The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

"I am convinced that since my imprisonment I have changed woefully and gruesomely from what I was formerly in feature and figure...My head and face are gradually assuming an elongated shape. I believe fully that I am growing to resemble the devil---that the similitude is almost completed."
           -H. H. Holmes, in his confession

A friend loaned this book to me with her recommendation. Nonfiction is not my genre of choice but this one was a "page turner"! It reminded me so much of Destiny of the Republic which even had a similar subtitle, something like Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President. The subtitle of this one is Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America. Both books have a number of historical characters and the story goes back and forth between them.

The main characters are David Hudson Burnham, the chief architect of the Chicago World's Fair, and

 H. H. Holmes, nee Herman Webster Mudgett, a serial killer. As a fan of crime novels and TV shows, I probably was more intrigued by Holmes.  The setting of the Chicago World's Fair, 1893, was unknown to me so it was interesting to see how something of such massive proportions was put together.

"Larson is a historian with a novelist's soul." (Chicago Sun-Times) That is so true! In the notes, Larson says he does not research on the internet. He does it hands-on, searching libraries, archives and finding primary sources that add so much to the story. There are even examples of humor, provided by some of these.

Larson tells about the changes in America brought on by the fair. One of the best, in my opinion, was the Ferris Wheel, and perhaps the worst, Shredded Wheat.

The Devil in the White City is impressive! It gets a rating of 5.