The DEVIL in the WHITE CITY by Erik Larson

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson, published in 2003 by Crown Publishers, is a historical non-fiction book presented in a novelistic style.

The Devil in the White City story occurs between 1890 and 1895, mainly in Chicago. It weaves together the true stories of Daniel Burnham, the architect who created some of the most beautiful architecture of the day and was responsible for the grandeur of the 1893 World Columbian Exposition. Then there is Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as H.H. Holmes, often called the first serial killer in the United States. He roamed the streets of Chicago during the 1893 World's Fair. Holmes built an elaborately constructed hotel with its own gas-filled vault, later dubbed the 'murder castle.' The hotel was adjacent to the fairgrounds, and upon its completion, Holmes began to accept female guests. Unfortunately for them, they started disappearing.

Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City reads like fiction. What's unfortunate is that it's not. Nevertheless, Larson has captured the true story of two men at opposite ends of the social scale and what happened when a great city like Chicago, which should have been experiencing one of the best times in its early history, was the backdrop.

Dazzlingly beautiful neoclassical buildings provided the landscape along the city's south lakefront for the 1893 Columbian Exposition, which promised to be the most spectacular World's Fair of the 19th Century. With the introduction to the latest technological innovations on full display, the spotlight was on this toddling town. And that spotlight would also be shining down on one of the darkest episodes in the city's history up to that time. 

Chicago is indeed no stranger to tragedy. Before the start of the fair, there was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, followed by The Haymarket Square bombing in 1886, to name two. But can the City of Big Shoulders rise like a Phoenix from the ashes after the damage caused to its reputation thanks to the brutal murders committed by the New England-born con artist and serial killer that cast a dark shadow over the White City? 

This true crime, non-fiction novel is a must-read for history buffs. So what are you waiting for? 

 

My Personal Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½