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This book fails in nearly every way. It fails miserably in multiple aspects.
... as History -- The book's cover classifies Eric Larson's The Devil in the White City as History. Larson tries hard to claim this category in his note, "Evils Imminent," positioning his book firmly in the realm of fact. But this is far from being a proper history book. While it does tell a basic story of historical events, there is very little of the historian's touch in Larson's writing. There is an excessive amount of unfounded speculation, making it difficult for a discerning reader to trust that much of what is presented is fact.
... as True Crime -- There is not enough focus on the "Devil" or his crimes in Devil in the White City to classify it as a "true crime" story. It also doesn't deserve the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime that it received. Only about a quarter of the book is dedicated to the murders of Herman Mudgett, a.k.a. Dr. H.H. Holmes, and Larson's treatment of these murders is both highly biased and rather lazy. It's clear that Larson had a preconceived notion of Holmes as the embodiment of evil, and this bias affects most of his descriptions. Moreover, there is little effort to offer new insights into the discussion of Holmes' crimes.
... as Fiction -- So, how does this work as a novel? Unfortunately, not at all. Although it's evident from the first page that a novel is what Larson should have been writing with this material. A modern-day, crime-focused James Michener could have turned this "true life" tale into a captivating exploration of how we perceive "crimes" in society, using the contrast between Holmes' murders and the hardships associated with the building of the World's Columbian Exposition. Instead, Larson chose to write gossip, which was an unfortunate decision.
... as Gossip -- Even as gossip, Larson's book falls short. His HLN style journalism lacks immediacy. Who really cares about all these long-dead architects, cultural icons, forgotten politicians, and serial killers? Maybe dilettantes and experts in those fields, but those who truly care about these figures are seeking real knowledge and understanding, not just gossip.
... as Capitalist Propaganda -- Another aspect of this book is Larson's heavy-handed attempts to promote the greatness and goodness of Capitalism. Here, I believe, lies Larson's motivation for including the crimes of H.H. Holmes in a book that is supposed to be about the construction of the World's Columbian Exposition. By contrasting the "evil" of a serial killer with the building of the fair, Larson hopes to make us see the "good" in the enterprise. However, there is no subtlety in this approach, and his purpose is blatantly obvious.
There is one way in which Devil in the White City succeeds, though. It succeeds as a potential treatment for an HBO mini-series produced by Tom Hanks for Martin Scorsese. Writing those words made me check IMDb, and I discovered that a movie is indeed in production, with Leonardo Dicaprio involved as a producer and possibly even playing the role of serial killer H.H. Holmes. I'm not surprised. A film that sacrifices accuracy for visceral entertainment is exactly what Devil in the White City should be. Popcorn, here I come. If I had expected that going into this book, I might have enjoyed it more.
... as History -- The book's cover classifies Eric Larson's The Devil in the White City as History. Larson tries hard to claim this category in his note, "Evils Imminent," positioning his book firmly in the realm of fact. But this is far from being a proper history book. While it does tell a basic story of historical events, there is very little of the historian's touch in Larson's writing. There is an excessive amount of unfounded speculation, making it difficult for a discerning reader to trust that much of what is presented is fact.
... as True Crime -- There is not enough focus on the "Devil" or his crimes in Devil in the White City to classify it as a "true crime" story. It also doesn't deserve the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime that it received. Only about a quarter of the book is dedicated to the murders of Herman Mudgett, a.k.a. Dr. H.H. Holmes, and Larson's treatment of these murders is both highly biased and rather lazy. It's clear that Larson had a preconceived notion of Holmes as the embodiment of evil, and this bias affects most of his descriptions. Moreover, there is little effort to offer new insights into the discussion of Holmes' crimes.
... as Fiction -- So, how does this work as a novel? Unfortunately, not at all. Although it's evident from the first page that a novel is what Larson should have been writing with this material. A modern-day, crime-focused James Michener could have turned this "true life" tale into a captivating exploration of how we perceive "crimes" in society, using the contrast between Holmes' murders and the hardships associated with the building of the World's Columbian Exposition. Instead, Larson chose to write gossip, which was an unfortunate decision.
... as Gossip -- Even as gossip, Larson's book falls short. His HLN style journalism lacks immediacy. Who really cares about all these long-dead architects, cultural icons, forgotten politicians, and serial killers? Maybe dilettantes and experts in those fields, but those who truly care about these figures are seeking real knowledge and understanding, not just gossip.
... as Capitalist Propaganda -- Another aspect of this book is Larson's heavy-handed attempts to promote the greatness and goodness of Capitalism. Here, I believe, lies Larson's motivation for including the crimes of H.H. Holmes in a book that is supposed to be about the construction of the World's Columbian Exposition. By contrasting the "evil" of a serial killer with the building of the fair, Larson hopes to make us see the "good" in the enterprise. However, there is no subtlety in this approach, and his purpose is blatantly obvious.
There is one way in which Devil in the White City succeeds, though. It succeeds as a potential treatment for an HBO mini-series produced by Tom Hanks for Martin Scorsese. Writing those words made me check IMDb, and I discovered that a movie is indeed in production, with Leonardo Dicaprio involved as a producer and possibly even playing the role of serial killer H.H. Holmes. I'm not surprised. A film that sacrifices accuracy for visceral entertainment is exactly what Devil in the White City should be. Popcorn, here I come. If I had expected that going into this book, I might have enjoyed it more.
