ktxx22's review against another edition
2.0
....when your video review before edits is over a minute 30 long..... I had a LOT to say. I feel like there was a lot of potential to tell either the story of HH Holmes, and or the Story of the Chicago Worlds Fair.... but to tell them in tandem, because they just so happened to occur at the same time in the same place is NOT enough for me. Both sides of this nonfiction book deserved more attention. I’ve read quite a few nonfiction books this year that handle 1 person or 1 event with detailed expertise. This book for me was lacking. Only giving it 2/5 and if you’d like a recommendation for an excellent, well detailed nonfiction book, Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard comes highly recommended. I will patiently be waiting for the H. H. Holmes book we need as a Serial Killer fan/community. This book is not that book.
alexabookish's review against another edition
not going to lie i heavily skimmed, and even skipped parts not about H H Holmes. also just do people know, this is a history book mostly about the world’s fair with some true crime, not a true crime book with some history.
jonwesleyhuff's review against another edition
4.0
I've been wanting to read this for years, and it really did not disappoint for the most part. It seems to be an exhaustively researched book (as evidenced by Larson's thorough notes at the back) and he treats the events with a refined sensibility. He's very masterful at leading the reader through the events that is both compelling and yet very restrained. For the portion of the book dealing with the grisly dealings of the serial killer H.H. Holmes, he often throws away the grisliest detail and, while not shying away from detail, does not linger on it in a tawdry way. I really appreciated this approach, as I'm not really a lover of true crime in particular. In fact, I haven't read much in the way of historical fiction. The lure of the story about the Colombian Exposition appealed to me as much (if not more, in some ways) than that of the terrible killings.
If I have any issues with the book, it's that Larson has some odd habits that can be distracting. Chief among them (as I indicated in my status notes along the way) is a need to call out people who have blue eyes. He mentions them non-stop. Not just the killer, but nearly everyone else in the book. If it's a gray, rainy day, you'll be sure that someone's blue eyes are mentioned as the only color. It seems a slightly strange obsession, and is fairly minor but not difficult to notice.
The book's greatest strength, the contrast between the White City of the exposition and the (vividly described) Black City of Chicago and the crimes H.H. Holmes committed there, could also be seen as one of it's failings. They are thematically linked, but if a reader was waiting for some great crescendo when they crossed paths they will be disappointed. That being said, this really did not bother me. I was very satisfied with the presentation.
If I have any issues with the book, it's that Larson has some odd habits that can be distracting. Chief among them (as I indicated in my status notes along the way) is a need to call out people who have blue eyes. He mentions them non-stop. Not just the killer, but nearly everyone else in the book. If it's a gray, rainy day, you'll be sure that someone's blue eyes are mentioned as the only color. It seems a slightly strange obsession, and is fairly minor but not difficult to notice.
The book's greatest strength, the contrast between the White City of the exposition and the (vividly described) Black City of Chicago and the crimes H.H. Holmes committed there, could also be seen as one of it's failings. They are thematically linked, but if a reader was waiting for some great crescendo when they crossed paths they will be disappointed. That being said, this really did not bother me. I was very satisfied with the presentation.
miriamberger's review against another edition
5.0
Couldn't put it down and read it in 1 week. Fascinating account of the world fair in Chicago in 1892-3 and of a serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims. Lots of interesting stories, character studies, descriptions of architecture And engineering and famous people of the time. Read like a novel.