Comments (121)

The Devil in the White City

Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
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Jan 27, 2024Wheelygrl rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Masterfully written and researched. This book is fascinating -- especially for Chicagoans and Chicago lovers.
Apr 26, 2023susan_findlay rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
When this book was recommended to me, it was suggested that it was a mix of "how the Chicago World Fair was built" and "serial killer prowling during the Chicago World Fair". Technically, it was - but the balance fell much more heavily on…
Feb 02, 2023katjespin rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Two books in one: the first, a detailed description of the plans, creation, and life of the World's Columbian Exposition, which started out very interesting and devolved into somewhat numbing lists of minutia and repeated…
Jan 23, 2023
chicago
Jan 15, 2023
I feel as though I ought to write two (or three) reviews of this book, because it consists of two (or three) stories: the creation of the Columbian Exposition of 1893, the murders committed by H.H. Holmes, and (peripherally) the…
Sep 25, 2022crazycatladyreads rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Larson does a great job of telling true stories that seem like fiction. Very engaging.
Sep 06, 2022Cidherman rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I really liked The DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY, but it took a while to get into it. It is a true story, based on a time frame that covers the planning phases, launch and aftermath of the Chicago World's Fair, held in the late…
Aug 26, 2022Sarta74 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I loved all the history and how Larson insinuates Holmes' murders. Lots of fun facts, and I greatly enjoyed how the story popped back and forth between the fair and Holmes' schemes, intertwining their stories. Very well written.
May 18, 2022avidFVreader rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Fascinating historical non-fiction. Recommended reading.
Apr 04, 2022oinkjones rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
If you're looking for a book about H. H. Holmes, this book isn't for you. If you want to learn about the 1893 Chicago World Fair, then this book is for you.
Mar 31, 2022ReadingAdviser_Sally rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
If you are super interested in the history of the World Fair in Chicago then you will love this book. If you wanted a detailed story about the infamous H.H Holmes... you will be disappointed like I was. The little gruesome bits and pieces…
Mar 10, 2022LibraryGuru1991 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
If you enjoy narrative non-fiction, then this is for you. An amazing deep dive into not only one of the most notoriously cruel serial killers H.H. Holmes, but also the impact the worlds fair had on America, and how different people took…
Feb 22, 2022Tdruid rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This amazing true story is absolutely excellent and highly recommended. The incredible feat of construction, plus the serial killer hiding in plain sight, are staggering and gripping. The photos from the Fair are priceless. I wish, like…
Jan 16, 2022IrishCoffee rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent writing and fascinating story about the building of the Chicago World Fair. The alternating chapters with the story about the serial killer operating before and during the fair were so horrifying that I often didn't feel like…
Nov 01, 2021JMarieGill31 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The dual storylines of this book will stay with you for a very long time--both are fascinating but in very different ways (a "creepy" fascinating and a "modern marvels" fascinating). The storylines weave and intersect masterfully and often…
Jul 22, 2021ellenorndorf rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This is another great book by Erik Larson. It tells the story of the Chicago World's Fair along side of the murderer H. H. Holmes. It makes me what to take a trip to Chicago to visit the site of the fair (Jackson Park). Several…
Feb 27, 2021TBrock3 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Be prepared. This is an in the weeds look at the World's Fair in Chicago. My family is from Chicago and this was an enlightening look at Chicago becoming a worldly city during those tumultuous years.
Dec 01, 2020Riesenrad rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I read only half - and then the end. There was too much detail about the building (and buildings) of the fair - it should have been shorter.
Oct 10, 2020KlayDyer rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
As a cultural historian in my past life, I came to this book with a predisposition to like it. Although Larson has clearly done his library and archival work, there are just too many things going on here to work effectively as a coherent…
Aug 24, 2020dgiard rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Serial killer Herman Webster Mudgett, a.k.a. H. H. Holmes was born in New Hampshire; educated in Vermont and Michigan; arrested, tried, and convicted in Philadelphia; and murdered people in multiple cities across North America. But he is…
Jun 29, 2020Obsolete rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Oh my god. This was all real? Yes it was. Certainly captured here is the Naked City aspect of Chicago. This serial killer was a trip. But the people and things inhabiting this time are also a bit of the legend variety. It's enough to…
Jun 14, 2020Inga57 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Erik Larson is a talented author who blesses us with non-fiction history that reads like a novel. 'Devil in the White City' is rich in detail, dripping in history and blood. Extra special for me as my great-grandfather emigrated from…
May 13, 2020klucero4 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
If you are looking for a fast-paced psychological thriller, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for an in-depth history lesson that focuses on the significance of the Chicago World Fair, with small glimpses into the life of…
May 13, 2020LAHscot rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
#3 Larson read of the pandemic
Apr 29, 2020rnaarnaa rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Not a fan. I felt misled by some of the reviews that this was a "nail-biting" riveting page-turner. It moved quite slowly - I skimmed over some parts (seriously, do I care about the menu from a dinner party?). I did learn a lot about the…