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A review by misssleepy
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
This book has been on my TBR for a loooooong time. This is the first Erik Larson book that I have read. I would like to eventually also read The Splendid and the Vile.
Overall, I found the audio of this book very relaxing, even though the subject matter was often times pretty dark.
Most of the book focuses on the white city. The devil is more of a thread woven through the story of the world’s fair in Chicago. Sometimes the books would get very detailed and it would get just a bit boring. The last 25% of the book quickened in paste and really got to the meat of this story.
Larson did an incredible job of researching the story and creating this cohesive narrative. I certainly appreciated this about the book. However it can at the same time be true that some of the details might not have been necessary to flush out the story.
Overall I would recommend this to anybody interested in US history and the macabre. It’s a good reminder that true crime has always been a part of history and so has the public fascination that goes with it.
Overall, I found the audio of this book very relaxing, even though the subject matter was often times pretty dark.
Most of the book focuses on the white city. The devil is more of a thread woven through the story of the world’s fair in Chicago. Sometimes the books would get very detailed and it would get just a bit boring. The last 25% of the book quickened in paste and really got to the meat of this story.
Larson did an incredible job of researching the story and creating this cohesive narrative. I certainly appreciated this about the book. However it can at the same time be true that some of the details might not have been necessary to flush out the story.
Overall I would recommend this to anybody interested in US history and the macabre. It’s a good reminder that true crime has always been a part of history and so has the public fascination that goes with it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder