Utterly gripipng
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Having spent the summer with my head deep in a book almost every day, I was expecting nothing out of the ordinary when I picked up this one, my first encounter with Erik Larson.
After the first two chapters, I was gripped and taken back to the late 1800s in Chicago with the World Fair and one of the USs most prolific mass murderers, Holmes.
Larson has a knack and writing style that means you cannot put his books down after a page, or indeed a chapter, and you'll find yourself engrossed until you reach the end, and then left gasping for more.
For anyone who has an interest in history, America, murderers or just a refreshingly good read, then you need to call in sick for a day and pick this one up.
The only downside is that you'll find yourself back on Amazon ordering Larsons remaining titles which are equally engrossing and just as hard to put down.
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A story about great architects (and project management for dummies)
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The book tells the story behind the World Fair in Chicago in 1893. It alternates between two story lines: the one of the serial killer Holmes, and the one of the organizers of the fair with the architect Daniel Burnham as the protagonist. It is very well researched - see the impressive list of references at the back - which was a major attraction point for me. The author even clarifies which of the (few) elements in the story were unverifiable and thus pure fiction. Scientists will love this. The underlying research never gets in the way of the story though (hooray).
I was captivated by the look behind the scenes: how the Chicago won the organization of the fair, the subsequent delays in setting up an organizing team and the disasters during the building of the Fair's buildings and exhibitions. It shows how even those to be considered the best in their field don't realize major achievements without their deal of stress and problem solving (and being extremely pragmatic when deadlines come close). In fact, this book is a must-read for project managers and entrepreneurs alike.
As far as the killings of Dr. Holmes are concerned, a Belgian cannot help but see the striking parallels with the Dutroux case about 100 years later, such as building a house specifically designed to kill unnoticedly (remember Dutroux' cellar where he hid the little girls). Also the debate on the faulty functioning of the police force in the aftermath of the killings bears a close resemblance to the Belgian case. Some things never change.
If you're interested in Chicago, architecture and want to read an upbeat story on how sound ambition leads to landmark achievements (& how it doesn't come easy), read this book.
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Courtesy of Teens Read Too
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In 1893, Chicago was gearing up for its shining moment on the international stage. The city had been selected to host the World's Fair, beating out New York and a number of other American contenders. A prominent local architect, Daniel Burnham, had taken the reins to organize and construct the massive project. He assembled a dream team of architects, landscapers, engineers, and other professionals to help pull the fair together. Certainly Chicago could outdo the Paris Fair, which had been a worldwide success years earlier.
Unfortunately for Burnham and his team, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Due to a lack of organization and bickering among the committees responsible for the fair, construction began far later than it should have. Partially completed buildings blew over and burned down. Union workers threatened strikes. One sideshow act showed up a year early, while another (which was believed to be made up of cannibals) killed the man sent to retrieve them and never showed up at all. And there was a monster on the loose. A man who used the chaos of Chicago at this time in history to conceal the murders of dozens of people - many of them young, single women. A man who constructed a building with stolen money, then used the building as a slaughterhouse to lure, kill, and dispose of his victims.
THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY is a terrific book. It is nonfiction, but it reads like a novel. The real-life details of this story seem almost too bizarre to be true, yet this is one example of the old saying that "truth is stranger than fiction." The author, Erik Larson, even includes a lengthy section at the back where he documents his facts and explains his suppositions.
The book's chapters alternate between the World's Fair and the exploits of serial killer, Dr. H.H. Holmes. I found myself enjoying both stories, as they ran parallel throughout the book. The Herculean task of putting together the fair in record time was fascinating, and the sociopathic actions of Dr. Holmes were chilling. It made for a brilliant contrast - just when the frustrations of the Fair seemed overwhelming, the book switched to Dr. Holmes as he lured yet another young woman into his web. And just when Dr. Holmes' evil seemed too much to bear, the chapter would end and the reader would be back at the World's Fair dealing with political back stabbing, instead of Holmes' more literal variety.
I rarely read nonfiction, but this book came highly recommended to me, so I gave it a try. I'm so glad I did, too. It offers a wonderful historical perspective on Chicago and the world near the close of the 19th century. For a Chicago-area native like me, its frequent mentions of famous local names, like Burnham and Adler and Marshall Field, that still grace street signs and the sides of buildings, were an added treat. Just a brief word of warning, though: it does contain some of the dreaded "adult themes." Some of Dr. Holmes' crimes are described - although not too graphically - and they might be upsetting for "younger or more sensitive" readers.
I strongly recommend THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY to anyone who enjoys an engrossing, well-written story, whether they normally read fiction or nonfiction. In particular, if readers have a book report in school, this book should be considered. It makes history come alive.
Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan
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Don't start it if you're busy!
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This looks like a novel, and indeed reads like a novel, and several times I had to check that it really is not a novel! I have never before read a factual book that cracks along at such a pace. Very easy to read, yet very descriptive.
This is the story of two men: one, perhaps the leading American architect of his time, and the second, perhaps the most terrible serial killer known at that time. The Architect, Daniel H. Burnham, had the task of creating in Chicago the largest, most visionary World's fair ever, eclipsing even the famed Paris fair of 1889. The killer, H. H. Holmes, used the attraction of the fair to lure young women to their doom. Burnham fought against beauracracy, politics and personallity clashes, to say nothing of terrible weather and the death of his business partner, to build the greatest, most beautiful exposition imaginable. Holmes cheated workmen to build a hotel and terrible torture chamber, into which he drew young women to their deaths.
I really enjoyed this book, far more than I expected to. It is difficult to put down, as the author, in the style of a novelist compels the reader to read the next page. Before reading the book, I did not even know of the Chicago Exposition of 1893, but so descriptive is the writing, that by the end I was absolutely facinated by it, so much so, that I felt compelled to learn more. Here lies the only negative aspect of the book; it has very few pictures. I found photographs of the fair on the internet, which show the most beautiful, glorious buildings which housed the exhibits, and I felt that the book lacked much in not showing them. For this reason, I knocked off a star. If a few pictures had been included, then I would definitely have awarded this with 5 stars.
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Really enjoyable
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The Devil in the White City might sound as if it's a novel, but is actually the true story of how Chicago won the chance to put on the World's Fair in 1893. Not only that, but the catalogue of disasters that went on during its construction and all the associated bickering!
The story is told from the viewpoint of Daniel Burnham, an architect but also from the viewpoint of HH Homes, an opportunist who used the fair to lull young girls into his grasp!
I did really enjoy this book although I found the first 200 pages a little slow due to all the detail about the construction etc. However, I never felt that I should give up and the second half whips along at a cracking pace.
I did feel it was a shame that there were not more photographs, especially as the book discusses the amount of people bringing cameras to the fair.
Recommended.
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