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The Devil in the White City
- Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Politics & Social Sciences, Sociology
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Publisher's Summary
New York Times Best Seller • The true tale of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the cunning serial killer who used the magic and majesty of the fair to lure his victims to their death.
Two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized America’s rush toward the 20th century. The architect was Daniel Hudson Burnham, the fair’s brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country’s most important structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington, DC. The murderer was Henry H. Holmes, a young doctor who, in a malign parody of the White City, built his “World’s Fair Hotel” just west of the fairgrounds - a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and 3,000-degree crematorium.
Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. What makes the story all the more chilling is that Holmes really lived, walking the grounds of that dream city by the lake.
The Devil in the White City draws the listener into a time of magic and majesty, made all the more appealing by a supporting cast of real-life characters, including Buffalo Bill, Theodore Dreiser, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and others. Erik Larson’s gifts as a storyteller are magnificently displayed in this rich narrative of the master builder, the killer, and the great fair that obsessed them both.
What the critics say
- Edgar Allan Poe Award Winner, Fact Crime, 2004
"A hugely engrossing chronicle of events public and private." (Chicago Tribune)
"Vivid history of the glittering Chicago World's Fair and its dark side." (New York Magazine)
"Both intimate and engrossing, Larson's elegant historical account unfolds with the painstaking calm of a Holmes murder."(Library Journal)
Featured Article: 20 Best True Crime Audiobooks for Your Inner Detective
There is nothing more thrilling than the unfolding tale of a true crime story. Whether an unsolved mystery, a deep dive into a criminal mastermind, or a look at an infamous serial killer, true crime is gripping, captivating, and engrossing. The best true crime audiobooks will have you on the edge of your seat, anxious for more. Add to that an emphatic and powerful narrator, and you simply won't be able to stop listening. Here are the 20 best true crime audiobooks to satisfy your inner detective.
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What listeners say about The Devil in the White City
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Joseph Butcher
- 2017-10-26
Well written
Really enjoyed it. Be warned, this book does contain content regarding a serial killer that is fairly explicit. Regardless, it is an amazing book!
4 people found this helpful
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- Tee
- 2017-10-12
Dry non-fiction
If you like matter-of-fact non-fiction, this story may be for you.
I did not enjoy the book. It reads like a compilation of news reports. The narrator read with an unemotional voice.
There are two storylines - that of Daniel Burnham in the planning and construction of the 1893 Chicago World Fair, and the account of H.H. Holmes the serial killer who lived in Chicago at that time. Each storyline is more or less self-contained. That they should be juxtaposed in one book gives me the impression that Larsen is simply trying to double the thickness of his book.
Warning: There are accounts of murders which the author had pieced together from his research, including of children. I find these chilling and unsettling because they indeed took place.
6 people found this helpful
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- Raina Mermaid
- 2019-08-02
A boring book about... a Serial Killer?
This book wasn't what I was expecting based on reviews, hype, and general talk of a film. This is a book about the history of the Chicago World's Fair, with a little bit of HH Holmes in it. I guess I expected it to be the other way around. I was boring to me as it wasn't what I expected, hearing about ledgers, finances and health issues of the people who made the fair. It does cover a lot of interesting content but a huge majority of it was just mundane, every-day stuff. If you're into history and that sort of thing I can imagine it would be fairly interesting but even then a lot of the content was rather stagnate for me. I've never fallen asleep listening to books but I fell asleep often listening to this one - which is crazy when you consider it's about a serial killer. The serial killer stuff IS very disturbing. I don't say this out of needing it to be more morbid or gory I was just more interested in the history of HH Holmes, how he was caught and what was learned as a result. I did find the history of the Ferris wheel interesting, and of course a few other little factoids. But if you're buying this book to learn about HH Holmes... he's sort of a background thing. Voice actor for the narration was excellent though
2 people found this helpful
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- Rob
- 2019-04-04
Fragmented
Struggled to finish it. Fragmented . I will not keep this book. Certainly not Larson's best
2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 2020-12-29
True crime lovers beware
Lower your expectations for how much you’re going to learn about H. H. Holmes. It’s nothing you don’t already know. If you’re not here for that, then it’s a lovely book about architecture and the world’s fair.
1 person found this helpful
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- Sheleigh Ross
- 2022-03-09
Elegantly woven historical non-fiction
You almost forget that you aren't listening to a murder mystery novel, so sensational is the material. If you love learning about history, the story of the fair's coming to fruition is awe-inspiring. And if you are a true crime junky, the story of Holmes is right up your alley.
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- barry
- 2021-03-16
Fantastic!
Loved it. It took a bit to get used to but came together perfectly!
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- Lyndsay Nicole
- 2020-09-03
Starts Out A Bit Slow But Worth Hanging In There!
After getting through the first few chapters this was a very interesting book! The author's depiction of H. H. Holmes was thrilling and also very eerie at times. Anyone fascinated by True Crime or psychology will really enjoy this book. Will be listening to it again!
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- Amazon Customer
- 2020-08-16
Exceptionally researched and beautifully written
This book was one of the best I've read. Larson has crafted engrossing parallel stories that are separate enough to be enjoyable on their own- but intertwined enough that they play on one another perfectly.
As a student of history myself, Larson's primary research is incredible. I have personally felt, as he did, that reading primary documents lights up history like "a match in a dark room"- and I found his ability to spin the facts into such a rich drama amazing.
Reading this book takes your imagination straight to the Chicago of the late Victorian era. I felt as if I were there, beside the both the titans of American architecture and the devil of Chicago.
The reader, as well, is great to listen to. Feels very Era appropriate.
10/10. Highly recommend.
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- Roberta W
- 2020-01-12
Dark history in the white city
After a false start a year ago, when I couldn't get into this book, I picked it up again. I had just come across "Bloodstains" by Jeff Mudgett, the great grandson of the "devil" in this book, and thought I should read this first (I recommend reading them in this order; it gave good context for Mudgett's revelations).
Overall, this was a pretty good book, but tying together two largely unrelated storylines isn't easy to do. While both were joined by the time and place of the Chicago World's Fair, flipping from a mass murderer's arrival in the city to the architects planning the site couldn't help but feel disjointed.
In the end, the stories were joined in the grizzly nightmares and calamities during the fair. It was disturbing to learn that the disappearing women barely registered with authorities and the "devil" carried on under their noses.
It is a dark history, but interesting nonetheless.
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- Michael
- 2012-05-26
Impossible to stop listening
Of the 30+ books I've listened to since 2009, The Devil in the White City is one of the best experiences. Erik Larson's writing is sublime. He conjures the Chicago of the late nineteenth century so clearly that he might be documenting events that occurred yesterday. The stories about the design, organization, and construction of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair as well as the personalities involved are all utterly fascinating. The macabre portions that deal with serial killer Dr. H. H. Holmes are so bizarre as to almost be unbelievable. While listening to this book, I found myself continually thinking, "Truth truly is stranger than fiction."
Prior to my listen I was apprehensive about the narrator, Scott Brick, who had also done Ron Chernow's Washington: A Life. I felt that Brick's reading of that book was slightly stilted, but his performance of Devil in the White City is pitch perfect.
145 people found this helpful
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- Calliope
- 2013-09-09
well written, well researched, well read
I'll start by saying that, as much as I liked this audio book, it's really two stories that aren't wound together very well. That's OK because they're both good and worth time and attention. The bulk of the book is about the creation and execution of the Columbian Exposition, which is told in a way that is more interesting than one would expect. From the architectural challenges to the societal politics, from the adoption of AC current to the creation of the first Ferris Wheel, it was all far more interesting than I had expected. The addition of the extra story, of the sociopath serial killer HH Holmes, is timely enough so as not to stand out, but doesn't really flow as part of the story of the Exposition either. Holmes ran a ''hotel'' for young women going to the Fair, many of whom fatally disappeared, but Holmes crimes started before the Fair and continued after, so linking them is a bit of a stretch.
Scott Brick did an excellent job as the narrator, winning me over after a previous performance reading a book I couldn't finish because it was so bad. I hesitated when I saw his name, but there was no need,,,,he did a stellar job. The author too did an excellent job writing a very accessible book from a lot of well researched material.
52 people found this helpful
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- Amanda W.
- 2019-07-15
mhh... like walking through mud with snowshoes
If you want a book about architecture and the worlds fair this is for you. If you are looking for something exciting, look elsewhere.
20 people found this helpful
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- Kelly
- 2014-06-18
two excellent stores read by a superb narrator
My daughter was assigned this book as part of her summer reading for her Honor's English class. I got to it first and spent two nights awake until dawn listening in wonder. I expected a murder mystery set in the World's Fair. It was so much more. Really there were two stories running concurrently. We did follow HH Holme and know what he was up to while living in Chicago. There was nothing gruesome -- Mr Larson writes about Holmes' machinations in a straightforward way. For me this mad it feel less sensational and I was glad for the writing style.
The other story interested me further. Following the preparation for, the buildup towards, and the financial consequences of the Fair was fascinating. It allows the reader to understand the culture of our home country at a time more than 100 years in our past. We meet world leaders, owners of the largest businesses, the father of a son who later be known as WALT DISNEY. But we also meet people that some might not recognize. FREDERICK LAW OLMSTEAD played a large role throughout the book. It was fascination t flesh out his life as I knew him only as the designer of Central Park in New York. Interspersed throughout the entire story are came performances. I particularly liked the the short moment shared between Pulham and Helen Keller.
i loved everything about the book -- with one caveat. Really more advice. Don't let your mind wander. You won't want to miss any of the hidden gems.
66 people found this helpful
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- D
- 2003-09-18
A Rich Read!
I enjoyed this listen so much I lost sleep to continue listening. Scott Brick is my favorite narrator and he doesn't disappoint here. Set in Chicago in the late 1800's the book tells two stories. The fascinating story of Chicago's rush to build the White City and hold the World Fair of 1893 (celebrating the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America and visited by everyone who was anyone); as well as the murderous actions of Herman Mudgett (a.k.a. HH Holmes) a well respected doctor who preyed on young trusting women, and anyone else who got in his way.
The author writes in such a way that you can truly imagine the excitement and boom happening in that place and time. Other added details such as the detectives' intense search for evidence, appearances by famous people, and a tale from the Titanic make this story a rich and enjoyable read.
This was a huge undertaking for any author and I'm glad Larson ventured to uncover this enthralling story, however more details of both the murders and the building of the city would have been welcomed. Still a fascinating read that for the first time makes me look forward to the movie so I can see the incredible White City come to life.
244 people found this helpful
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- Heather Wilde
- 2017-04-25
Historical richness
The onslaught of details overwhelmed me to start, but I am glad I stuck with it. I soon became entranced in the drama and details. Nicely done!
11 people found this helpful
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- Cayce
- 2006-10-07
Completely engrossing
This was one of the best books I've heard on Audible (and I listen to around 2 a week). True, there is a lot of detail, but unlike a few other readers, I didn't find one moment of it tedious.
I, of course, had heard of the Columbian Exposition, but I had no idea what a large role it played in the history of Chicago or the country. The descriptions of the building of the fair, the social classes and the side story about the murders gave me a good feel for the time and the attitudes of the people who lived then. It was also interesting to hear about people like Olmstead and how he worked.
I was fascinated by this book and spent a lot of time after I finished it looking at photos of the fair online.
The whole thing was like one of those great New Yorker articles about something you know nothing about but, once introduced, can't get enough of.
43 people found this helpful
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- Cherie Campbell
- 2019-10-09
STOP THIS IS SO BORING!!!!
The narrator was great, the story was awful. i am a true crime junkie and co up ld not wait to get this book. At 6 hours in i could not figure out why eveyone love yhis book....it is all about the architects of the world fair...in 6 hours i think that they only mention Hh 3 times. Not a great story.
9 people found this helpful
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- The Amester
- 2016-11-04
Turning History into Tedium
I was massively disappointed in this book. The narrator, Scott Brick, is great as always. But, the writing and storytelling were sub-par. I was very interested in the topic and had looked forward to learning about something brand new.
As soon as the narrative began, I realized that the author was caught between telling a story and retelling history. He failed at both. Attempts to create suspense fell flat because he was recounting known historical facts. Attempts to create character-depth fell flat because he could only have them speak in the small snippets of dialogue culled from historical documents. Not one person seemed real to me and yet they were all historical figures! Because the author stuck by historical facts and evidence only, he hobbled his own freedom to create vibrant people which I could care about. Larson ends up describing people, describing their words and describing their actions. It didn't seem that the characters were actual people, speaking and acting.
I was fascinated by the fair but the author dragged me into minutiae that felt irrelevant to the story. And, I'm generally a great lover of minutiae.
The murderous Holmes was approached and described as though the author himself were a product of the end of the nineteenth century - constrained by prim social mores and avoiding saying anything crude, explicit or graphic about the murderer. It takes a true lack of writing talent to turn a vile killer into a tedious character.
I suspect that most other listeners will disagree with my point of view. But, two very exciting subjects were ground into a fine dust of tedium by Erik Larson.
26 people found this helpful
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- Dr. Meggin McIntosh
- 2013-05-27
The Best Book I've Listened to in at Least a Year!
WOW! My first Erik Larson book and definitely not my last. I only wish Scott Brick was the narrator for the one I just bought. From the first sentence through the last one, I was completely taken in by this story and this performance. I learned so much and I enjoyed every second of it. I can't even think of a book that was as "perfect" (I hate to use that word) as this one and definitely better to listen because of Scott Brick than it would have been if I had read it. It sounds like a novel but of course, it's true, which made it even more exciting. Loved it!!
26 people found this helpful
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- Pierre Gauthier
- 2017-10-29
Interesting but not Perfect!
This work intertwines the planning, construction and unwinding of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago with the doings of a serial killer that went on in that city at the same period.
Thus, the narrative basically alternates between the actions of luminaries such as Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted and those of a mad criminal. A third plot is also meshed in, regarding another madman living in his delusions.
Though the three series of characters never meet, there is initially a unity of time and place and a strong suspense is developed.
Sadly, about three quarters of the way through, this unity is lost as the Exhibition is closed, the murderer carries his deeds to various other locations such as Philadelphia and Toronto and the madman has been arrested.
The epilogue however does bring all the loose ends together and tells of the final fate of all major protagonists.
There clearly was an outstanding amount of research carried out by the author although, as he himself mentions, his imagination was required to make things fit together. He may also be criticized for his overly lengthy macabre descriptions that appear unnecessary.
Though not perfect, this partially fictional work will certainly prove worthwhile, particularly to those interested in architecture and urban planning.