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Reviews tagging 'Torture'
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
42 reviews
smkelly1997's review
dark
informative
slow-paced
3.5
I thought this book would revolve around H. H. Holmes much more than it did. Instead it was mostly about the creation, construction, and running of the fair.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Child abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Infidelity, Abandonment, Classism, Murder, Child death, Chronic illness, and Colonisation
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Dementia
librarymouse's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
The literary descriptions and firsthand accounts of the fair, and the effort and love put into it's design and creation made me wish I could have attended. The detailed descriptions of Holmes' murders and his disarmingly charming personality made me glad that I was born over a full century after 1893. I like greatly enjoyed The Devil in the White City, the second half was a far easier read than the first. I'm not sure if I've retained as much of the information about the fair's designers and the events that took place while it was open as I wanted to. While interesting, the section about the initial design process and the political lobbying that took place in order to get the fair to occur in Chicago read similarly to a textbook, in stark contrast with the narrative way the rest of the history was told. Overall, an informative and interesting read. I would use enjoyable to describe the writing, but not the content.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Gore, Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Suicide, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, and Misogyny
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Xenophobia
k_overt's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
The devil in the white city is like most classic literature, informative and uses big words. I had to read this book for an English class and it was one of the books that kept my attention. However at some points the plot was being dragged out unnecessarily for drama. If you want a book that describes historical events in serious detail, and goes into detail about people’s personal relationships of the time then this is the book for you. However, Sometimes it seems like Larson manipulates certain pieces of history to fit his context. For example he makes assumptions about how people ‘might’ have been feeling at the time or why they made the these decisions. This is bound to happen in a non fiction novel because they need to keep the reader engaged. If you want a book that is word for word historical facts, then this book is 80% for you. The beginning is slow because he has to introduce the characters and context so the reader can understand. However this also shows weakness in Larsons writing. One of the reasons I like an author is their ability to give information in a way that doesn’t cause the reader to become disinterested or confused. I don’t like the way Larson paces part one. However in a non fiction writing this form of writing can be seen as a strength. But for a reader like me I had a difficult time focusing on some parts that of the novel. Things that I liked was Larson ability to order events in a way that wasn’t confusing. The way the chapters are ordered based on what is happening is great, and when looking back it makes more sense. Overall the book is okay, and helps the reader learn about historical events in an entertaining way. I hope they make this book into a mini series so that they can truly understand not only the historical information, but also to transfer Larsons unique way of writing onto the big screen. I would recommend this book to someone interested in learning more about history. This book covers the worlds fair as well as the United states first known serial killer. In the past years many people have become interested in true crime and crime of passion. This book is a great for giving the audience a glimpse into the mind of a psychopath. However you might be feeling unsatisfied when the book ends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Torture, Gore, Child death, and Death
jcburcham's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Audio. This is really two books in one (the stories overlap in time and location) and the reader should consider this warning/review before deciding to plunge in. I write this because I wish someone had warned me, but none of the reviews I read hinted at a concern.
This book came highly recommended, and I knew one of the main plot lines followed the history of Herman Webster Mudgett (alias H. H. Holmes and many, many others), a serial killer whose true victim count will never be known. The other plot line is the creation of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.
The author, Erik Larson, is a master of investigative research and his books are written in a compelling, almost novel-like fashion. So even though there is a small amount of speculation infused in his descriptions of how Holmes killed a few of his victims, the much more horrific aspect for me was learning that this man, who appeared so charming and likable, conducted his business under the guise of a hotel, complete with at least one airtight, vault-like bedroom that could be infused with deadly gas, and what was essentially a crematorium furnace. How he was able to run this operation for <i>years</i>, with various guests or employees just "disappearing" and no investigation by the police, haunts me.
But what really made me sick to my stomach was Larson's descriptions of victims (almost exclusively young women and children) before their unexpected and absolutely terrifying final moments. For the most part, the reader is spared graphic detail, and the author certainly handles the subject with genuine respect and no sensationalism, but the implication of what happened--what is left unsaid--is just as horrifying. There are descriptive images in this book that I will never be able to erase from my memory.
Reading about the 1893 World's Fair held in Chicago offered a welcome relief from the horror depicted in the story about Holmes. Although heavy with facts and details, one can feel the excitement building and the reader wonders if everything will come together! I really enjoy this sort of historical storytelling, and it's why I'm such a fan of Erik Larson. I learned so much!
Rating this book is not easy...the pain and sadness I feel for Holmes's victims is genuine, and learning of his story has cost me much sleep. I understand why some like this book and others do not, and I think one should consider carefully before diving into this piece of history, despite being well written and accurately portrayed by the talented Erik Larson.
This book came highly recommended, and I knew one of the main plot lines followed the history of Herman Webster Mudgett (alias H. H. Holmes and many, many others), a serial killer whose true victim count will never be known. The other plot line is the creation of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.
The author, Erik Larson, is a master of investigative research and his books are written in a compelling, almost novel-like fashion. So even though there is a small amount of speculation infused in his descriptions of how Holmes killed a few of his victims, the much more horrific aspect for me was learning that this man, who appeared so charming and likable, conducted his business under the guise of a hotel, complete with at least one airtight, vault-like bedroom that could be infused with deadly gas, and what was essentially a crematorium furnace. How he was able to run this operation for <i>years</i>, with various guests or employees just "disappearing" and no investigation by the police, haunts me.
But what really made me sick to my stomach was Larson's descriptions of victims (almost exclusively young women and children) before their unexpected and absolutely terrifying final moments. For the most part, the reader is spared graphic detail, and the author certainly handles the subject with genuine respect and no sensationalism, but the implication of what happened--what is left unsaid--is just as horrifying. There are descriptive images in this book that I will never be able to erase from my memory.
Reading about the 1893 World's Fair held in Chicago offered a welcome relief from the horror depicted in the story about Holmes. Although heavy with facts and details, one can feel the excitement building and the reader wonders if everything will come together! I really enjoy this sort of historical storytelling, and it's why I'm such a fan of Erik Larson. I learned so much!
Rating this book is not easy...the pain and sadness I feel for Holmes's victims is genuine, and learning of his story has cost me much sleep. I understand why some like this book and others do not, and I think one should consider carefully before diving into this piece of history, despite being well written and accurately portrayed by the talented Erik Larson.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Murder, and Torture
emmacjmeyer's review
dark
informative
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, and Violence
lyssierose09's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Medical content, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Gaslighting, Gore, Kidnapping, Abortion, and Torture
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
aargot1's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Death, Torture, Murder, Confinement, and Fire/Fire injury
meganpbennett's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
I read The Devil in the White City on the advice of a true crime-loving librarian colleague. It's interesting, with H.H. Holmes killing indiscriminately around during the Chicago World's Fair, though I started reading the book without realizing that H.H. Holmes was the Devil in question.
The book has lots of interesting detail on the World's Fair - after all, how could Chicago hope to beat Eiffel and his Tower from the previous World's Fair? Enter an engineer named... Ferris.
The book was less graphic than I thought it would be, but there is rather disturbing imagery involving Holmes killing and disposing of the bodies.
I think the book would have been stronger had the author not switched perspectives between Holmes and the builders of the Fair every chapter. I think it would have made more sense for the author to have chosen a time frame - three months? - and written about the building of the Fair, then Pendergast, then Holmes. That would have strengthened the connect between them
The book has lots of interesting detail on the World's Fair - after all, how could Chicago hope to beat Eiffel and his Tower from the previous World's Fair? Enter an engineer named... Ferris.
The book was less graphic than I thought it would be, but there is rather disturbing imagery involving Holmes killing and disposing of the bodies.
I think the book would have been stronger had the author not switched perspectives between Holmes and the builders of the Fair every chapter. I think it would have made more sense for the author to have chosen a time frame - three months? - and written about the building of the Fair, then Pendergast, then Holmes. That would have strengthened the connect between them
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death, Violence, Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Abortion, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcohol and Pregnancy
renbot's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
4.5
An incredible journey where you truly care for the victories and failures of all of the characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Torture, Suicide, Stalking, Mental illness, Medical content, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Chronic illness, Child death, and Confinement
Moderate: Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Grief, and Gore
Minor: Cultural appropriation and Alcohol
salome_esteves's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
4.0
I love to read true stories written like fiction, and this book is a brilliant example of that. Erik Larson's writing is perfect for this genre. His depiction of Holmes' murder is thorough but not graphic. I am always on the fence of stories about serial killers, out of fear they will be too gruesome. But "The Devil in the White City" has the perfect balance of perfectly clear and somewhat suspenseful narration.
When it comes to the overall story, I think this book tried to do too much. I always thought that these murders had occurred in the fair, but the correlation between the events is almost non-existent. That's why I believe the story around the fair was too long. Although some facts were very interesting and I felt it was quite enjoyable, I don't think it was particularly necessary.
But I highly, highly recommend it, specially if, like me, you enjoy true crime stories and murder mysteries.
When it comes to the overall story, I think this book tried to do too much. I always thought that these murders had occurred in the fair, but the correlation between the events is almost non-existent. That's why I believe the story around the fair was too long. Although some facts were very interesting and I felt it was quite enjoyable, I don't think it was particularly necessary.
But I highly, highly recommend it, specially if, like me, you enjoy true crime stories and murder mysteries.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Death, Child death, and Torture
Minor: Suicide