roseybot's review against another edition
4.0
Over all, extremely interesting and well researched. I was really interested in what was happening and the story of the whole thing. Definitely worth a look.
That being said, I'm not a huge fan of non-fiction historical fiction where it's told as a story, with dialogue and fanciful imaginings of what was thought. It makes me feel really uncomfortable to have someone giving me the information that they have no way of knowing. Characters can have a definitive view point and wants and goals (in fact, good characters always do). Historical figures though, were people like everyone, and giving them specific thoughts and feelings feels like you're filling in details and making stuff up, which makes me wonder about the rest of the facts presented. I know you're supposed to take the dialogue as things that were recorded from primary sources, but all that tells me is you're creating a story in a non-fiction book.
In this book there was a tendency to try and tell three or four stories in a chapter, and I got confused as to who was who. It was clearly a device the author was trying to use to build tension, but I found it to be... irritating.
That being said, I'm not a huge fan of non-fiction historical fiction where it's told as a story, with dialogue and fanciful imaginings of what was thought. It makes me feel really uncomfortable to have someone giving me the information that they have no way of knowing. Characters can have a definitive view point and wants and goals (in fact, good characters always do). Historical figures though, were people like everyone, and giving them specific thoughts and feelings feels like you're filling in details and making stuff up, which makes me wonder about the rest of the facts presented. I know you're supposed to take the dialogue as things that were recorded from primary sources, but all that tells me is you're creating a story in a non-fiction book.
In this book there was a tendency to try and tell three or four stories in a chapter, and I got confused as to who was who. It was clearly a device the author was trying to use to build tension, but I found it to be... irritating.
lakecake's review
4.0
Karen Abbott did a great job with this--it read almost like a novel. It's really the story of the Everleigh Sisters, two madams in turn of the century Chicago's Levee District, whose eponomous club became the toast of the Red Light center of the town. It was world famous, one of the "must sees" if you were visiting the city. They taught their "butterflies" Balzac and poetry, fed them well, kept a doctor on staff to make sure they were healthy, and generally tried to elevate the world's oldest profession. They catered to an exclusive clientele, including some of the biggest politicians in the city. Unfortunately, their notoriety made them a target of both fellow club proprietors and the prudish faction looking to stamp out vice in the major cities. Abbott weaves together all of these disparate stories into a fascinating, touching, shocking, funny love letter to Chicago's seedier past.
vick11's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book very interesting. The author made me feel like I was reading historical fiction instead of the nonfiction it was. The two separate angles and how they entwined with each other was a great approach and I really enjoyed it. I knew nothing about this part of Chicago's history, fascinating!
morgs777's review against another edition
3.0
Still on my quest to read everything about Chicago.
The first third of this book is AMAZING. Spent a lot of time looking up references.
Back 2/3s remind me of The Devil in the White City. If you’d like that book, I’d give it a try. It got a little away from story telling for me.
The first third of this book is AMAZING. Spent a lot of time looking up references.
Back 2/3s remind me of The Devil in the White City. If you’d like that book, I’d give it a try. It got a little away from story telling for me.
jazzypizzaz's review against another edition
2.0
I was looking for a fun book that told a bit of Chicago's history-- and was maybe similar to Devil in the White City which I loved-- and this met those baseline expectations.
I did somewhat lose interest in the subject matter partway through, but overall the writing was snappy and characters were brought to life from history. It was an adequately engaging portrayal of a historical issue I hadn't known much about.
I did somewhat lose interest in the subject matter partway through, but overall the writing was snappy and characters were brought to life from history. It was an adequately engaging portrayal of a historical issue I hadn't known much about.
circularcubes's review against another edition
5.0
Turn of the century prostitution, the classiest brothel in the United States, and an epic battle between religious reformers and crooked politicians, there is literally nothing you could ask for more. I really liked how The Crimson Petal and the White delved more into the everyday lives of prostitutes, and I wanted to hear more stories from the Everleigh Club butterflies, but it's a minor quibble in an exceedingly well written, fascinating account of a two mysterious sisters in a terribly interesting time in Chicagoan history.
blevins's review against another edition
3.0
Four stars for the debauchery, two for the reformers: equals 3 stars. Karen Abbott was clearly drawn to one part of her story more than the other and it really showed. When writing about the harlots, madams, greedy politicians and others of Chicago's expansive sex and sin district in turn of the 20th century, this was riveting, highly entertaining stuff. When she'd write about the reforming, religious do-gooders...it would grind to a halt. I found myself wanting to skip over those sections and get to the juicy bits about the Everleigh Club, the two sisters who ran it and their empire devoted to the selling of female flesh.
skidiva's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting look at vice in turn of the century Chicago. I love books that make a time and place real for me, and this one did. A great perspective on the politics, morality, and social framework of Chicago -- and the country -- in the early 1900's. Well written, too.
judyward's review against another edition
3.0
A very informative book about the sex and prostitution industry in Chicago at the beginning of the 20th century and the tension in America between sin and Puritanism. The book focuses on the Everleigh Club, the most famous brothel in 20th century America, which was located in the Levee district of Chicago and was run by Minna and Ada Everleigh. Unlike other madams operating in Chicago at that time, the Everleigh sisters made sure that their "butterflies" lived comfortably, made a good living, and were examined regularly by reputable doctors. Minna and Ada Everleigh were under constant pressure during the decade that they operated the Everleigh Club. Other madams hated and feared them. One, for example, tried to frame the sisters for the death of Marshall Field, Jr. Also, the sisters needed to constantly ensure that public officials were willing to tolerate and, even in some circumstances, protect their enterprise. But what finally caused the Everleigh sisters to close the Everleigh Club and go into retirement in New York City were Progressive reformers who flooded the media market across the country with stories of sin, corruption, and white slavery. An interesting episode in American history.