3 "fascinating but somehow lacking" stars !

2015 Most Average of Average Award

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. This was history made accessible but almost too accessible and readable to the detriment of depth and perhaps some additional analysis.

This is a book that ties together (rather loosely) the development and execution of the Chicago World Fair in the 1890s and a sociopathic doctor serial-killer. The stories were not treated equally and at times the emphasis on the design and development of the architecture of the fair overshadowed the story of the doctor who was at times presented as an after-thought.

To Mr. Larson's credit he took a wealth of information and presented it in an easily understandable style that read like a very long and pretty good Vanity Fair article. I, however, as a reader was not wholly satisfied and the two stories were not treated equally and sometimes the connections seemed rather loose and haphazard.

All in all, though, I enjoyed this book and will read further books by Mr. Larson.

There's a lot I liked about the book, and there were a lot I didn't like. Ultimately, what I liked was stronger than what I didn't like, so let's start there - things that bothered me:

* First, it’s clear an enormous amount of research went into this book. It’s obvious because the author is painstakingly explicit with every single detail. The book could probably have been shortened by a third and more exciting and effective a story by that much or more, had he or his editor done their job with editing. There were a lot of people who were discussed and played no part in furthering the tales. They could’ve been, should’ve been removed. In fact, he probably should’ve written a second book with all these extra facts. I would’ve read that book too and probably enjoyed both better.

* Secondly, the heroic treatment of Wild Bill Cody and Susan B Anthony - two renowned racists (though Cody was purportedly reformed of it later in life). While it wasn’t acknowledged as racism back then, the writer could have still reported on their grandeur and celebrity without the celebrated tone used throughout every time he mentioned these two, in the same manner he mentioned Teddy Roosevelt - just as a matter of fact. Or at the very least, I would’ve appreciated a mention or sign at all that writer was aware of their racism - the recessional would’ve been a perfect place for it. Maybe he didn’t know, but given the extensive research he did for the book, I’d be surprised if that was true.

* Next, my biggest objection - he recreated a lot of scenes for our imagination, and presumably based on true witness accounts and records. But there are a lot of scenes where he clearly took artistic license and assumed how people felt, since only the victims could actually tell us what they were experiencing (like the monologues that were running through in their minds of how he’d react once their Holmes realized what a terrible mistake he’d made in “accidentally” trapping them in a room, for example), and none of the victims actually survived to say so. It was the same as he narrated Holmes’ own deepest thoughts, motivations, and feelings, though it’s possible he discovered some of those in his research, but somehow, I’m not convinced all of it was from his research. While it makes for good storytelling, it makes me question the truthfulness of the rest of the book.

* Lastly, along the lines of editing and the embellishment, I personally would’ve preferred better transitions between the two main storylines (Holmes and Burnham, who was really the primary supporting player in the book, in my opinion, as were everyone else). I’d be tracking the story and even enjoying large parts of it and then would have to shift to the other - one story being full of dark evil and the other full of minutiae and stress. It was hard to stay focused.

What I liked about the book:

* Lots of little stories that were actually sweet and didn’t detract from the rest of the book but actually enhanced it - like the impact of the fair on Helen Keller and the man who invented the Braille typewriter, the Disney family, Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Baum and others, as well as the inventions and innovations that were agricultural, architectural, and technological and which have touched much of our daily lives in it US. These were nice tidbits the book could’ve done without but which imbued it with a touch of charm.

* All the dialogue he recreated, based on (I presume) actual records since they were being quoted. The manner he did If in could’ve been dry, but he wrote the story around the quotes so that it was an actual retelling that will certainly make it a much easier mini series to make because if it (Martin Scorsese is in production).

* The photographs

* His own admission of how he wrote the scenes for Holmes in his notes.

Something I couldn’t understand. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but he kept describing Holmes as handsome so much that I expected to see someone exceedingly handsome of Hollywood proportions when I googled him. You’ll need to do it for yourself. I find nothing at all appealing in his physical appearance. So again, I find myself questioning the author’s judgement

I. COULD. NOT. GET. INTO. THIS. BOOK.

I tried. I tried again. Nope. Nada.
I am the outlier. I acknowledge that fact. However, my review must reflect how I see it.

The architectural aspect of building the Chicago World's Fair was just too much of a laborious read:
too wordy,
too tedious,
too many characters,
too many extraneous and non-essential details,
too much boring dialogue.

The serial killer at The World's Fair was the parallel plot, but MUCH ( if not most) of the narrator's perspective was fictionalized. The serial killer portion was not documented and, therefore, not reliable or compelling AT ALL.

I was so disappointed I did not like it. It is NOT in the true crime genre. DNF

The White City is the Chicago Columbia Exposition, a world fair in which all the buildings were painted white; the time the late 1800s during the fair; the Devil is a serial killer. Yet this is a non-fiction book. Larson has written a very informative as well as entertaining story. The Columbian Exposition was a very big deal. Chicago had vied for the honor of presenting a world’s fair, and when they were selected the energy of the famed slaughterhouse city was put to the wheel. There are many personalities involved, not least Daniel Burnham, one of the top architects of his day and the coordinator of the entire project design. He brought in Frederick Law Olmstead and many other top architects. Chicago was determined to outdo the French, whose world fair in Paris had been a triumph, introducing, among other things, the Eiffel Tower, and mass use of alternating current. Larson describes the conflicting and outlandish personalities of the time, and makes us marvel that the thing ever actually got done. The Chicago Exposition introduced some significant items of its own, not least of which was a very progressive notion of city planning, for the enterprise required attention to a multitude of facets simultaneously in order to come to fruition. One of the structures built was then the largest building in the world. The fair introduced Mister Ferris’ first working wheel. The Disney family attended and the fair may have inspired Walt to a development of his own. Buffalo Bill made millions with his entertainment just outside the fair gates (The fair had not allowed him to be a part of the show inside). Weather was a formidable opponent to the construction, as was the state of the economy, namely plummeting.

Counterbalancing the travails and triumphs of creating the fair, the Devil of the title was a young man named Holmes (no, not Sherlock). He had a very winning way with people, particularly creditors and attractive young women. He had some flaws however. Among them was a complete inability to empathize with anyone. He was an extreme example of what we refer to today as a psychopath. He set up shop in Chicago about that time, acquired some property and constructed on it a building of his own design. It was called The Castle, and one might be forgiven for imagining it with lightning bolts blasting stormy skies. For it was here that he murdered untold numbers of people, women, men, children. He designed the building to incorporate a space in which he could trap and gas people. He also allowed for his need to incinerate the bodies without releasing much aroma. His charm kept the suspicious at bay. Eventually, of course, he was found out and brought to justice, but not until he had slain somewhere between 50 and 200 people.

Larson peppers the book with dozens of satisfying factoids, about the people he is describing and about the times. It was, despite some of the darker subject matter, a very engaging, informative, and yes, fun read.

4.5 stars. Who knew the Chicago fair could be so interesting? Not me!

The Devil in The White City is a fascinating study of the genius of two men and how they applied that genius. At first I was worried that the book would be too gory but most of the details are left to the imagination.

However, the Fair is what captivated me. How these men managed to build such beauty and excitement with limited time, funds and a less than favorable location, is amazing. I live in Milwaukee, about a hour and a half from Chicago and I know this area well, that brought it home to me a lot. The descriptive writing painted a picture of the dazzling buildings as well as the many famous visitors. The Ferris Wheel was such an engineering feat that it's hard to believe that it all worked, sustaining the incredible weight of the cars and the people. The writing is absolutely superb and I could not put this book down. Afterward I spent many hours on the internet searching for photographs from the fair and was amazed to view it, it was even more spectacular than I had imagined. Strangely the Chicago Museum has very little on the Fair and the development of the Ferris Wheel.

There was so much to learn from this book about this time period when Chicago struggled to prove itself and it did! As described in the book I'm sure it was depressing to see the fair end and go back to a regular life, particularly during those economically distressed time. The killings and plotting of H. Holmes were a tremendous shock to the 1800's society. I shiver to think how callous we have now become to such crimes.

I will highly recommend this book to everyone who loves great writing and particularly to lovers of historical fiction.

I'm the first reader to say that I'm not a huge nonfiction fan. I have read a little but mostly it included memoirs or young adult (daughters assigned readings). I mostly let the hubby do the heavy lifting (reading nonfiction) and he tells me the interesting parts. So, without further hesitation, I say thank you Mr. Larson. You have made this fiction junkie love your NF account. Highly recommend this fascinating account of the Chicago Worlds Fair and the serial killer amongst them. 5 huge, exclamation point stars!!!!!

Update: this could be interesting
http://mentalfloss.com/article/502530...

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson is a 2003 publication.

Astounding!

I recently read a review of this book online, which reminded me that I had a copy of it on my bookshelf. I was sure I had already read this book- albeit a long time ago- but I had not added it to any of my online book sites, which prompted an internal debate with myself – did I- or did I not read this book or did I maybe have it confused with another book I'd read about H.H. Holmes?

As it turns out, I had read it- but it was so long ago many of the details had faded from my memory. Since I had not added the book to any of my online book sites, and I wanted to get a review up for it, I decided a refresher was in order.

To be clear, this is a true crime book about H. H. Holmes, but it's much more that- it's also about a time, a place, a huge event in history, and those who brought it all together. It's a horrifying story, but also a fascinating one.

Larson is quite something, isn’t he? The research is, of course, phenomenal, but it’s the way he makes history come to life that kept me turning those pages.

The book reads like a novel, which, as we know, is an approach many True Crime authors have mastered, but is a bit harder to pull off when writing about history. Anyone who feels history or nonfiction is too dry should give this book a try!

Larson had me in the palm of his hand and despite my penchant for True Crime, it was the planning and execution of the magnificent World Fair that takes center stage. The architecture, all the vivid details, the people behind the scenes, and the influx of people into the city was just incredible.

But evil was lurking in the background and the fair turned out to be the perfect environment for a serial killer- H. H. Holmes- to be exact.

Holmes was most assuredly the stuff nightmares are made of!! He got away with so much, for such a long time, it was hard to take it all in!! Times were so different back then too- which made it easier for Holmes to con a more trusting public.

Overall, Larson has a unique approach, and a well organized presentation, bringing together two seemingly different subjects, and linking them together in such a way that one can hardly tear themselves away from the pages.

That’s a rare talent for historical writing. I highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys true crime and history, of course, but even if you usually prefer fiction, you’ll probably still find this book of great interest!!


4.5 stars

Ferris wheels, Cracker Jacks, Buffalo Bill and a serial killer!

As Chicago entered the final decade of the 19th century, it was a black city with a black heart, a figurative and literal pig sty run by a civil administration rife with graft and dominated by the stink of the pig slaughtering industry that was run by the local equivalent of capitalist robber barons. In a shocking affront to New York City's insufferable sense of superiority, Chicago's city fathers somehow won the right to host the 1893 World Fair. Despite the astonishing crime rates, the filth, the brothels, the sewage, the dirt, the overwhelming stench of the local pork packing factories and the noise and smoke of railways right in the center of the city, they were determined to prove to themselves, to a spiteful and jealous New York, to the USA and, indeed, to the world that they were a modern city, that they could put together an exposition of architectural beauty and technological marvels that could best the recent bravura performance in Paris that showcased the astonishing Eiffel Tower.

THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY is, in fact, two stories. The first is the story of the Herculean efforts and undoubted success of architect, Daniel H Burnham, in designing and creating the 1893 Columbian Exposition, a World's Fair that did indeed meet and exceed every expectation and lofty dream that even the most hopeful of Chicago's citizens might have envisioned. Unlike so many authors of non-fiction material, Erik Larson has put together a story that reads like a novel. We learn that the 1893 World's Fair hosted the unveiling of such myriad US innovations as Cracker Jacks, the Ferris wheel and shredded wheat. The engineers and architects responsible for building the fair were also instrumental in leading the USA to the choice of an electrical system based on AC current. We witness dignitaries and leaders from around the world have their breath taken away as they attend a fair that indeed showcases the US entry into the technology of the 20th century. Appearances from the likes of Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley make Larson's exciting story even more colourful.

The second story is one of black, sinister evil that, at least in a metaphorical sense, contrasts with the uniform blinding white exterior of the magnificent structures that graced the grounds of the fair. Dr H.H. Holmes, born Herman Webster Mudgett, arguably the first documented American serial killer, opened a hotel very close to the fair. "Hotel" is a very charitable description of the building. In fact, it was a killing ground, a house of horrors equipped with a crematorium, gas chambers, surgical dissection tables, air tight vaults to torture and suffocate his victims. While the official count says that the charismatic and multiply bigamous Holmes was responsible for 27 murders, some estimates run as high as 200.

From the point of view of creating an amazing story, Larson's decision to juxtapose two such different topics was brilliant - black and white, the magic and beauty of the fair contrasted with the evil and horror of a killer, light versus dark and hope versus despair. The story of Holmes' astonishing ability to get away with so much for so long is even an interesting contrast against the ultimate dogged pursuit of the evidence that would ultimately convict him.

One of the editorial reviews of this books says:

"Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that The Devil in the White City is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel."

Indeed, I read another review which made it quite clear that the author of the review had indeed suffered from this misunderstanding. The point is, of course, that Erik Larson has done his work that well. Interesting, informative and exciting, THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

What a fascinating tale! Larson brilliantly puts history in context while weaving for us a spellbinding story from our past. The saying is so true: "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Human nature remains a constant. I loved learning about the fair, all of the wonders that were present there -- like Juicy Fruit gum -- and the influence the architecture choices had on cities afterward. When reading books like this, it is such a treat to see all the lives that intersect, for example the famous women who were at the fair: Jane Addams, Susan B. Anthony and Annie Oakley to name a few. The part H.H. Holmes played is diabolical and I cannot believe I have never heard of him before. He makes Jack the Ripper look like a rank amateur. Highly recommended!

Utterly compelling.

In my book Erik Larson is “the master “ at making non- fiction readable. This story about the construction of the 1893 World’s Fair site in Chicago and the dark workings of Dr. H H Holmes a charismatic serial killer( shudder) at the time was just a fascinating read.
5 stars- read for Everyone Has Read This