what happened when.
This is my 3rd book by Erik Larson. The others being Isaac’s Storm and Dead Wake. Both of those carry forward Larsons unique style for writing non-fiction, but feel much tighter in their execution and delivery.
Still very much a worthwhile read for anyone interested in Chicago, Architecture, Holmes, or the US at the turn of the century.
This is my 3rd book by Erik Larson. The others being Isaac’s Storm and Dead Wake. Both of those carry forward Larsons unique style for writing non-fiction, but feel much tighter in their execution and delivery.
Still very much a worthwhile read for anyone interested in Chicago, Architecture, Holmes, or the US at the turn of the century.
Come for the serial killer, stay for all the fascinating stuff about the World's Fair.