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mariakureads's review against another edition
3.5
It's been on my TBR since who knows when and after a few starts and stops, I'm done.
Larson wrote a very detailed, and I do mean very, account of the Chicago's World Fair, the atmosphere and history of the time, as well as the serial killer hiding amongst, the glitz, dirt, toils, glamour that the Fair brought to the city at the time.
The book involves a large set of people, all oddly enough interlocked in different ways and avenues and Larson explored and provided so many facts through his meticulous research that at different points were not only quotes provided, but newspaper clippings, menus, images, and witness accounts which some were interesting and others felt staid and dry and I lost interest at different parts of the book.
At times so factual that when the alternative chapters of the serial killer, H.H. Holmes, were introduced, it would sometimes grab my attention for a few pages but it felt odd as I was thrown off a few times by the pacing especially the further I read on to find that while the World's Fair and Holmes were in the same city, there was nothing concrete to tie them together since Holmes was adamant that he didn't do anything or was guilty of such killings—that the disappearances were a happenstance, surely, by his account.
Larson is a great researcher, this I'm sure of, and gave me so much new information specific to the fair and all the people, some later becoming famous in their own right, that all in all, while I had a few disconnects, the book is a solid read.
Moderate: Murder, Torture, Body horror, Confinement, Death, and Gaslighting
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Child death
pupsandpancakes's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Confinement, Murder, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Violence
psdarlin's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Child death, Mental illness, Colonisation, Death, Racial slurs, and Kidnapping
Minor: Racism, Stalking, Suicide, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Medical content, Chronic illness, and Homophobia
eliya's review against another edition
3.5
i started on sept 7th and MAN did it slow me down. took me 11h 46m to read and i was not very motivated to read it, but once you get in the groove it reads like gossip.
some people don’t recommend doing the audiobook and reading at the same time but i honestly do recommend it. there are some differences in the wording, some paragraphs added or taken out here and there, but it felt like i got the full recounting.
the author is very clever in the way he kind of leaves little foreshadowing clues - toward the end i think i was a little over the “that was… until” type of wording from him though. omnipresent in the most educated way lol. felt very much like i was living it // a work of fiction rather than an amalgamation of random facts here and there.
really enjoyed learning about the chicago fair, crazy how many things were just accepted because of the time. i would not have like to be apart of that time lol.
i made so many notes reading this lol there were so many fun facts that felt so important i’m glad - really glad - i read this but MAN i’m also glad it’s over
Graphic: Murder, Torture, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content and Terminal illness
stacylaughs's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Murder and Torture
Moderate: Violence, Confinement, Child death, and Kidnapping
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Alcoholism
rachelsheplak's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Gore, Child death, Blood, Abortion, Body horror, Gun violence, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, and Violence
kingsteph's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Torture, Child death, Confinement, Murder, Violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Xenophobia, Abortion, Pregnancy, Rape, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Suicide, Medical content, and Animal death
lulugirl297's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Child death, Child abuse, Body horror, Abandonment, Violence, Lesbophobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Death, Toxic friendship, Suicide, and Confinement
kellyofcali's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Torture, Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Child death
Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Confinement, and Grief
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Sexism
anjadesa's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Blood, Child death, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail