Book Review: Devil in the White City
I picked up this book after hearing my dad describe it, hoping that it would not become part of the pile of half-read books in my nightstand drawer. Luckily, it didn't - it now has a permanent place on my bookshelf with the other books I've read cover to cover.
"Devil in the White City" is a historical novel about the first American World's Fair (dubbed "The White City") in Chicago and the madness that happened to coincide with it. The "devil" refers to the charming man who used his skills and the excitement of the fair to befriend and murder up to 200 people - mostly young women looking for adventure in the big city. I say "up to" because authorities apparently never did determine how many murders "H.H. Holmes" or Henry Mudgett committed.
The books is very readable, even for me. I can't handle a book with a lot of details without having some story to go along with it. I liked how the author alternated chapters about the development of the World's Fair with intriguing tidbits of the beginnings of Holmes' schemes. The history of the fair itself was quite interesting, and it was surprising to me how many of our current day started with the fair. For instance, Shredded Wheat was introduced at the Chicago World's Fair and still remains a breakfast staple today. Also, the Ferris Wheel, which is one of my favorite rides at carnivals, was one of the reasons the fair did so well and brought in so much revenue. In order to prepare for the fair, though, Chicago had to ready itself and make plans that would best the World's Fair recently held in Paris, for which the Eiffel Tower had been constructed.
I was amazed by the sheer expense of the fair. It had to be elaborate to not only best the Paris exhibition, but to bring pride to the people of Chicago. Still, even by today's standards, I'm amazed the fair happened at all, not just because of the expense, but because of the short timelines with which to complete the buildings and the fact that labor unions were just beginning to start up and the fact that the world was really in an economic crisis. Not to mention that the planners were not all on the same page as to which type of architecture was best, which only pushed back the beginning of the construction.
This book made me wish I had been around to see the fair, but also makes me want to visit Chicago just to see Jackson Park and see if I could imagine what it might have looked like, since most of the buildings are not there today. The Chicago World's Fair was quite an inspiration and an amazing event to have happened at the time. Others inspired by the World's Fair went on to create wonderful things, which is why we have Disneyland and the movie Wizard of Oz and Coney Island.
If you're looking for a very entertaining read about the events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, you won't be disappointed. I give this book 9 out of 10 dancing feet.
posted by Notta Wallflower at 5:07 PM
13 Comments:
Yeah, come to Chicago! I finished this book right after Christmas and have also been meaning to go down to Jackson Park to look around. I was not far from there at a friend's apartment tonight but it is not exactly good weather for a walk in the park right now.
I thought this was the most entertaining book I had read in a long time, and the names in the book come up time and time again in the Tribune. There was just a piece on bird tours being suspended on the Wooded Island because the city did a bunch of brush clearing there and the birds left.
The biggest historical thing that struck me about the book was how dangerous it was to live in Chicago in the late 1800s. The number of murders, train-and-streetcar accidents and house fires were so many times what they are today, but the population was just a fraction of today's.
I MUST read this book!
I've been fascinated about this topic, since I found a ribbon from the "fair" in my great-grandfather's bible. He died before I was born, and I've always regretted not being able to discuss this with him.
Tessence - Actually, H is wondering when to plan a trip over your guys' way, but it has to be warmer first. I'm afraid that I truly am a wuss now when it comes to being cold (that didn't take long!). Maybe it's better I didn't live back then - I might not have lived a very long life with all the dangerous things that happened.
TSHS - You would really like this book! Your great-grandfather went to the fair? Is there any written account of his visit? It seemed that a lot of visitors would write letters to others encouraging them to come to the fair. What a piece of history!
I keep meaning to pick this up and keep forgetting. It's especially up my alley because Chicago history is one of my hobbies. Thanks for the review, maybe I'll get my ass in gear and actually go get it now.
Some of the architecture that appeared at the worlds fair is still standing (the Field Museum and Museum of Science and Industry). There's also awesome exhibits about the world's fair at the Chicago Historical Society.
Notta: In all honesty, May/June and September/October are the best months to come here. July and August totally suck.
Laura - I figured you might like the book. I didn't know you were into the history of Chicago, but since you live in that area, it's not too surprising. Thank you for the tip on good times to visit Chicago!
Note to blogger buds: I think this is a "google-blogger" issue, but when I try to visit several of your blogs, all I get is a white page with "Bad Request" on it. I hope blogger fixes these issues soon!
If there were letters, I doubt if my grandfather and his sister kept them. :(
I'll have to read this sometime, too. I read a book about Mudgett/Holmes, but that was just icky...
The same author just released a book about how the wireless telegraph was first used at sea to capture a wife-murderer who had fled from England en route to America with his mistress (disguised as his son). The captain recognized them and was able to get a message to shore on his brand-new wireless, but there was no way for the police to get word to American authorities in time. So an officer hired a small, fast boat to race the ship across the ocean! (there was excerpt in Vanity Fair) Totally fascinating.
TSHS - That's too bad. Maybe he didn't write any letter about it. What a great piece of history that would've been, though.
SME - I love stories like that. I've read a few real-life criminal stories and they do freak me out. Doesn't stop me from showing some morbid interest, for some reason. :-P
Sounds interesting. Sorry I havent stopped in a while. I forgot who I have visited recently. I will have to pick this one up too eihter next time I am at the library or the book store. I love books. We are only about three hours out of Chicago. Give or take some time. I will ask hubby for sure tonight when he comes home. Now I am curious. These books sound just interesting. I have never heard of the author before. Are they fiction or non fiction?? Just wondering. I read just about everything. Well hope you are well and I will stop by again. Have to call hubby and tell him he can either come home and pick up the coupon for the head lice our oldest has or just go to pick up the stuff at the drugstore. Well catch you later. Keep reading interesting books and letting us know about them. Tweets.
Tweety - Thanks for stopping by! Let me know what you think of the book if you read it. :-)
I am the friend Ms. Tessence speaks of, and YES, you must come out here to check out the locale.
Wasn't that book fantastic!?! I could not stop reading it once I began. My aunt gave it to me when we moved to Hyde Park from Washington, DC two years ago. She is a former museum director, so she gave me her notated copy of the book, including a modern map of the area on which she drew in all of the relevant places from the book.
Mike's office is one block from the Midway Plaissance, to give you perspective---we drive on the Midway all the time to pick him up.
Come visit when it's warm! We'd love to see you!
Hi Kori, H and I would love to come visit you guys when we visit Chicago. We need to wait until spring since I'm now officially a cold-weather wimp. :-P
Devil in the White City - am I the only person out there who had anger management issues reading this poorly written thing?
''To women as yet unaware of his private obsessions, it was an appealing delicacy. He broke prevailing rules of casual intimacy: he stood too close, stared too hard, touched too much and long. And women adored him for it.''
When is the last time you felt splendid when a man touched you inappropriately in public?
Yeah - she wanted it. All female victims want it. Right?
Too bad Erik Larson couldn't shake his own turn-of-the-century view of female people before writing this book.
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