Analysis Of The Devil In The White City By Erik Larson

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America is a detailed look at the climate and events surrounding the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. This time period ushered in a new era of architectural and cultural changes throughout the country. This book was written by Erik Larson, is 447 pages long, and was published by Crown Publishers in February 2003. I chose this book because I had heard from friends and family that it was an interesting piece, and a surprisingly good read for a work of non-fiction. The Devil in the White City follows the lives of two men, Daniel Burnham and H.H. Holmes. While these men share some common traits such as ambition and charm, their impact on society
While this story comes across as a fictional novel, it is solidly backed by facts and references. He frequently quotes individuals and often mentions where those quotes came from. He does take some liberties with how the characters were feeling, or what he thought their motivations were, but he explains how he came to those conclusions. This book can easily be thought of as two works of non-fiction crammed into one. While Larson was very good at making clear transitions, I feel that something was lost. These two stories are so full of interesting details that it would be difficult to do them justice in such a short book. The story of Burnham and the creation of the fair is well recorded and easily researched. Larson’s accomplishment on this front was keeping the story interesting without losing out on the important details. That being said, the story was not always easy to follow. The sheer number of people and dates behind this fair is sometimes difficult to keep track of for the reader. The story of Holmes also presented a few challenges. Very little is known about this elusive killer, and almost none of the knowledge is substantiated. The author freely admits that he had to take a few liberties with the scenes and the emotions behind them. For the reader, this makes it seem more like a novel and less like a record of history. Although interesting, it takes something away from the scholarly passion behind the piece. The liberties taken by Larson however are backed by the understanding of modern psychiatry. Larson states in the notes section that he consulted with a psychiatrist named Dr. James O. Raney during the creation of this story. This scientific basis makes the story believable, which is why it is so easy to be drawn