The Devil in the White City (original 2003; edition 2003)

For most of this book I assumed I was reading historical fiction. In fact, I assumed as much up until my sister-in-law invited me to see a rock opera about "America's first serial killer, H.H. Holmes." Thus is the narrative style of the text, that it allows for such misconception - Larson's books is a story that seems to imitate true crime writing, as opposed to an overly technical nonfiction account. As such, I'm sure the scholarship of the text may be suspect to someone who knows the Fair or Holmes better than I, but as someone with no prior knowledge or experience I found the book to be engrossing, and the characters fascinating. ( )

The fascinating history of the Chicago World's Fair is the gem of this book, and if you're interested in reading about the fair and the main architect behind it, you could do worse. The problem with the book is everything else. Based on a false premise that there was a serial killer at the World's Fair, the author splits his time between the struggle to build the fair (which seems to be well-documented and researched) and the day-to-day goings on of a man whose criminal undertakings happened to have occurred in the same city of the fair. This "devil" can only be tied to the "white city" because he was one of the millions of visitors there, and possibly only for one day.

I would not be as hard on the book if it were marketed as historical fiction. The book is shelved in non-fiction, though, and the H. H. Holmes story stretches the meaning of the term, even going so far as to suggest that the facts that the author has gleaned about Holmes' childhood must be wrong because they do not fit the author's narrative. Holmes' story of being forced, scared and overpowered by older children, to come face-to-face with skeletons at the doctor's office provides some insight in to how a person can be so damaged that they are drawn to kill and dismember bodies themselves. Holmes' diary admits of his fear of the doctor's office, which he had to pass alone at 5 years old on the way to school. One day, older boys discovered his fear, captured him, and dragged him into the office, pressing him close to the face of the articulated skeleton. Modern social science gives us many possible narratives that would explain how a small, bullied five-year-old child can grow into a killer. The author ignores any such narrative, instead hypothesizing that this own research is wrong and that the 5 year old must have been so evil that he scared the older boys, and "it was they who fled."

The non-novel uses clunky shifts between the sensationalized killer tale and the story of the creation of the fair. The portions about the fair, however, do not need the Holmes story to drive the plot.

I'm sure there are better books about the World's Fair, but if you want to read this one, skip the serial killer part. ( )

Should have been more about H.H.Holmes and less about the Chicago Fair...though by the end I found myself getting sucked in to the fair drama ( )

This book is about America's first serial killer and the Chicago Worlds Fair. This book is very well written. It jumps back and forth between the building of the Fair and the escalation of H.H.Holmes in his killing spree. It keeps the reader engaged and interested in what will happen next. I had no idea about this killer and was surprised to find out that he did his killing around the same time as 'Jack the Ripper' in London who only killed 5 women. H.H.Holmes killed dozens, yet most people have never heard of him. This book was creepy and I found that if I read it at night, I'd have to put it down. I did enjoy this book enough to give it to a friend of mine to read. ( )

Half about H.H.Holmes and half about the World's Fair, this is a rich, far-reaching book filled with fascinating information about Chicago at the turn of the century. Larson masterfully toggles back and forth between the two focuses of the book (Holmes and the fair), leaving the reader torn between which he finds more exciting. A handsome, charismatic murderer certainly catches interest, but the struggles behind the fair are just as interesting. If you expect this to simply be about one of America's most enigmatic and ingenious serial killers, you are in for a surprise. There is so much more here, and for that, I am thankful to Larson. ( )