The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
My main bone of contention with this book is that it should have been titled "The White City, Featuring The Devilish H.H. Holmes." It really a historical account of the work (and people) that went into the creation of the Chicago World Fair in the late 1800s, rather than a focus on H.H. Holmes.
That being said, I really did enjoy this book. As someone who generally only reads fiction, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the architectural sections of the book held my interest. Erik Larson was able to draw me in with interesting facts about the hardships experienced in the making of the Fair (including the many deaths - some by mysterious circumstances), and a dive into the personalities of the people who put it all together. In the Notes section at the end, the author makes it clear that he wanted to unveil the parallels between the pride needed to build such a memorable and phenomenal Fair and the ambition and evil needed by H.H. Holmes to pursue his disturbing interests. This goal, Larson most certainly achieved.
I was admittedly slower in reading this piece because the chapters pertaining to H.H. Holmes were smaller and more infrequent than the ones about the creation of the Fair. However, every time I picked the book back up, I was enthralled by what was being presented.
So, if you're thinking about reading this, my recommendation to you is to go in knowing you're going to get a sordid history about the Chicago World Fair and its components with a sprinkling of a story behind the serial killer who haunted its proximity.
Don’t want to miss anything on the site? Sign up for our newsletter HERE
Want more spooky reads? Just search below.
