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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
megmoo's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Body horror and Torture
star_burstt's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Body horror, and Death
sandysawmill's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Murder, Blood, and Mental illness
bring_me_a_book's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Death, Child death, Deadnaming, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Suicide, and Torture
annabunce's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Gore, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Stalking, Murder, Child death, Medical content, Death, Death of parent, Blood, and Drug abuse
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
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
ornateapple's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, and Sexual violence
evetoi's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Abortion, Colonisation, Death, Body horror, and Murder