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Reviews tagging 'Death'
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
78 reviews
jennmichelle_otsr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
This was my first read by Mr. Larson. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is amazing how much effort the 1893 World’s Fair took to bring to life against a multitude of obstacles. The viewpoint pivots between that of architect Daniel Burnham and one of America’s earliest serial killers H. H. Holmes (one of many aliases). I will not spoil anything by listing the numerous figures you will recognize in the tome or the invention that “out-Eiffeled Eiffel’s Tower” from the Paris World Fair.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Medical content, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
boomwormbrittany's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
The Devil in the White City is a non-fiction book about the building of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the murders committed by H.H. Holmes during this World's Fair.
I thought this was a really interesting book to read. I had read The Splendid and the Vile before by Erik Larson and really enjoyed it. This was no different. I though this was a fantastic and interesting overview of both topics.
What I really loved about Erik Larson's books is that he writes them as if we are in the people's heads who helped created the World's Fair and in the head of H.H. Holmes which is a big unnerving. I thought that this had a really interesting overview of what went wrong and right at the fair. From the start it seemed to be an uphill battle to get the fair going let alone to the grandeur that it did become.
I was a little more interested in the H.H. Holmes aspect of this story because I've never seen a whole overview of his story before, just very brief snippets. I thought that Erik Larson did a fantastic job setting out this story and making us really feel for the victims of Holmes.
I would definitely say if you want an engaging and fascinating story about history around the World's Fair and Holmes, I would highly recommend this. If you want an interesting overview of history, definitely pick up any of Erik Larson's books.
I thought this was a really interesting book to read. I had read The Splendid and the Vile before by Erik Larson and really enjoyed it. This was no different. I though this was a fantastic and interesting overview of both topics.
What I really loved about Erik Larson's books is that he writes them as if we are in the people's heads who helped created the World's Fair and in the head of H.H. Holmes which is a big unnerving. I thought that this had a really interesting overview of what went wrong and right at the fair. From the start it seemed to be an uphill battle to get the fair going let alone to the grandeur that it did become.
I was a little more interested in the H.H. Holmes aspect of this story because I've never seen a whole overview of his story before, just very brief snippets. I thought that Erik Larson did a fantastic job setting out this story and making us really feel for the victims of Holmes.
I would definitely say if you want an engaging and fascinating story about history around the World's Fair and Holmes, I would highly recommend this. If you want an interesting overview of history, definitely pick up any of Erik Larson's books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
robinwritesallthethings's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
What It’s About: This is a dual narrative detailing the execution of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and the dealings of famous serial killer H. H. Holmes during the same time period. At first blush, the two topics don’t seem to go together, but it becomes clear throughout the story that Holmes likely wouldn’t have been able to accomplish everything he did in the city without the excitement and opportunities provided by the grand event.
Plot: Holmes is quite a well-known figure, but there is a lot of misinformation floating around about his exploits. This book is a very realistic accounting of his activities, leaving room for doubt where it’s necessary, but also speculating about moments no one possibly could have witnessed. While I thought I wouldn’t be as interested in the part about building the fair, I actually found it very compelling. Knowing all the facts, it’s shocking that there was ever a fair at all. It’s also apparent that Holmes’ portion by itself doesn’t actually take up much space. He was a consummate liar, so not a lot can be said about him that is verifiable. Adding the fair gives the history more weight and heft, and at the same time provides a necessary context for how Holmes escaped detection for so long. The advantage of combining both is also that they are complete, so there is resolution at the end of everything on all sides.
Research and Organization: The organization here is essentially chronological, and flips back and forth between the fair and Holmes when necessary to frame what he was doing while Chicago was focused elsewhere. Many primary sources are used and quoted, and when they are not available, copious research was used to recreate circumstances that were not observed.
Trigger Warnings: Because of the time that the book covers, you’ll encounter period-typical racism and sexism. There is a lot of poverty and general death, as well as the obvious murder because of one of the book’s subjects.
Final Thoughts: This was a more somber and less sensational true crime novel than others I’ve read, but ultimately, I feel like it worked. It was very informative, and sheds light on a crime spree that it’s likely just wouldn’t be possible today because of the way everything is connected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Torture, and Murder
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Miscarriage
thejessman's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Larson is a master of narrative history and here seamlessly interweaves the concurrent events of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and the infamous Dr. H.H. Holmes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
soythesauce's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.75
After an extremely slow start the story picks up quickly and takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions.
A must read for anyone that loves Modern day Chicago, Chicago history and/or serial killers.
Burnham is a genius and Chicago would not be the gorgeous city that it is today if it wasn’t for him and architects that were inspired by him.
A must read for anyone that loves Modern day Chicago, Chicago history and/or serial killers.
Burnham is a genius and Chicago would not be the gorgeous city that it is today if it wasn’t for him and architects that were inspired by him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Blood, and Murder
ottolee's review against another edition
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
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
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.0
Though this book has caught my eye in bookstores, I went into it somewhat blindly. I knew it involved H.H. Holmes, but I didn’t anticipate everything else it included.
Rich with Chicago history, this book discusses the lives of H.H. Holmes and Daniel H. Burnham with a large focus on the World’s Fair.
Honestly… this was a weird mix with only a slight element connecting the two along with the overall setting of Chicago. While, yes, I did find the book interesting, I was also overwhelmed with the amount of information coming at me. This was very much two separate books with one being more built on fact and the other built on a lot of speculation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Racism, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury
julziez's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Abortion, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
ame_why's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
mariakureads's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
3.5
I am so happy to say I finally finished this one!
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Torture, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment