The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The story follows two separate plot lines; both of young, handsome, and successful young men trying to make a name for themselves during the creation of the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Burnham is the brilliant architect in charge of bringing the fair to life, and Holmes is a charming serial killer, using the appeal of the fair and his good looks to lure young women. As Burnham’s completion of the fair draws nearer and nearer and the number of murders mounts, Holmes becomes closer and closer to being caught.
To be honest, the bits of the architecture were slow until the middle, but the murder aspect was enthralling. However, I do think that this was an accurate representation of the timing of events. It also gave me a new look into an important time in history that is not really taught in class.
Although it is technically non-fiction, my favorite part about the book is that it feels like fiction. Larson incorporates facts as though he is weaving a story. Plus, it feels like a piece of fiction just because the story seems too crazy to be true. Much of the book is references to research and paraphrasing, but frequently Larson uses quotations from true accounts. This makes for an unbelievable story that I would definitely recommend. ~ Student: Madison M.
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