Devil in the White CIty

Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America

By Erik Larson

Referred to me by Lara Hoefs

I didn't know much about the World's Fair of 1893 prior to reading this book. I only knew it was a major event of another time period full of things I don't necessarily enjoy: crowds, carnival rides and hoopla. I did not know that this was a record breaking event bringing us many things we consider a part of our lives to the public: electrical lights as part of public architecture, shredded wheat, Pabst blue ribbon and the Ferris Wheel. The story of the amazing effort this event took to become successful, how we were competing with France for the best World's Fair and the major progress that came out of the fair is pretty mind blowing. Apart from inventions and the very odd and time specific "entertainment" of bringing whole villages of cannibals from remote locations to be ogled at it was fascinating to see how this event shaped the future planning of cities. The art of what we now know as urban planning.

This story is told parallel to a different, more sinister (I love that word) story of a serial killer. A true story of a doctor who builds a home, later converted into a hotel for the World's Fair, specific to his choice of murder and the ability to maximize it. His modus operandi is finding brave young woman, away from home for the first time, ready to make it on their own in a new, big city. I won't give any details away but the man earned the term serial killer and it reminds you how we often think repeated, fetishistic murder is a modern phenomenon but perhaps in the past it was just easier to get away with.

This is a fascinating tale of modernism, history, manipulation and the hard work of honest folk.

Book 43