TITLE: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
AUTHOR: Larson, Erik
GENRE: Non-Fiction
An interesting choice by my regular book club. We don't usually go with non-fiction, but it's nice to mix things up every once in a while.
GENRE: Non-Fiction
DATES READ: 6/27/2017 - 7/13/2017
MY RATING: 3/5
An interesting choice by my regular book club. We don't usually go with non-fiction, but it's nice to mix things up every once in a while.
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Erik Larson brings to vivid detail the stories of real-life characters, including the master builder of the World's Fair as well as the murderer who created a torture palace known as the "World's Fair Hotel" (complete with gas chamber, dissection tables, and built in crematorium). Creations of marvels and horrors abound!
I don't normally like non-fiction (or maybe I haven't found the right stuff). I am surprised to find that I really enjoyed this book. But it was kind of a 50/50 split.
The fair dealings were not extremely exciting to me, but the amount of dedication Larson put into his research was astounding! It made me appreciate the whole process. And I adored his anecdotes about inventions (Cracker Jacks, Juicy Fruit, and the Pledge of Allegience!). And the insertion of the horrors of H.H.Holmes made a terrifying contrast. As a horror reader, it was fascinating to hear the true story about the "Murder Castle" that inspired so many fictional tales.
Overall, it is clear that Erik Larson loves and excels at research and writing.
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