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sprite_of_the_shadows's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
5.0
mrslankford's review against another edition
5.0
Exceedingly interesting and fast paced
I'm not a fan of nonfiction. It's typically dry, slow, and uninspiring. This book, however, grabbed my attention, and held it close. The juxtaposition of black/white, rich/poor, good/evil was thrilling. It's incredibly well-written and well-researched. I enjoyed it immensely, and will plan my visit to the White City just as soon as time travel is possible.
I'm not a fan of nonfiction. It's typically dry, slow, and uninspiring. This book, however, grabbed my attention, and held it close. The juxtaposition of black/white, rich/poor, good/evil was thrilling. It's incredibly well-written and well-researched. I enjoyed it immensely, and will plan my visit to the White City just as soon as time travel is possible.
raygersh's review against another edition
4.0
I came for the devil in the White City but I stayed for the rich and immersive history of the early 1890s and the creation of the World's Fair. If it bleeds it leads and naturally I was excited to read more about the serial killer H.H. Holmes and his murder castle. It is clear that Larson desired to write a book about the Fair, but couldn't do it justice without including the harrowing details of Holmes' sinister activities and Prendergast's descent into madness. I loved reading those sections, but Larson was somehow also able to interest me in the minutiae of fair planning. To say that this book brought history to life may be slightly hyperbolic, but it provided a new lens through which to view the transformative period in America's history.
Overall: The Chicago World's Fair was a time in history that really did reshape America with murder, magic, and madness, and it was fascinating to read the novelization of the history.
Overall: The Chicago World's Fair was a time in history that really did reshape America with murder, magic, and madness, and it was fascinating to read the novelization of the history.