Apologies for the size of the "Water for Elephants" picture. I tried!!
Another amazing book I read in the last couple of months was "Devil in the White City." I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction for some reason. Perhaps because I know the fate of the characters is either predetermined or bent to fit the historical facts. But "Devil" read more like a journalistic foray into the 1893 World's Fair. I wasn't a standout student in American history class, but I do think I picked up the basics. And I had no idea a) that we hosted a World's Fair, or b) how many, many parts of the American vernacular had their start at the 1893 Fair. Author Eric Larsen takes the reader on a journey through the planning and creation of the fair, from first meetings through the creation of a structure to top the Eiffel Tower.
Interwoven into the chapters of the creation of a fantasyland are chapters relating the story of a madman, one of the first known serial killers in the United States. Larsen has done extensive research on all of the characters in the book, and he states at the beginning that everything in quotation marks was actually written or said. It's still hard to believe that a person like the man described in the book actually existed.
The contrast of the two settings is thrilling, and knowing that this all took place in the blossoming city of Chicago is fascinating. A wonderful read, for mystery-lovers and history-lovers alike.
1 comment:
oooo...I actually had this book at one point, but couldn't get into it during the first chapter....maybe I need to revisit it!!
So glad you are back on the literary scene, Rachel! I had similar problem about posting...and found that if I logged in to someone's blog and left a comment, then I could log in and edit my blog---weird, I know!
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