Devil in the White City
Book Review

Review by Queenie D

Devil in the White City BOOK SYNOPSIS

A true story about the Great Chicago World Fair of 1893. The book is split between two main narratives. One follows the creation of the Fair by it's architects, mainly Daniel Burnham. The other follows the life of mass serial killer Dr. H.H. Holmes.

The fair chapters go into detail about the monstrous amount of work they had to do in a very short amount of time to get Chicago ready to hold the fair. The main goal was to "out-Eiffel" Eiffel, the architect who built the Eiffel tower and unveiled it at the world fair in Paris the year before.

The Holmes chapters delve into the mind and workings of a seriously disturbed young man who takes the lives of countless young women during the years building toward the fair and during the fair.

QUEENIE D SAYS

Alright so we already know that nonfiction is not my favorite. But I'm always willing to give it a chance. Especially if it involves a murder mystery which is always intriguing.

So I pick up Devil in the White City and I try to read it. That was well over a year ago on my own. I try several times and eventually give up because it's SO incredibly boring. I just can't get through the teensy, tinsy details about who sat where at some architect dinner in Chicago.

Then this month my book club chooses it (my best friend actually!) and I think "OMG" how am I EVER going to get through it? So I actually have to check out the book twice, the audio book once, and then a large print copy finally before I finish it.

I obviously didn't like this book. It advertised something that it was definitely not. It was not "murder, magic and madness at the Fair that changed America" as the title shouts. It was more like "architects scramble around trying to out-Eiffel Eiffel and some doctor kills women on the sly." Okay, I've ranted enough.

There were some redeeming qualities. I liked learning about all the firsts that came from the fair like Cracker Jacks, and the Ferris Wheel. I thought H.H. Holmes was a monster and couldn't believe some of the atrocious things he did.

But it just wasn't enough to keep my interest. I heard there's a movie version on the way. Maybe it'll be better and I NEVER say that!

THE QUEENS COLLIDE: A DEBATE ON DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY

Queenie D: Ughhh! I barely got through this book!

Queenie B: WHAT?! I loved it. It's a top of the list 5 for me!

QD: I can't even begin to tell you how awful of a time I had reading Devil in the White City. Okay, I'll try - I actually bought this book a year ago on my own, hated it and sold it back to a discount book store. Then when it became our book club pick this month I was fearful. I checked it out twice in a row from the library (6 weeks total) returned it, got it on audio, returned it, checked it out again and then finally finished it! Thank God we combined 2 months together or I would've been out of the club for not finishing!

QB: I just don't even understand how you can say that! I was fascinated by the history of the fair and the details of the daily life of the architects and people responsible for making it happen.

QD: I say yuck to all that. The only thing that kept me mildly interested was the Holmes part. I am intrigued by the motivation behind serial killers. In the end though, this book wasn't even about that.

QB: And I'm glad it wasn't’t! I could've cared less about Holmes. I mean, what he did was horrible and I feel for all those girls families but I didn't want to waste my time on those chapters when I could be reading about the fair.

QD: I'm not going to totally hate on the book! I thought all the "firsts" that came from the fair were pretty neat. Cracker Jacks, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, and The Ferris Wheel!

QB: I know! Like I always do, I got so caught up in the story I wanted more, more, more when it was through. I checked out a couple more books about the fair and watched a video.

QD: What I don't understand is why we aren't taught more about this in our history classes in school. Lots of important events and people surrounded this fair. It seems weird to me that we wouldn't study it.

QB: Maybe you can suggest that at your next school!

QD: I think I might…

QB: I only wish I could have gone to Chicago to see the magnificent White City!

QD: After looking at the pictures it seems impossible that they would have been able to tear the whole thing down.

QB: And such a shame…

Devil in the White City DISCUSSION QUESTIONS