Review: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is probably more of a 2.5 stars than a solid 2. I tried this book a few years ago and couldn't get into it. This time around, I got it as an audiobook and had a much better experience. The writing was very descriptive and I loved the parts about HH Holmes's depravity.

However, the book just felt like two disjointed novellas that didn't really mesh together. There was the story of the Chicago World's Fair and the tale of HH Holmes. Aside from sharing a setting, they really had no major influence on each other; or the book didn't make it clear how they were related.

Also, I'm surprised Forrest Gump didn't show up at the Fair since a ton of American historical figures were there.

It's an ok read, but be prepared to learn more about the Fair than Holmes.

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