The Devil in the White City

Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

By: Erik Larson

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The true tale of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the cunning serial killer who used the magic and majesty of the fair to lure his victims to their death.

Two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized America’s rush toward the twentieth century. The architect was Daniel Hudson Burnham, the fair’s brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country’s most important structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington, D.C. The murderer was Henry H. Holmes, a young doctor who, in a malign parody of the White City, built his “World’s Fair Hotel” just west of the fairgrounds—a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and 3,000-degree crematorium.

Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. What makes the story all the more chilling is that Holmes really lived, walking the grounds of that dream city by the lake.

The Devil in the White City draws the reader into a time of magic and majesty, made all the more appealing by a supporting cast of real-life characters, including Buffalo Bill, Theodore Dreiser, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and others. Erik Larson’s gifts as a storyteller are magnificently displayed in this rich narrative of the master builder, the killer, and the great fair that obsessed them both.

©2003 Erik Larson (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

National Book Awards, Short-listed

Edgar Allan Poe Award Winner, Fact Crime, 2004

"Engrossing . . . exceedingly well documented . . . utterly fascinating.” —Chicago Tribune

“A dynamic, enveloping book. . . . Relentlessly fuses history and entertainment to give this nonfiction book the dramatic effect of a novel. . . . It doesn’t hurt that this truth is stranger than fiction.” —The New York Times

“A wonderfully unexpected book. . . Larson is a historian . . . with a novelist’s soul.” —Chicago Sun-Times

I can't believe how much I loved this book

so engaging on so many levels.
every time I got interrupted I was eager to get back into it again.
The narrator did a great job as well.

Slow... and anticlimactic,

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not really. It's too slow, although the story is interesting on some level, it could have been 1/3 as long as I would have still walked away with the same understanding of the events.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

What ending? I saw the ending coming from miles away...

What three words best describe Scott Brick’s voice?

Overacting... deliberate... measured.

Do you think The Devil in the White City needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, there are no cliffhangers.

WOW. A must read (or listen)!

If you could sum up The Devil in the White City in three words, what would they be?

Amazing historical information.

What did you like best about this story?

Everything.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

I don't have a favorite, but Scott Brick was great overall.

Any additional comments?

Must check out Erik Larson's other books!

Very entertaining book

What I find interesting about this book is how Erik Larson managed to put together all those stories and things happening at the moment.
The only downside is that sometimes he went too deep into very small details about the fair and I got momentarily bored, but then came back to the main plot and got my interest again.
Overall this is a very good book and if you're looking for a book that mixes both, history and a thrilling plot, you should read/listen it.
Finally, Scott Brick does a very good job reading this book.

Fabulously written and narrated!!!

I couldn't put this book down, it was interesting to learn the history behind the fair. Holmes' was brilliant in a most evil way. One of the best written books I've read.

strangely fascinating

I did not realize this was mostly about architecture and the construction of 19th century America and the Chicago fair, and I probably would not have ordered it had I known. I'm glad I did not know -- I found the work of Burnham and Root, of Olmstead and his vision, fascinating, and I'm enriched for listening to every detail.

The Holmes murder story is deeply compelling, but a bit odd when interlaced with the story of the fair. Still, both stories held my interest throughout, and I couldn't wait to get back to my car to finish.

I do think the book could use some editing, and the reader is a bit of a drone. Still, a surprisingly rewarding book.

Chicago

After visiting Chicago, then listening to this book, I cannot wait to go back. I knew a little of the history of the city, this book made it come more alive to me. I had actually visited Graceland Cemetery, now that I know of more of the people, I want to return.

True Story with Fiction feel.

Fantastic book, very interesting. The story is all real and true however it almost feels like fiction by how bizarre it is! I had to read this for my History class, and normally I don't read the books assigned, but for some reason this one peaked my interest and I'm very glad it did!

Exceptionally Executed

The structure and narration take you back to the World's Fair in am unbelievable way. I loved every moment.

Great story about the history of Chicago & America

The 1893 Chicago World's Fair and the men and women who brought it to unlikely fruition is a forgotten piece of American history that is rediscovered in this fantastic work. Alongside the bright future of the city and a nation, darkness lurked and also foreshadowed the horrors that awaited in the 20th century. You will be thoroughly entertained, discover things you did not know before, and you will see some strange and macabre sights down the midway of this book just like a trip to Jackson Park, 1893.