The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
This book was all about balance. It was perfectly balanced between gruesome killings and educational facts. I was entertained from page one all the way to the index at the back of the book. It flip-flops between the story a serial killer and the story of an architect. The serial killer is H. H. Holmes. It is assumed he killed between 20 and 200 people during the time of the World's Fair. The architect is Daniel Burnham who built the White City. A World's Fair that brought thousands of people from all over the U.S. to Chicago.
The true story that Erik Larson wrote answered questions that I never knew I had or would have ever thought to ask. I am so glad that I read this book. I feel more educated about American culture after reading. There are so many aspects of American culture that began as a direct result of the World's Fair, the Farris Wheel, the Midway, Shredded Wheat, Disney World, and in a more subtle way, the sanitary ways of city living.
The story of H.H. Holmes, the killer, was much more than I could handle. Larson writes very matter-of-factly, which I think helps. It puts the reader at a safe distance. I admire the amount of research and the work that Erik Larson put into this book. He also took a few liberations and wrote how he could image two of the kills taking place. He was sure to note that he used only the facts and filled it in with possible detail.
The only disappointment I faced was that we never learned "why!" Why did H.H. Holmes kill these people? I can't blame Erik Larson for not answering. He's done his job and told us the story. Unfortunately Mr. Holmes never gives the world a true reason. He took the truth and the reasoning with him to Hell.
