The release date for the English version of 'The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America' by
Erik Larson is Feb 2003. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
In fact, readers may find themselves verifying the book's classification to be sure that 'The Devil in the White City' isn't just another extremely creative fiction. Author Erik Larson infuses the spectacular events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama. Larson narrates the tales of two men: H.H. Holmes, a serial murderer disguising himself as an endearing physician, and Daniel H. Burnham, the architect in charge of building the fair.
Burnham faced a formidable battle. He had to overcome several challenges, including the loss of his partner, in a short amount of time in order to build the renowned "White City," which served as the center of the fair. In addition to the remarkable success of the fair and his tireless attempts to finish the project, hilarious cameos by luminaries like Thomas Edison, Susan B. Anthony, and Buffalo Bill Cody are expertly recounted.
Similarly noteworthy are the actions of the evil Dr. Holmes, who is said to have committed several murders at the fair. He planned and built the World's Fair Hotel, which included a gas chamber and Crematory, close to the fairgrounds. He then utilized the occasion and his own endearing demeanor to entice victims.
It seems like a strange decision to combine the narratives of a murderer and an architect in one book, yet it works. Through Larson's deft writing, the eerie dark side and magical attraction of 19th-century Chicago are both made clear. - Moe, John