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9.35k reviews for:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
Erik Larson
3.87 AVERAGE
9.35k reviews for:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
Erik Larson
3.87 AVERAGE
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
informative
sad
fast-paced
I'm generally not a huge nonfiction fan, but this book pulled me in completely. Larson uses the story of H. H. Holmes to pull readers into the story, but by the time I got halfway through the story, I cared much more about the happenings of the Columbian Exposition. My only minor complaint is Otherwise, a truly fantastic book that I would recommend to anyone looking to break into nonfiction.
I will say, just as a disclaimer, that much of things described about Holmes are either educated guesses or close approximations, as Holmes was a compulsive liar and there is very little in the way of good records. That being said, Larson avoids making anything up out of thin air, which gives a bit of mystery to the story.
Spoiler
the inclusion of the part about Prenderghast killing the mayor, because I felt like it took the reader out of the main two storylines without any real benefitI will say, just as a disclaimer, that much of things described about Holmes are either educated guesses or close approximations, as Holmes was a compulsive liar and there is very little in the way of good records. That being said, Larson avoids making anything up out of thin air, which gives a bit of mystery to the story.
This is a re-read from before I had book tracking apps.
Erik Larson writes history in such a captivating way, which is why he is one of my favorite authors. The juxtaposition of the fair coming to life and Chicago overall with HH Holmes and his murderous hotel not far from the fair grounds creates an interesting approach to understanding how larger decisions impact the people living and working in America.
Erik Larson writes history in such a captivating way, which is why he is one of my favorite authors. The juxtaposition of the fair coming to life and Chicago overall with HH Holmes and his murderous hotel not far from the fair grounds creates an interesting approach to understanding how larger decisions impact the people living and working in America.
I really enjoyed reading about the fair and the architecture. The part of this book about HH Holmes is intriguing, but almost comes across as a completely separate story. Worth reading for both stories but choppy.
This was a really fascinating book about a subject I was never even aware of, the Columbian World's Exhibition of Chicago, 1893, especially since this World's fair affected our history in so many ways. The way Erik Larson interweaves the story of H.H.Holmes, our first serial killer in the US, is brilliant. It was interesting from beginning to end. At times it felt like there was a little too much detail about certain historical characters so it was difficult to keep track of who the author was referring to (at the beginning of the novel), but it all falls into place. Very worthwhile read!
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
I enjoy this type of narrative nonfiction that reads more like a novel. The combo of topics was perfect. I never would have picked up a book just on the world's fair or a psychopath from the 1890s, but putting them together really worked, even though it was mostly two parallel stories that hardly overlapped. Now I want to visit Chicago, even though I had a nightmare about having to move there while reading this book. Brrr.
slow-paced
Slow to start but very interesting ending! Hard to believe this isn’t fiction!! Could have been split into two books in my opinion.
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced