The Devil in the White City

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

By: Erik Larson

Narrated by: Scott Brick

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

Ruined again by Scott Brick

What made the experience of listening to The Devil in the White City the most enjoyable?

The story is irresistable, the writing is fine

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Any time Scott Brick stopped using his habitually snarky intonation -- which was rare

Would you be willing to try another one of Scott Brick’s performances?

In a Nelson DeMille or Lee Child book sure. In non-fiction, only because I have no choice

If you could give The Devil in the White City a new subtitle, what would it be?

The Devil who makes publishers continue to use Scott Brick for everything regardless of suitability

Any additional comments?

Have I made myself clear: Scott Brick has exactly one gear: snark overdrive. Fine when called for by the content, ridiculous for 90% of what he is currently used for.

A Must For All Chicagoans!

This book was fascinating! As a life long resident of Chicago, I found this book to be a must read. It lead to a wealth of emotions from pride in the "Chicago spirit" which accomplished and continues to accomplish great things to the disgust at the lax manner in which human life was treated at that time. Contrary to what some reviewers wrote, I found the detail to paint a rich and deep picture of that time that reflected the spirit and mood of the Era, not only in Chicago, but the country as well. Highly recommended!

about The Devil... no gruesome recounting

I loved this book. The history of the Chicago World's Fair is fascinating - Larson brings it alive. I held back from listening to it for years as I was concerned about gory details of "the Devil" Mr. Holmes. No fears! Firstly, it is a small part of the book and secondly the author is not graphic about the murders except perhaps at one place. Interesting because Larson is beautifully descriptive about he architecture and the World's Fair experience.

Fantastic read

The story is true and could just as well be written about the 1990's as the 1890's with its various threads touching upon images of unimaginable genius/technological growth and unspeakable evil sit set before a backdrop of roller coaster economic conditions. I cannot get the themes and parallels out of my mind.

Beautifully paints an era in time

Just a warning, this is predominantly about the Chicago Worlds Fair and is fascinating in it's description of the historical context, people and events that surrounded it. People going in expecting a lot of macabre detail on HH Holmes may be put off by the amount of time spent discussing the logistics of architecture.

That shouldn't be seen as a negative though, it is a very well written book for a largely historical account and contains some very beautiful prose and structure, it feels as lovingly crafted as the worlds fair itself.

Absorbing Listen

Would you listen to The Devil in the White City again? Why?

Yes, there is so much detail in the twin stories of how the fair was built and how HH Holmes used it as an opportunity to collect more victims. You couldn't possibly absorb it all in one listen. Scott Brick is an articulate, precise reader and I thought he handled the material perfectly.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Definitely. I knew almost nothing about the topic and had no expectations or ideas on how things would turn out. The story was perfectly told so as not to give any hints.

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not; not applicable.

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

This is when/how the Ferris Wheel was invented!

Any additional comments?

I am a bit of an armchair architecture nerd, so I loved having a look into how the fair was achieved (and nearly wasn't) as well as insight into the minds of the great men who built the fair.

Fantastic Read

The narrator is expressive - the story is compelling - and the writing grips you and keeps you there. I am LOVING this book.

Intriguing

Great narration. Loved the concept of the story and extremely intriguing. Sometimes slow and encumbered with all of the architectural descriptions and jargon. Overall, it was definitely worth my time.

A thriller and yet non-fiction

The 1893 Chicago World's Fair , the architect who built it and the serial killer who haunts it. Incredible journalistic writing; reads like a thriller, but chillingly, it is all fact.

Rivetting!

I chose this book because of recommendations on Audible even though I was somewhat taken aback by the subject matter -- architecture and World's Fairs can be kind of dry and serial killers are a bit too sensational for my usual reading tastes. I'm so glad I took a chance on it, though. It's a fascinating book about a fascinating time in American history. While the two lines of the story may seem unrelated, together they give a very provocative picture of late 19th century Chicago society. It's a long book, but I was really sorry when it ended. I wanted the story to go on.