**This blog is a part of a series, as I read my way through 2017. To see my book list and/or recommend more, see this post.**
5. A Book about History: Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
Devil in the White City is the true tale of "murder, magic, and madness" at 1893 World's Columbian Expedition. (Like, really true. I found it in the non-fiction section. Had to use Dewey Decimal system. Felt very accomplished.) Mrs. Donna's recommendation was enough to get me interested, but once I realized it basically combined the Chicago World's Fair with an episode of Criminal Minds, I was sold. Full disclosure, I love anything and everything about Chicago. That gorgeous city gave me my first real breath of independence and missions and multiculturalism and changed my world forever. I've also always had a fascination with the World's Fair, but knew relatively little of the details surrounding it.
Larson takes us on a wild ride through the creation of possibly the largest single event in U.S. history, alongside the evolution of America's first recognized serial killer. Now, I will be the first to tell you that I am shamefully ignorant when it comes to history. Dr. Ford tried really really hard to instill some knowledge in my freshman brain, but all I can tell you is that in 1066 William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings. That's all I came away with. So for me, this book gave me a look at a historical event and historical figures in a way I've never experienced. Larson's not shy about name dropping, and we catch glimpses of folks like Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, Thomas Edison, Elias Disney, Frank Lloyd Wright, Sitting Bull, L. Frank Baum, and so many others all throughout the novel. If you had previously told me that all of these individuals existed in the same year, I would've laughed at you. I have no sense of chronology when it comes to our history. I know, shameful.
I expected to be thoroughly creeped out by the serial killer story running parallel to all of this, but it stayed tame enough that I had no trouble going to sleep every night while following the story. The story of H. H. Holmes is really interesting from a psychological perspective. Juxtaposed with the tale of creating the World's Fair, there's a fascinating view of some of humanity's best and worst all crammed into one place. Lines are blurred and boundaries are pushed, and it seems to me that the question running alongside all of this is whether we were really ready for it. In my head it's a very tower-of-Babel-like scene, and I look at today's world with all the technology and progress we've made and wonder the same- are we really ready for it? Can humanity be trusted with all of this? (History says: probably not. But we'll make it work.)
In the end, I found myself missing Chicago, and wishing for a day long past when excitement spread slowly and infectiously, without the benefit of Facebook live, Instagram, and the media. I felt the thrill of waiting on the newspaper headlines to reflect the latest development telegraphed from the big city. I felt the awe and wonder of hundreds of thousands of people gathered to take it all in- the living work of art that eclipsed any other similar experience. I felt the swell of patriotism at realizing how much beauty was created solely for love of country and pride in their city. This book quickly placed itself high on my list of favorites, and inspired me to take a closer look at the history of my country and to fall deeper in love with one of our greatest cities. 10 out of 10 stars- Go read it yourself and enjoy it as much as I did!
5. A Book about History: Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
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| (Shoutout to Mrs. Donna Manning for recommending this book to me.) |
Devil in the White City is the true tale of "murder, magic, and madness" at 1893 World's Columbian Expedition. (Like, really true. I found it in the non-fiction section. Had to use Dewey Decimal system. Felt very accomplished.) Mrs. Donna's recommendation was enough to get me interested, but once I realized it basically combined the Chicago World's Fair with an episode of Criminal Minds, I was sold. Full disclosure, I love anything and everything about Chicago. That gorgeous city gave me my first real breath of independence and missions and multiculturalism and changed my world forever. I've also always had a fascination with the World's Fair, but knew relatively little of the details surrounding it.
Larson takes us on a wild ride through the creation of possibly the largest single event in U.S. history, alongside the evolution of America's first recognized serial killer. Now, I will be the first to tell you that I am shamefully ignorant when it comes to history. Dr. Ford tried really really hard to instill some knowledge in my freshman brain, but all I can tell you is that in 1066 William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings. That's all I came away with. So for me, this book gave me a look at a historical event and historical figures in a way I've never experienced. Larson's not shy about name dropping, and we catch glimpses of folks like Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, Thomas Edison, Elias Disney, Frank Lloyd Wright, Sitting Bull, L. Frank Baum, and so many others all throughout the novel. If you had previously told me that all of these individuals existed in the same year, I would've laughed at you. I have no sense of chronology when it comes to our history. I know, shameful.
I expected to be thoroughly creeped out by the serial killer story running parallel to all of this, but it stayed tame enough that I had no trouble going to sleep every night while following the story. The story of H. H. Holmes is really interesting from a psychological perspective. Juxtaposed with the tale of creating the World's Fair, there's a fascinating view of some of humanity's best and worst all crammed into one place. Lines are blurred and boundaries are pushed, and it seems to me that the question running alongside all of this is whether we were really ready for it. In my head it's a very tower-of-Babel-like scene, and I look at today's world with all the technology and progress we've made and wonder the same- are we really ready for it? Can humanity be trusted with all of this? (History says: probably not. But we'll make it work.)
In the end, I found myself missing Chicago, and wishing for a day long past when excitement spread slowly and infectiously, without the benefit of Facebook live, Instagram, and the media. I felt the thrill of waiting on the newspaper headlines to reflect the latest development telegraphed from the big city. I felt the awe and wonder of hundreds of thousands of people gathered to take it all in- the living work of art that eclipsed any other similar experience. I felt the swell of patriotism at realizing how much beauty was created solely for love of country and pride in their city. This book quickly placed itself high on my list of favorites, and inspired me to take a closer look at the history of my country and to fall deeper in love with one of our greatest cities. 10 out of 10 stars- Go read it yourself and enjoy it as much as I did!
