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A review by youraveragedave
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Scott Brick, Erik Larson
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
2.0
I tried twice before to read this book but just couldn't get into it. I thought I'd do the audiobook to help get through it. This book was everywhere years ago so I wanted to see what the hype was all about.
The premise is great. The crazy over the top plans for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. The top architects, landscape designers, scientists, engineers, inventors, businessmen, and politicians all come together to take on this Herculean task. Also there's a serial killing insurance fraudster operating in the shadows of the Fair. Throw in a political assassin. Makes for a compelling book, right?
Nope. Felt like neither individual component could hold the appeal of a mass audience so the author (or editors?) decided to mash it all together to bring on the people who enjoy history, engineering, and true crime.
The premise is great. The crazy over the top plans for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. The top architects, landscape designers, scientists, engineers, inventors, businessmen, and politicians all come together to take on this Herculean task. Also there's a serial killing insurance fraudster operating in the shadows of the Fair. Throw in a political assassin. Makes for a compelling book, right?
Nope. Felt like neither individual component could hold the appeal of a mass audience so the author (or editors?) decided to mash it all together to bring on the people who enjoy history, engineering, and true crime.