The Devil In The White City - Murder, Magic, And Madness At The Fair That Changed America Review
This wasn't exactly what I expected. I expected the story of the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair to be just a backdrop to the story of the atrocities of serial killer Henry H. Holmes. It turns out that it was two separate stories that just happened to take place at the same time in the same city. At first I found the abrupt switching back and forth between the stories a little jarring, but I eventually became immersed in the narrative which was a tale of two architects - an architect of beauty and an architect of death.
Larson's contrast of the two charming and attractive men - one designing and building a castle of fear and death and the other designing and creating a city of awe and beauty - was fascinating. Surprisingly, I found the story of the Worlds Fair much more interesting than the story of the serial killer. The two main stories are also peppered with appearances from historical celebrities and other memorable news events from the period. Larson weaves primary source material such as newspaper articles, correspondence, contracts and other legal documents, and menus and programs from events to really bring the people and their stories to life.
I wasn't very impressed with Larson's writing style. He tended to be very repetitive. Either he didn't remember that he had already offered certain facts or observations before, or he has a very low estimation of his readers' intelligence. He also used foreshadowing verbiage throughout the two stories that was reminiscent of the script for the sensationalist television crime show "City Confidential". But Larson IS a good story-teller, and if you can overlook the repetition and his almost comical foreshadowing technique, you will enjoy this tale of two architects.
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i havent got it yet - marv -
I have waited for a month. Have been charged on my credit card and have never received the book.
An accomplishment - chloe - michigan
It's an accomplishment to finish this book. Occassionally, I felt like I was slogging through it, but it was redeemable enough to make me finish. I never would have read this book had it not been our book club pick of the month. I learned a lot....... Did I want to learn all that much???? I'm not sure. :)
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 29, 2010 13:00:06
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