"The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
The bestselling author of Isaac's Storm returns with a gripping tale about two men -- one a creative genius, the other a mass murderer -- who turned the 1893 Chicago World's Fair into their playground. Set against the dazzle of a dream city whose technological marvels presaged the coming century, this real-life drama of good and evil unfolds with all the narrative tension of a fictional thriller. -- Barnes & Noble
Amanda: Great read--would recommend to both architecture and "true crime" buffs!
Jen S.: Interesting read. I'm thankful for building codes and building inspectors, utilities such as sewage and clean water, and for a system that identifies and catches bad guys. I'm also thankful for the influence the World's Fair had on Walt Disney and Frank Lloyd Wright.
Linsy: I enjoyed how the author told these two stories as one and found the book full of insight into a very influential event in the evolution of America that I knew it almost nothing about prior to the book.
Stephanie: Interesting book with great history and detail. Not a page-turner for me but overall, I thought it was a good read.
Kerry: This book was so good! I read it on the plane yesterday to and from Pittsburgh for my Grandpap's funeral. I learned so many things!!! It seems like many of the modern conveniences that we enjoy today were created for the world's fair! And seriously, isn't it suspicious that the murderous castle mysteriously burned down? Great read!
Chari: Found both story lines interesting and enjoyed learning about the process of building the structures for the world's fair. And glad I wasn't a single lady back then with a crazy killer on the loose!
Mary: I'm torn--I thought the architecture story was interesting though it could have been more concise. I thought the murderer's story was too concise and should have been more interesting. Generally, the book wasn't terrible, but it was definitely overrated.
Aday: What Mary said.
Holly: Watch out for the blue eyed boys.
1 comment:
Holly is, as usual, spot on. Ha!
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