I'm Probably the Most Indecisive Person Ever

So, about Devil in the White City…I’ll be honest. I haven’t cracked the book open yet. Yes, I admit it, I am a chronic procrastinator, bear with me. So I guess I’ll start by talking a little about the book itself, then maybe something about why I chose it for book club.

Devil in the White City (I’m going to call it DWC from now on) is a two-for-one –special, in that it tells two stories at once. Chapter by chapter, Larson alternates the stories of the World’s Fair, and of a serial killer. This struck me as interesting, because although they took place at the same time and place, they seem like completely different stories to me. On one hand, the story of the World’s Fair seems like it could be written as a dry and historical account, whereas the serial killer plot lends itself to mystery, suspense, and drama. Of course, because this is creative nonfiction, I am interested to see how the contrast between these two stories plays out.

After going through the list of books for book club, I felt kind of lost. And also pressured. What if I chose a book that I hated? What if I gave myself yet another unbearable reading assignment? So, I Googled each book, and looked up some important information, such as, the genre, the author themselves, critical acclaim, and (dare I admit it?) page number. After reading some of the subjects of the books, my list of possibilities was narrowed significantly. (Demon in the Freezer was immediately crossed off the list – no offense – I’m just not really into Sci-Fi. And Krakauer 's Into the Wild isn't really my scene either). Then there was DWC

The first thing I noticed about DWC was the caption proudly displayed on the cover – “#1 National Bestseller”. Okay, so it can’t be too bad if a lot of people liked it. Another plus, was that it was a combination of thriller and history, which seemed similar to my love for historical fiction, and thriller movies. The third and final detail that sold me on DWC was the fact that it is about the World’s Fair, which I have learned about briefly in other courses, but, like many other things, was glanced over all too quickly. Sold.

Historical Context for "The Devil in the White City"

The Devil in the White City takes place in a time period normally overlooked in history classes. The events of the book occurred in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago during the Gilded Age, a time period sandwiched between the more often discussed Civil War and World War I. Most people couldn't even tell you who was President in 1893 despite there being two correct answers (it was an election year, Benjamin Harrison was replaced by Grover Cleveland). Nonetheless, the Columbian Exposition was a major event in the nation's history, even if it is largely ignored in the history books.

                The Exposition was a world fair held on the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus "discovering" America. While this was not the first World's Fair held in the United States (there had been one in Philadelphia and another in New Orleans), this was hardly a common occurrence. It was much like hosting the Olympic Games except instead of sports, there was focus on arts, entertainment, and technology. To give you an idea, Thomas Edison, the original Ferris Wheel, and Buffalo Bill Cody were all present, though Cody technically performed just outside of the fair grounds.

                As one might imagine, this fair was significant for the American people. The Civil War had ended 28 years prior and the nation had not yet fully recovered from the conflict. For perspective, the American Civil War still ranks as the deadliest in American history. With a good chunk of the population having personally experienced and witnessed the events of the war, the American identity was understandably fractured. The North prospered in the years following while the South struggled to cope with their most profitable industries unable to utilize slave labor. Even still, Northerners suffered as two economic recessions hit during the years following the war, one taking place in the same year as the Columbian Exposition.

                In many ways, the World's Columbian Exposition was exactly what the United States needed. The most obvious benefit being that the fair created jobs and was profitable despite the recession. More importantly, the fair reminded the American people, after seeing all the horrible things they could accomplish during the Civil War, that they had accomplished a great deal of positive thing since. A great deal of focus was placed on technological advancement in the United States, particularly with electricity-powered devices. It is no coincidence that the United States to this very day remains a global leader in the technology and electronics fields.

Sources:

Larson, Erik. The Devil in the White City. New York: Vintage Books,2003. Print.

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1386.html

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma96/wce/official.html

Reviews on the book I have yet to read

    Happy thoughts generally don't come to mind when one hears or reads the word "Devil."  In all honesty, as most people do, the thought of a red skinned creature with horns and a pitchfork surrounded by fire pops into my head.  However, when dealing with The Devil in the White City, no red skinned monster will be found.  The word "Devil" takes on a whole new meaning in this book.
     I would love to go into great detail about how amazing this book is, describing what happens so that you would one day want to go read it.  I would even love to say, "Oh yeah, this book is great.  Go check it out, I mean really, go to the library and check it out."  However, seeing that I have not read this book yet (I don't even have a copy of the book), I cannot do so.  So, for my first post, I will be sharing with you the reviews of the critics on this books.  Let's face it, instead of having me babble on for quite some time, as I have already done, why don't we have someone's opinion who actually read the book.
     This review, from Publishers Weekly, states that:
                      Larson's breathtaking new history is a novelistic yet wholly factual account of
                      the fair and the mass murderer who lurked within it. Bestselling author Larson
                      (Isaac's Storm) strikes a fine balance between the planning and execution of the
                      vast fair and Holmes's relentless, ghastly activities. The passages about Holmes
                      are compelling and aptly claustrophobic;
The review went on and on to give away dfetails of story, which I decided to not include because I will talk about them in later post.  Taking this into account, the book does seem quite interesting.  Not meaning to sound creepy in any way, but who doesn't love a story with a good murderer in it?
     This should be a very interesting book, and once I get around to actually getting the book itself, I will be able to tell you all about it. Lastly, I wanted to end this post with a witty pun, probably using a devil reference, but I couldn't think of a good one.  Oh well, so long for now.

     Source: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-609-60844-9

     Billy Karalus