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

somewhat disappointing.

I was very interested in the history. But it was written and read in a dry matter of fact way. Could have been much more entertaining .

The narrator makes it

This is the perfect example of how the narrator makes all the difference in the world when it comes to a book.

The title alone is what grabbed my attention. Would I have any interest in the inner workings of the World’s Columbia Fair otherwise? No, probably not. But Scott Brick certainly made it seem interesting.

I see reviews about how the Fair’s story and H H Holmes’ story have very little to do with each other and it seems as if Holmes’ misadventures are shoehorned into the tale. I half agree. I think Holmes’ misdeeds make for a more interesting story, yes. But, it was BECAUSE of the whole brouhaha surrounding the fair that he got away with so much for so long.

Dence with details

I struggled to stay focused with the amount of details injected. I needed more story and less specific erroneous descriptions.

Good Read

Not as much about HH Holmes as I had hoped! However, this was a great historical read though!! So many important people mentioned in the book. The worlds fair was truly an amazing accomplishment and learning about all of the different inventions that it brought about just reinforced how many amazing innovators we have had in the United States. Very interesting facts presented!

not what I expected!

great book. full of Chicago history. thought this would be more of a murder mystery. was pleasantly surprised

It's a long one

great for road trips. not so much for the commuter listener. he Holmes was the best part. Farris the least interesting.

Overall a good read

Overall ditwc was a good read.
The story jumps around a little to much for my taste, buy everything is tired up in the end.

Stirring in an inspiring and disturbing way.

A fantastic listen whether you are interested in the white or dark city. I couldn't stop listening.

Reads like fiction!

This was a fun read for me because many of the Chicago locations were places I am familiar with but never knew the history. It is a riveting accounting of that era, and I learned so much. If you enjoy Chicago, you will enjoy this book/

Excellent, but not exactly what I was expecting

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

absolutely, it is a great listen, Scott Brick is terrific, the writing is superb, and the story at its heart is very compelling, both stories

What did you like best about this story?

I read this book for the story of H H Holmes but in the end found myself more enthralled at the story of the Chicago World's Fair.

Which scene was your favorite?

The description of what the patrons to the park saw and how they reacted to it. Erik Larson does an amazing job of painting a picture of what it must have looked like and Scott Brick's reading lends an extra level of gravity

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

The construction of the first Ferris Wheel was interesting to hear, I think I had known that it was first introduced at the World's Fair but didn't know that it was the centerpiece that was supposed to be the counterpoint to Paris Eiffel Tower for their World's Fair. Also, I don't think I had any idea of how massive this ferris wheel was

Any additional comments?

I was surprised because I thought this was going to be a book about H.H. Holmes and the World's Fair would serve as the backdrop for his evil. The beautiful white city would merely be the setting and yin to the yang of Holmes. But really the story is about the World's Fair, Holmes is the just the malignant tumor running through this era.