The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
I really enjoy Erik Larson’s writing style. I was fascinated by his story ‘In the Garden of Beasts‘. I was equally fascinated by The Devil in the White City. I loved his illustrations of the World Fair and what an amazing feat it was to build the fair in such a short amount of time. Unfortunately I had to stop reading the book about halfway through. I still feel comfortable recommending the book to most readers because it is so well written and researched. I, however, was going through a rather strange emotional phase at the time and for some unknown reason I wasn’t able to stomach the evilness of the character. One day, when I am feeling more emotionally removed from evil people and evil influences I hope to return to The Devil in the White City. As of now the idea of deciet, lies, and all around terribleness just isn’t something I can handle- I have always loved the saying, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” -(George R.R. Martin) As much as I loved the business and political involvement in this particular book it wasn’t the ‘life’ I wanted to live at the time. But please, do not let my personal bad timing turn you off from this book. Erik Larson is an amazing historian and does a magnificant job of bringing the past to life.
Historical Value – 5
Emotional Value -4
Entertainment Value -4
Personal Character Value -3
Age Recommendation: Adult
“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood. – Daniel H. Burnham
