The Devil in the White City

Rating:
Summary: The Most Intriguing Book of the Year
Review: "The Devil In The White City" is the kind of history you won't find in text books or the topic of this week's lecture at your local high school. This is a part of history I was never taught, but should have been. These are the conclusions you will come to if you read Eric Larson's book "The Devil In The White City." In this totally absorbing book, Larson tells the story of the 1893 world's Fair in Chicago. It basically concentrates on telling the story of the man in charge of building the fair, Daniel Burnham, and America's first serial killer who used the draw and appeal of the fair to kill many people, mostly women and children. I felt that Larson ballances these two stories in an effective way. Some may say one part of the story is more focussed on than the other, but overall he does a credible job of bringing you each man's story in an entertaining way. When I say entertaining, I mean entertaining this book never is dull and reads with the richness and flavor of a great novel. Larson puts you in Chicago in 1893. The descriptions are brilliant and vivid. You can smell the smoky streets of Chicago and the horrible odor from the stockyards. The when the story shifts to the "White City" of the fair you can feel the excitement and extravagance of the fair. Larson really makes you feel what it was like to be living during that time period. Of course, the book is littered with historical figures who make cameos like Buffalo Bill Cody, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, Susan B. Anthony, and others. What really impressed me were the details of the architects of that time. It really gave me an appreciation about what these men where able to accomplish. As a person who lives near Chicago it also gave me an appreciation of some of the things these men did that still exist today like the Museum Campus and the Museum of Science and Industry which is one of the few remains of the great fair. This is the kind of book that will leave you with thoughts that will remain long after reading it. It is no doubt one of the best books of the year. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love of history or what it was like to attend the great World's Fair of 1893.

Rating:
Summary: A fitting tribute to a grand undertaking.
Review: As a native Chicagoan, I'm embarrassed to say that before reading Devil in the White City, I knew relatively little about either the city's 19th century history or the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Fortunately, Larson's informative narrative helped immeasurably in correcting those deficiencies.

Most of Devil in the White City is devoted to the impetus behind the 1893 World's Fair and the tremendous amount of work that went into the planning, construction and administration of the Fair. The central character in this portion of the book is the primary architect of the Fair, Daniel Burnham. Larson provides an excellent overview of Chicago society at the time and the challenges faced by architects of the age as they struggled to erect some of the very first skyscrapers. Anyone who enjoyed the depictions of 19th century life contained in Caleb Carr's Alienist novels or Matthew Pearl's The Dante Club should appreciate this aspect of Devil in the White City. A much smaller portion of the book deals with the cunning Dr. H.H. Holmes, a mass murderer who exploited the draw of the nearby Fair for his own nefarious amusement.

While an examination of just the World's Fair itself probably would have made for an entertaining read, Larson's decision to chronicle the contemporaneous exploits of the infamous Dr. Holmes worked for me. Just as the brilliance of the Fair's White City was offered by its creators as a tantalizing alternative to the dreary, soot-stained reality of Chicago and 19th century life, Larson's juxtaposition of the noble, progressive potential of mankind as exemplified by the Fair with the darker, baser instincts of Holmes proved both riveting and illuminating.

Ultimately, Larson's tale is imultaneously uplifting and bittersweet. Even as one marvels at how Burnham and his fellow directors were able to create such majesty in such a short period of time and against such seemingly insurmountable obstacles, it's sad to think that so little remains of the White City and its environs. Fortunately, we have Larson's engaging tribute to transport us back in time to the Fair and provide us with a glimpse of what was truly a marvelous undertaking.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic - turn of the century Chicago
Review: As with Isaac's Storm, I was unable to put this book down. This is how history should be - without the boring textbook. This is the meat of history and it reads like fiction (of which I believe, someone else has remarked)- but it is true. The book gets 5 stars because my free time has turned into reading time.

Totally enthralling, this is the story of Chicago at the turn of the century - its squallor, and its changing landscape and the one man, it seems, who forged its inception into modern day history. I love Larson's research into characters and their impact on the situations. For me, the trials and tribulations of building the Columbian Exposition were more interesting than the sidebar of the serial murders. One serial murderers story is not so different from another's - really - other than name of the killer perhaps. The psychotic illness is just what it is. For those digging the serial murder stuff, read The Alienist which is superb historical fiction. I would also suggest Isaac's Storm, another superb Larson tale about the Galvaston Hurricane. Larson epitomizes great historical writing and proves that truth can be bigger than fiction, if presented well.

Rating:
Summary: Big book---worth the effort
Review: Big books seem to be back in style. It is hard to choose an all time monster but H.H. Holmes(Mudgett) surely rates right up there. This book was so unique because it was like reading two books at the same time.The author balanced the shocking behavior of the calculating murderer Holmes with some of the worlds greatest builders.A life long city dweller or just one who visits a big city will be astonished to learn just what went into Chicago's Columbian Exposition and certainly will never look at high rise buildings,Landscapes,and public parks again without thinking about this book.Before this book the likes of Burnham,Root,Olmstead and other Architect's and builders were just names of streets to most of us. Not any more.Thanks to a great deal of research by the Author.This book has something for everyone and is both shocking and delightful.Jack The Ripper,Richard Speck,John Wayne Gacy,Ted Bundy all shocked and sickened us but H.H.Holmes was clearly a monster for the ages. Would also highly recommend another great book I came across called THE BARK OF THE DOGWOOD-entertaining, frightening, laugh-out-loud funny, and well written.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to believe it's not fiction! Easy to recommend!
Review: Can the juxtaposition of a story about a serial killer and the 1893 Chicago's World Fair work? "The Devil in the White City..." proves it can.
Either tale, presented by an author as talented as Erik Larson, can make for compelling reading. The seemingly dubious decision to mix the two is a resounding success.
Meet Daniel H. Burnham, primary architect of the fair's white city. Meet H.H. Holmes, an outwardly charming, handsome man who lured, seduced and murdered dozens of young women. These two quite opposite, but equally intriguing personalities are fully revealed, as are numerous other characters (it was often hard to believe the book was NOT fiction). There are also guest appearances by various luminaries of the time such as Susan B. Anthony, Buffalo Bill, Grover Cleveland, Archduke Ferdinand and more.
An amazing time in U.S. History with an amazing assortment of people.
Larson presents the entire panorama of this pivotal period in the country's history while focusing on two main figures. One heroic (yet, like all of us, flawed) the other, outwardly so pleasant, yet at heart a veritable devil.
Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Pleasantly Surprised!
Review: I actually started reading this book because it was mentioned everywhere. The topic didn't sound terribly interesting at first, but I was immediately hooked! I learned some amazing things about notable figures and events that I never knew were missing from my life! The juxtaposition of the two stories was fascinating. The creepiness of the sociopath, Holmes, was tempered by the flashes into the logistics and stories of the fair. The two really balanced each other out and made for a very interesting and memorable read. Definitely check it out!

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Summary: Chock full of history
Review: I wasn't seeking this book out to read. I was in N.C. visiting a friend when I saw it in his place. He briefly told me what the book was about, so I read the opening pages. And then more, and then more. Eventually I asked if I could take it home and finish it. Before this book I never knew how big that fair was. How many odds were against the architects, that the Ferris wheel was born there and it was HUGE. I didn't know that on one day over 700,000 people attended the fair and A.C. electricity was born there. I didn't know who H.H. Holmes was, nor what he did. And I never knew his body lies 15 minutes from my house.

Rating:
Summary: waste of two great subjects
Review: I've sat through architecture lectures that were better prepared and more riveting than this dull recitation of facts. The characters never came alive, and the tenuous connection between the World's Fair and the serial killer were not enough to hold my interest. The total lack of drama makes the enjoyable detail of the Fair almost too hard to find. Don't kid yourself, there are better murder mysteries out there, and the only reason this book shot to the best seller list is the lure of Continuing Education Credits for the country's 75,000 architects.

Rating:
Summary: A time of change...a loss of innocence
Review: It is the last decade of the nineteenth century and the world is seeing a major change. The skyscrapers are now beginning to appear in the cities of America, with Chicago leading the way.

After the Paris World's Fair, in which the Eiffel Tower was unveiled to the wonder of all, that the United States had to try and top the Frech fair. Several cities bid and lobby for the opportunity, with Chicago winning. Now the leading architects were banding together to design, build, and operate a world's fair that will ahve to outdo the French.

The story involves the complex and consistently difficult task of building a world class fair. Larsen takes throught the process of who and how the fair was conceived, dsigned, and built. The main character in this effort is Daniel Burnham, a leading architect in Chicago (Burnham would design several key architectural buildings, including the Flatiron building in NYC). The story takes us through the entire process including the running of the fair. It is a facinating account, bringing the conditions of the times into focus. I enjoyed the side stories involving the other architects. John Root (Burnham's partner), Louis Sullivan, and even mentions Frank Llyod Wright. The talent at this time is incredible! The fair galvanizes the entire city and capitvates the world.

THe parallel story line involves pure evil. Henry Mudgett (aka H.H. Holmes) is a chronic liar and thief. It isn't until he arrives in Chicago that his true evil is brought out. During this period of time, I believe more people are familiar with the story of Lizzie Broden and the death of her parents. I am surprised I never really heard anything regarding Holmes. Holmes appears to be the first serial killer in America.

Larsen is able to capture the pure evil of Holmes and how he was able to control women and men with his charisma. It is truely disturbing.

Larsen alternates each chapter between the events of the fair and Holmes. At times this can be a little tedious, but I quickly got used to how the tale jumped back and forth between all of the characters.

While I recommend this book, it is not for the faint of heart. Holmes is truely a monster of the late nineteenth century and for all time.

Rating:
Summary: way too much detail.....
Review: our book club chose this - at least a few of the gals said they just couldn't get through it- and I made it to page 200 and just couldn't wait any longer for it to really hold my interest. The parts about Holmes were intriguing - sad that in those days there was no technology/means of tracking vanished people. Sorry, the general concensus of our group was a thumbs down.