The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Larson tells the disturbing story of Holmes and his murders with candid skill. I learned a lot and really cared about the people. I wanted Burnam to succeed. The Columbian Exposition must have been a thrill to see. Lots of famous names are included. Larson mentions several famous Americans, celebrities of the time, who visited the fair: Theodore Dreiser, Clarence Darrow, Annie Oakley, Buffalo...more

Larson tells the disturbing story of Holmes and his murders with candid skill. I learned a lot and really cared about the people. I wanted Burnam to succeed. The Columbian Exposition must have been a thrill to see. Lots of famous names are included. Larson mentions several famous Americans, celebrities of the time, who visited the fair: Theodore Dreiser, Clarence Darrow, Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill Cody, Helen Keller, Susan B. Anthony, ... Mark Twain almost made it. It also mentions that the Exposition was the source of many inventions well-known today: shredded wheat, the Ferris Wheel, cracker jacks, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Juicy Fruit, the zipper, and neon lights. I would have given the full five stars if their had been more pictures of the Exposition that weren't pictures of fire or destruction. Larson described it so well and with such love that I wanted to see more pictures. He provides very few.   hide

As an avid reader of historical non-fiction and true crime, this book has it all. Larson follows the struggles of architect Daniel Burnham to organize, sell, and design the great Chicago World's Fair of 1893. Far from being dry material, we are drawn into Burnham's personal life and the larger than life comedy/drama of this massive project. Set against this is the horrifying story...more

As an avid reader of historical non-fiction and true crime, this book has it all. Larson follows the struggles of architect Daniel Burnham to organize, sell, and design the great Chicago World's Fair of 1893. Far from being dry material, we are drawn into Burnham's personal life and the larger than life comedy/drama of this massive project. Set against this is the horrifying story of another Chicagoan, druggist and entrepreneur H.H. Holmes, who, at the same time, was building a hotel, apparently in anticipation of the coming tourist influx. We are witness to Holmes' real objective: to lure in and murder single women in his elaborately constructed death chamber and crematorium. Larson's writing is so exceptionally vivid and fluent, that I had to stop frequently and just admire his writing apart from the fascinating subject matter.   hide

This read like fiction, yet was dense with all kinds of little nuggets of history I just found fascinating. You have everything here: a serial killer, a ferris wheel, Annie Oakley, the Titanic, architecture, and a "Murder Castle." Some of the intricacies of putting every aspect of the Chicago fair together did leave me a bit cold, but the story of H.H. Holmes was freakish, and therefore...more

This read like fiction, yet was dense with all kinds of little nuggets of history I just found fascinating. You have everything here: a serial killer, a ferris wheel, Annie Oakley, the Titanic, architecture, and a "Murder Castle." Some of the intricacies of putting every aspect of the Chicago fair together did leave me a bit cold, but the story of H.H. Holmes was freakish, and therefore too interesting to put down. This sooo needs to be a movie because of the turn of the century visuals and the creepiness factor, but I fear someone would screw it up because rarely are books made into movies that do the book justice. If someone could do it though I would definitely want to see it.   hide

This book is a fascinating work of non-fiction centered around the creation of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. It brings to life many greats of American architecture as the first sky scrapers appeared and electricity was a novelty. I was most intrigued with landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted, who's dreamily romantic landscapes give no indication of his many struggles. This is a dual story...more

This book is a fascinating work of non-fiction centered around the creation of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. It brings to life many greats of American architecture as the first sky scrapers appeared and electricity was a novelty. I was most intrigued with landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted, who's dreamily romantic landscapes give no indication of his many struggles. This is a dual story that also tells of the activities of America's first known serial killer who found nothing but opportunity during this curious time and place in American history.   hide

A very interesting and compelling read as far as non-fiction goes. Larson tells two very different stories in close proximity, interweaving them with the tale of the Chicago fair. At times it reads more like a history book, but other portions full of detail save it from becoming boring. Still, I found myself skimming the portions about the architecture to learn more about Holmes. I highly...more

A very interesting and compelling read as far as non-fiction goes. Larson tells two very different stories in close proximity, interweaving them with the tale of the Chicago fair. At times it reads more like a history book, but other portions full of detail save it from becoming boring. Still, I found myself skimming the portions about the architecture to learn more about Holmes. I highly recommend it, even if you just want to learn something new about Chicago. One complaint/word to the wise: It bothered me that at times Larson made assumptions about Holmes' behavior just drawing from his diagnosis as a psychopath (or antisocial personality), such as saying he probably tortured animals as a child (with no record of it) or when he seems to show emotion, Larson says he was just faking it and was as cold as ever. Larson has the license to do as such in a book he is writing, especially since his assumptions are more than likely correct, however, he did not know Holmes and I think these assumptions could be dangerous in a different context. Fitting people into categories and then taking their behavior (or non-existent) behavior and trying to fit it into those categories is never a good idea.   hide

Love the story, but at many points I find there to be more facts included than necessary. I started reading this while still in college and the long winded-ness reminded me of writing a term paper and including unnecessary auxiliary data to help bulk it up. "I went to the effort to research ALL this, so I might as well include it all somewhere to prove how much research I did." I got about half...more

Love the story, but at many points I find there to be more facts included than necessary. I started reading this while still in college and the long winded-ness reminded me of writing a term paper and including unnecessary auxiliary data to help bulk it up. "I went to the effort to research ALL this, so I might as well include it all somewhere to prove how much research I did." I got about half way through but still haven't ever finished it... My curiosity didn't outweigh my impatience quite enough. I think this book would benefit from a good amount of editing.   hide

In general, a fascinating read. It's sometimes hard to imagine that the Columbian Exposition was held only 20 years after the Chicago Fire, and amidst a fierce explosion in the population fueled by the railroads and the Meatpacking industry. Larson explores this moment of opportunity - for Chicago to show itself to be a World Class City thanks to the efforts of Daniel Burnham, and for a...more

In general, a fascinating read. It's sometimes hard to imagine that the Columbian Exposition was held only 20 years after the Chicago Fire, and amidst a fierce explosion in the population fueled by the railroads and the Meatpacking industry. Larson explores this moment of opportunity - for Chicago to show itself to be a World Class City thanks to the efforts of Daniel Burnham, and for a random "doctor" to prey upon the shifting population and become a serial killer. While it may appear that these should have been two separate subjects, for Larson to explore the environment that let Holmes get away with this for so long, he had to discuss the building of the Fair. Yet, for him to demonstrate the precise environment of the Fair and the struggles of the city that created it, the story of H.H. Holmes is a perfect illustration of the seedy underside that was swept to the side when the World came to Jackson Park. The two stories, while separate, complement each other perfectly.   hide

Sadly, he makes some fundamental writing mistakes such as subject/verb tense agreement and things of that nature. Did anyone actually read his book before it went to print? The alternating chapters leave the reader feeling boggled and leads to flipping back to past chapters to refresh ones self. The two stories do intertwine to an extent that without the Worlds Fair, Holmes would have never had a...more

Sadly, he makes some fundamental writing mistakes such as subject/verb tense agreement and things of that nature. Did anyone actually read his book before it went to print? The alternating chapters leave the reader feeling boggled and leads to flipping back to past chapters to refresh ones self. The two stories do intertwine to an extent that without the Worlds Fair, Holmes would have never had a vast selection of victims. That is where the only connection lies and really nothing more. It was a nice book but some information was left out about Holmes’ life. Even basic information was left out that Wikipedia would enlighten upon. The average reader will not appreciate the proliferation of words used to fill pages about architectural techniques used.   hide

Devil in the White City a non-fiction is both entertaining and educational. The novel covers Chicago history, politics, the exploits of a serial murderer, project management and advancements in technology and architecture. The book focuses on two individuals, architect Daniel Burnham and Dr. H. H. Holmes a serial killer who are connected only by the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and...more

Devil in the White City a non-fiction is both entertaining and educational. The novel covers Chicago history, politics, the exploits of a serial murderer, project management and advancements in technology and architecture. The book focuses on two individuals, architect Daniel Burnham and Dr. H. H. Holmes a serial killer who are connected only by the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and Fair held in Chicago. Erik Larson’s evocative description transports the reader to what life was like in the late 19th century. The sheer impact the event and the individuals involved in putting together this visual bonanza had on America leaves us wishing that we had the opportunity to visit the exposition. The author’s use of two intertwining stories and thorough research makes this book a definite page turner.   hide