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arrobodhi 's review for:
The Devil in the White City
by Erik Larson
Excellent. I like Erik Larson's writing quite a bit, and being interested in history I find Larson's way of telling a story pretty engaging. The Chicago World Fair in 1893 is an event that every American should know about for both the tremendous achievement it was at the time, but also for the long lasting impact it had on various developments for many years after. Larson focuses on Daniel Burnham, the mastermind behind much of the fair. I didn't find Burnham a particularly compelling character, but I think Larson does his best to make him come to life.
The alternate sequences of Burnham's efforts contrasted well with the mystery of H.H. Holmes, a serial killer on the loose in Chicago. If anything, the Holmes mystery is more interesting than the fair if only because I had never heard of Holmes and did not know anything about it. It was sort of like a 48 Hours or Dateline mystery for late 19th century America. If you are inclined to believe that psychopaths are a creation of our modern world only, this story will confirm that deranged and mentally ill people have always been around. Holmes was a particularly evil example. I could not get over how inept the Chicago police were when it came to investigating people that went missing. Larson does a good job of not sensationalizing those events, while at the same time portraying Holmes in a believable yet sinister way.
Given when it happened in history, and how long it predated 20th century events such as WWI, the Titanic sinking, etc., it was really interesting to hear about the fair. Larson does leave some gaps in detail out, but this is not meant to be a textbook but rather a story. For me, I really like this kind of non-fiction. The fair was an amazing accomplishment, and it cannot be overstated how important it was for America and its future.
Highly recommended.
The alternate sequences of Burnham's efforts contrasted well with the mystery of H.H. Holmes, a serial killer on the loose in Chicago. If anything, the Holmes mystery is more interesting than the fair if only because I had never heard of Holmes and did not know anything about it. It was sort of like a 48 Hours or Dateline mystery for late 19th century America. If you are inclined to believe that psychopaths are a creation of our modern world only, this story will confirm that deranged and mentally ill people have always been around. Holmes was a particularly evil example. I could not get over how inept the Chicago police were when it came to investigating people that went missing. Larson does a good job of not sensationalizing those events, while at the same time portraying Holmes in a believable yet sinister way.
Given when it happened in history, and how long it predated 20th century events such as WWI, the Titanic sinking, etc., it was really interesting to hear about the fair. Larson does leave some gaps in detail out, but this is not meant to be a textbook but rather a story. For me, I really like this kind of non-fiction. The fair was an amazing accomplishment, and it cannot be overstated how important it was for America and its future.
Highly recommended.