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thomastittley's review against another edition
3.5
Presenting this in a novel-style was really fun. However, he should have cut like half of the building stuff and done more HH Holmes content. Great YouTube rabbit hole is that Holmes was also Jack the Ripper.
kay_kxd's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
2.5
The text is very dense and hard to get into. I love how the stories intertwine with each other, and shows what exactly what Chicago was experiencing from different eyes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Terminal illness, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Child death, Gun violence, and Grief
cannibalsnack's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
An epic recounting of a ridiculous triumph of insurmountable odds through ambition and industry, that was snubbed of the perfect title by Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged". Take that and mix it in with the case of a serial killer akin to Ricky Gervais' The Invention of Lying, and you have this book.
This would have been perfect to read prior to Pynchon's Against the Day. A ridiculously pivotal yet extremely ephemeral time in modern civilization that was the launch pad for both the good and bad civic elements we face today. So much sprang from this time and grew, but unfortunately much of that growth became an infection, an invasive species. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Oh and I now know that hipsters and hillbillies everywhere have the Chicago World's Fair to thank for PBR. I'll try to remember that the next time I'm looking down at the Toronto nightlife from up 100 stories, scraping the sky on a balcony.
This would have been perfect to read prior to Pynchon's Against the Day. A ridiculously pivotal yet extremely ephemeral time in modern civilization that was the launch pad for both the good and bad civic elements we face today. So much sprang from this time and grew, but unfortunately much of that growth became an infection, an invasive species. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Oh and I now know that hipsters and hillbillies everywhere have the Chicago World's Fair to thank for PBR. I'll try to remember that the next time I'm looking down at the Toronto nightlife from up 100 stories, scraping the sky on a balcony.
michael_odonnell's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.0
cheerbrarian's review against another edition
5.0
A little over a year ago I left the balmy southern United States for the snowy Midwest, Chicago suburbs to be specific, so, this book quickly climbed to the top of my "to read" pile. How could I live here and not tackle Larson's fantastic telling of such a pivotal point in the city's history? I knew I had made the correct choice when I found no less than seven copies at my local library. Definite move toward further acclimation to my new home, though I will always be southern at heart. But I digress.
I am not an eager non-fiction reader. I wish I was, but it's usually like taking my medicine: I know it's good for me, but it struggles to be palatable. But Larson is possibly the best I have ever read outside of Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood." The way he simultaneously wove together the creation of the World's Fair in Chicago, and the horrific violence of serial killer H.H. Holmes is masterful. Both stories build simultaneously, and definitely keep you engaged. I found his writing to be excellent, and was moved to ready many passages out loud to my partner. To pardon the cliche, he really was able to make history come alive.
He also his deft and peppering in little historical tidbits that just make for fun trivia on top of the complexities of the story. It is at times amazing to realize that this IS non-fiction because it reads as fiction, both because of his skill, but also because of the sheer absurdity, especially regarding Holmes' murder house. I've heard that this novel will be getting a film adaptation, and I am very curious as to how it will be adapted, be it the whole tale, or just the Holmes story.
I recommend this read to just about anyone, it is well-written, compelling, entertaining AND at the end you can pat yourself on the back for reading non-fiction. What more can you want?
I am not an eager non-fiction reader. I wish I was, but it's usually like taking my medicine: I know it's good for me, but it struggles to be palatable. But Larson is possibly the best I have ever read outside of Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood." The way he simultaneously wove together the creation of the World's Fair in Chicago, and the horrific violence of serial killer H.H. Holmes is masterful. Both stories build simultaneously, and definitely keep you engaged. I found his writing to be excellent, and was moved to ready many passages out loud to my partner. To pardon the cliche, he really was able to make history come alive.
He also his deft and peppering in little historical tidbits that just make for fun trivia on top of the complexities of the story. It is at times amazing to realize that this IS non-fiction because it reads as fiction, both because of his skill, but also because of the sheer absurdity, especially regarding Holmes' murder house. I've heard that this novel will be getting a film adaptation, and I am very curious as to how it will be adapted, be it the whole tale, or just the Holmes story.
I recommend this read to just about anyone, it is well-written, compelling, entertaining AND at the end you can pat yourself on the back for reading non-fiction. What more can you want?
kastrali's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
2.25
Almost the entire book felt like a dense retrospective analysis about Chicago's World Fair and late 19th-century architecture rather than anything else it was advertising. Goodbye and good riddance.
rett's review against another edition
4.0
The writing and research are excellent. I'm just too creeped out by it to give it five stars. LOL