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Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
29 reviews
jennmichelle_otsr's review against another edition
5.0
Larson’s tone and style remind me of Kate Moore’s prose. The story is simply laid out for the reader in a narrative style instead of a typical drier nonfiction style. I find this type of book more my speed for nonfiction.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Medical content, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
ottolee's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Cultural appropriation
oceanwriter's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Racism, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury
julziez's review against another edition
2.75
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Abortion, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
mariakureads's review against another edition
3.5
It's been on my TBR since who knows when and after a few starts and stops, I'm done.
Larson wrote a very detailed, and I do mean very, account of the Chicago's World Fair, the atmosphere and history of the time, as well as the serial killer hiding amongst, the glitz, dirt, toils, glamour that the Fair brought to the city at the time.
The book involves a large set of people, all oddly enough interlocked in different ways and avenues and Larson explored and provided so many facts through his meticulous research that at different points were not only quotes provided, but newspaper clippings, menus, images, and witness accounts which some were interesting and others felt staid and dry and I lost interest at different parts of the book.
At times so factual that when the alternative chapters of the serial killer, H.H. Holmes, were introduced, it would sometimes grab my attention for a few pages but it felt odd as I was thrown off a few times by the pacing especially the further I read on to find that while the World's Fair and Holmes were in the same city, there was nothing concrete to tie them together since Holmes was adamant that he didn't do anything or was guilty of such killings—that the disappearances were a happenstance, surely, by his account.
Larson is a great researcher, this I'm sure of, and gave me so much new information specific to the fair and all the people, some later becoming famous in their own right, that all in all, while I had a few disconnects, the book is a solid read.
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Torture, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
dobermaier's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
psdarlin's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Kidnapping, and Colonisation
Minor: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
eliya's review against another edition
3.5
i started on sept 7th and MAN did it slow me down. took me 11h 46m to read and i was not very motivated to read it, but once you get in the groove it reads like gossip.
some people don’t recommend doing the audiobook and reading at the same time but i honestly do recommend it. there are some differences in the wording, some paragraphs added or taken out here and there, but it felt like i got the full recounting.
the author is very clever in the way he kind of leaves little foreshadowing clues - toward the end i think i was a little over the “that was… until” type of wording from him though. omnipresent in the most educated way lol. felt very much like i was living it // a work of fiction rather than an amalgamation of random facts here and there.
really enjoyed learning about the chicago fair, crazy how many things were just accepted because of the time. i would not have like to be apart of that time lol.
i made so many notes reading this lol there were so many fun facts that felt so important i’m glad - really glad - i read this but MAN i’m also glad it’s over
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content and Terminal illness
rachelsheplak's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Abortion, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
sometimes_samantha_reads's review against another edition
4.5
My sister in law recommended this to me. I'm not usually into true crime, but if its paced like this and narrated by Tony Goldwyn, I'm all for it! The parallel stories of Burnahm and Holmes was fascinating and I learned so much. The story was chilling but I kept listening to satisfy the morbid curiosity. I learned that Holmes is supposedly buried less than 30 minutes from where I live, which is wild.
I think I'll try to seek out more audiobooks. I quite liked Tony Goldwyn's narration so I think I'll start there.
Graphic: Child death, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Grief, and Gaslighting