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astoldbybex's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you so much, Sara Tantlinger, for providing me with a review copy of The Devil’s Dreamland!
This collection of poetry is inspired by serial killer, H.H. Holmes. & that right there is probably why I was so ecstatic to read it. I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology & had a heavy emphasis on studying the mind of serial killers. For those who are unaware of H.H. Holmes, he is considered to be America’s first serial killer & committed most of his heinous crimes in what is deemed to be the ‘Murder Castle’ in Chicago, Illinois.
It’s clear that Sara Tantlinger spent a lot of time doing her research & I definitely give her a lot of props for that. I could only imagine how difficult it would be to spend that much time in the mind of H.H. Holmes. A majority of the poetry is actually written in his point-of-view, which adds points to the uncomfortable factor of this poetry collection.
& with that point being made, there are several disturbing and uncomfortable scenes in this collection, but could you expect anything less? I mean, after all the entire thing is inspired by H.H. Holmes. Major props to you, Sara, for actually making me cringe due to being so uncomfortable while reading this. Sara completely nailed it, in terms of placing you within the events of H.H. Holmes’ life. I felt as if I was actually witnessing everything as it unfolded. All of his life events were even ordered in chronological order; meaning, we witness H.H. Homes’ birth, life, death & even afterlife.
Although, I have a review e-copy of The Devil’s Dreamland, I intend on buying a physical copy for my book collection — because, listen, it’s a NEED. I feel like not only did I get a good & frightful read, but I even gained more knowledge on one of America’s most notorious serial killers. I strongly recommend this for both readers of horror & those who find interest in the mind.
This collection of poetry is inspired by serial killer, H.H. Holmes. & that right there is probably why I was so ecstatic to read it. I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology & had a heavy emphasis on studying the mind of serial killers. For those who are unaware of H.H. Holmes, he is considered to be America’s first serial killer & committed most of his heinous crimes in what is deemed to be the ‘Murder Castle’ in Chicago, Illinois.
It’s clear that Sara Tantlinger spent a lot of time doing her research & I definitely give her a lot of props for that. I could only imagine how difficult it would be to spend that much time in the mind of H.H. Holmes. A majority of the poetry is actually written in his point-of-view, which adds points to the uncomfortable factor of this poetry collection.
& with that point being made, there are several disturbing and uncomfortable scenes in this collection, but could you expect anything less? I mean, after all the entire thing is inspired by H.H. Holmes. Major props to you, Sara, for actually making me cringe due to being so uncomfortable while reading this. Sara completely nailed it, in terms of placing you within the events of H.H. Holmes’ life. I felt as if I was actually witnessing everything as it unfolded. All of his life events were even ordered in chronological order; meaning, we witness H.H. Homes’ birth, life, death & even afterlife.
Although, I have a review e-copy of The Devil’s Dreamland, I intend on buying a physical copy for my book collection — because, listen, it’s a NEED. I feel like not only did I get a good & frightful read, but I even gained more knowledge on one of America’s most notorious serial killers. I strongly recommend this for both readers of horror & those who find interest in the mind.
tracyreads's review against another edition
5.0
All. The. Stars. Amazing poetry collection surrounding HH Holmes.
I have always been fascinated with books, documentaries, and tv shows dealing with true crime, especially those centered around serial killers. Last year, I watched a Netflix documentary on H.H Holmes, and just before I learned of Tantlinger's book, I was already listening to a podcast series on H.H. Holmes. Why are my viewing and listening habits relevant? Because it made my reading experience so wonderful as I saw Tantlinger creatively weave gristly true crime details into her poetry. Even if I hadn't had all of that background knowledge, I still would've appreciated this skill, but it did make a difference for me.
So. Poetry. It never has been my "go to" genre. I studied it when I had to in undergrad and graduate school. I have a few favorites that I teach when it is appropriate. But I've never looked at a book of poetry and said "oooh, yes please"...until I saw this book.
If you are like me, and poetry isn't your jam - consider giving this a try. Tantlinger plays with form and substance. Some of the poems are sparse and chilling, others are more prose-like, and ALL of them are accessible and engrossing.
These pieces look at Holmes' life from all angles. Most of them are chronological and one of my favorite things about this read is the focus on having people other than Holmes provide some of the POVs. We hear from his mother (man I loved that poem), Holmes, a few victims, a 3rd person narrator, the "Murder Castle", and his accomplice (well, if he can be called that) has a section. The levels of research and scholarship that must have gone into this collection are at once readily evident, yet the information is expertly woven into the poems. The result is being able to grab onto those details of HH Holmes and his crimes easily, without breaking that trance of sorts that comes with a great read. This is historical fiction (or historical horror) at its very best.
I may not be a poetry fan yet, but I sure am a Tantlinger poetry fan now. In fact, I will be reading her other poetry collection "Love For Slaughter" as my first book in January of 2019. And I cannot wait to get back into her brain.
I have always been fascinated with books, documentaries, and tv shows dealing with true crime, especially those centered around serial killers. Last year, I watched a Netflix documentary on H.H Holmes, and just before I learned of Tantlinger's book, I was already listening to a podcast series on H.H. Holmes. Why are my viewing and listening habits relevant? Because it made my reading experience so wonderful as I saw Tantlinger creatively weave gristly true crime details into her poetry. Even if I hadn't had all of that background knowledge, I still would've appreciated this skill, but it did make a difference for me.
So. Poetry. It never has been my "go to" genre. I studied it when I had to in undergrad and graduate school. I have a few favorites that I teach when it is appropriate. But I've never looked at a book of poetry and said "oooh, yes please"...until I saw this book.
If you are like me, and poetry isn't your jam - consider giving this a try. Tantlinger plays with form and substance. Some of the poems are sparse and chilling, others are more prose-like, and ALL of them are accessible and engrossing.
These pieces look at Holmes' life from all angles. Most of them are chronological and one of my favorite things about this read is the focus on having people other than Holmes provide some of the POVs. We hear from his mother (man I loved that poem), Holmes, a few victims, a 3rd person narrator, the "Murder Castle", and his accomplice (well, if he can be called that) has a section. The levels of research and scholarship that must have gone into this collection are at once readily evident, yet the information is expertly woven into the poems. The result is being able to grab onto those details of HH Holmes and his crimes easily, without breaking that trance of sorts that comes with a great read. This is historical fiction (or historical horror) at its very best.
I may not be a poetry fan yet, but I sure am a Tantlinger poetry fan now. In fact, I will be reading her other poetry collection "Love For Slaughter" as my first book in January of 2019. And I cannot wait to get back into her brain.
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