Scan barcode
cinemazombie's review against another edition
5.0
Reads like a trivia genius reciting a Wikipedia article, but in a really good way. Can sometimes feel dragged out when you realize that Larson really is gonna switch between the Fair and Holmes EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER, which hey, yes, serial killing is bad but when the construction of this giant event killed more people than Holmes did, it kinda feels like the murder-y stuff was added to try and make the (already very cool and awesome) fair stuff more appealing to book crowds. I guess in hindsight maybe this would have been more revolutionary of an addition prior to the 10s boom of murder media. Who knows.
Very fun read.
Very fun read.
riestenberger's review against another edition
4.0
This book was good, but it wasn't quite what I thought it was going to be. Though I knew going into it that it had info on the World's Fair and Holmes' killing, I was a little disappointed by the lack of Holmes. I did like that the author managed to make history interesting and read like fiction, but I wanted more murder, magic, and madness! I get that there isn't as much information to work with, but still...
montanajones's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.5
callienicole's review against another edition
3.0
Very interesting book about the Chicago World's Fair and the man who organized it, and also about one of the most evil serial killers I know about. The author does not get too gruesome, but just the nature of the crimes in this book was really appalling. I found the book rather dark and hopeless in the end, and left feeling disturbed, maybe especially because it ended with a case of this killer's last two victims, who were children. It was well written, but wow, the content was rough sometimes. Three stars.
tboren's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
happylilkt's review against another edition
3.0
I read this (while living in Chicago!) at the recommendation of a coworker. I especially liked the history of the world's fair - particularly the architects and the logistical difficulty of what they were trying to achieve. The history of the serial killer was definitely sensational (in the literal sense)—though not really my favorite style as it was rather gruesome—but it was interesting to have the two stories weave together. Great writing.
ladyflavortown's review against another edition
dark
informative
slow-paced
3.75
Well-researched and fascinating. I’d rate higher but it was a slow read.
I loved learning about some now-famous Chicago buildings, streets, and landmarks. Larson weaved these details in beautifully while telling the story of the Fair’s architecture. The Fair was an accomplished feat of grandeur and innovation. Also, a classic tale of the male preoccupation with size.
The Ferris Wheel, shredded wheat cereal, PBR beer, incandescent light bulbs powered by alternating current all debuted at the Fair! And it’s still around today. How cool.
That Holmes dude on the other hand. Spooky. Would make for a good movie, though.
I loved learning about some now-famous Chicago buildings, streets, and landmarks. Larson weaved these details in beautifully while telling the story of the Fair’s architecture. The Fair was an accomplished feat of grandeur and innovation. Also, a classic tale of the male preoccupation with size.
The Ferris Wheel, shredded wheat cereal, PBR beer, incandescent light bulbs powered by alternating current all debuted at the Fair! And it’s still around today. How cool.
That Holmes dude on the other hand. Spooky. Would make for a good movie, though.