Erik Larson
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America (2003)
Author: Erik Larson
Genre: Nonfiction (Rescued history/Biography)
Book Summary:
This book tells two tales. The first is that of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, a fair that impacted 20th century life on a number of levels including architecture, entertainment, and household amenities. It is also the tale of H.H. Holmes, a notorious serial killer who preyed on fair attendees in a hotel/torture chamber that he designed specifically for the fair. The book shifts back and forth between official preparations for the fair (told primarily through the eyes of the lead architect, Daniel Burnham) and Holmes’ own preparations for the fair’s visitors. A number of obstacles confronted both men, and the book focuses primarily on the ways in which the two men were able to overcome adversity to see their visions for the fair come to fruition. The fair was famous for introducing America and the world to the potential of alternating current electricity and the Ferris Wheel in addition to Shredded Wheat, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Aunt Jemima maple syrup amongst other things. A number of well-known names appear through the narrative as well, including Buffalo Bill, Frank Lloyd Wright, Thomas Edison, and Nikola Tesla. Indeed, the story is doubly fascinating not only as a history of the fair and its impact on Chicago and the world, but also because of the convergence of talent and celebrity and the impact that the technology that went into the fair would have on the world. SPOILER: The fair ends on a somber note when a lunatic assassinates the mayor of Chicago. Also, H.H. Holmes is finally tracked down, tried, and sentenced to death for his role in the murders of three children.
Geographical Setting: Chicago
Time Period: 1891-1893
Appeal Characteristics:
The book’s primary appeal is to those interested in a bit of rescued history concerning the 1893 World’s Fair. Larsen has gone to great lengths to track down primary resources relevant to the fair. His writing style is very accessible, and he keeps the pace moving by switching back and forth between the Burnham and Holmes story lines often ending each chapter with a cliffhanger of sorts. It should be noted that the tale’s appeal lies not only in the history of the fair, but primary in the experience of learning that so many things taken for granted can be traced back to the fair. I constantly found myself saying, “Wow, I didn’t realize that [X] originated at the fair!” (e.g. Pabst beer won first prize at a the fair and was thereafter called Pabst Blue Ribbon). Examples of this sort are plentiful. The only complaint I had was that Larsen seemed to spend an unnecessary amount of time elucidating the problems encountered by the landscape architect responsible for the fairgrounds. These sections dragged, though they do only make up a small portion of the book.
Read-alikes: If you like Larson’s writing style and stories about other famous criminals juxtaposed against each other, you might want to read Thunderstruck. This book relates the tale of Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of wireless communication, and Dr. H. H. Crippen, the “North London Cellar Murderer,” who was captured with the assistance of wireless communications between his Scotland Yard pursuer and the boat Crippen was using for his escape. If you are interested in reading more about Chicago and its growth during the 19th century, you might want to read City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America, by Donald L. Miller. Called an “invaluable resource” by Larson, this book chronicles the rise of Chicago from a desolate fur-trading outpost in 1830 to its rise less than half a century later as a national railroad hub, livestock and packing center and on to its place as a home for innovative architecture and of the some of the United States most prominent and wealthy business men. If you are interested in reading more about the White City, you might want to read The World’s Columbian Exposition: The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, by Norman Bolotin and Christine Laing. This dazzling assemblage of photography and history takes the reader on a visual tour of the glittering “white city” as it provides insight into its conception and construction, along with a discussion of the cultural legacy it left behind. If you interested in exploring a fictional representation of life in American cities at the turn of the century, you might want to read The Alienist, by Caleb Carr. Set in New York City in 1896, this murder mystery about a psychiatrist, called alienist during the 1800’s, Dr. Lazlo Kreizler and his attempt to use his science to help the police capture the torturer and killer of cross-dressing boy prostitutes. Although this book is fiction, it truthfully depicts the dark, seamier side of life in the 1890’s, especially as it relates to children and women. If you are interested in other fictional versions of H. H. Holmes’ killing spree, you might want to read American Gothic, by Robert Bloch, the author of Psycho, the book Hitchcock used for his inspiration for the move of the same name. Bloch wrote American Gothic in 1987. Bloch has named his murderer G. Gordon Gregg, a handsome doctor, pharmacist and hotel entrepreneur, lures his victims to his “castle.” Very closely based on the Holmes’ murders, this book contains descriptions of Gregg’s air tight vaults, acid vats and cellar mazes that the real Holmes had in place in his hotel. If you are interested in exploring the Columbian Exposition or the Holmes murders by an audiovisual means, there are two documentaries that you may want to see: Expo: the Magic of the White City and H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer. Expo, narrated by Gene Wilder, allows the viewer to take a cinematic visit to the great fair. Going beyond the pomp and glamour of the White City, this film contains photography and early film of the Midway, Ferris Wheel and the many national villages, along with pictures of the exhibits, including Germany’s and America’s displays of military might. H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer follows the murderer’s life from childhood in New Hampshire, through his various scams and dealings in stolen cadavers, to his construction of his hotel, “the castle” and murders that take place there. This film is packed with information, including interviews with serial killer experts and several black and white reenactments of the crimes.
Red Flags: descriptions of murders/infanticide
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