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The Devil in the White City
- Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
- Lu par : Scott Brick
- Durée : 14 h et 58 min
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The Devil in the White City
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Description
The White City (as it became known) was a magical creation constructed upon Chicago's swampy Jackson Park by Daniel H. Burnham, the famed architect who coordinated the talents of Frederick Olmsted, Louis Sullivan, and others to build it. Dr. Henry H. Holmes combined the fair's appeal with his own fatal charms to lure scores of women to their deaths. Whereas the fair marked the birth of a new epoch in American history, Holmes marked the emergence of a new American archetype, the serial killer, who thrived on the very forces then transforming the country.
In deft prose, Larson conveys Burnham's herculean challenge to build the White City in less than 18 months. At the same time, he describes how, in a malign parody of the achievements of the fair's builders, Holmes built his own World's Fair Hotel - a torture palace complete with a gas chamber and crematorium. Throughout the book, tension mounts on two fronts: Will Burnham complete the White City before the millions of visitors arrive at its gates? Will anyone stop Holmes as he ensnares his victims?
Commentaires
"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)
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Ce que les auditeurs disent de The Devil in the White City
Moyenne des évaluations utilisateurs. Seuls les utilisateurs ayant écouté le titre peuvent laisser une évaluation.Commentaires - Veuillez sélectionner les onglets ci-dessous pour changer la provenance des commentaires.
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Global3 out of 5 stars
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Interprétation3 out of 5 stars
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Histoire3 out of 5 stars
- Pierre Gauthier
- 29/10/2017
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.
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Global5 out of 5 stars
- D
- 18/09/2003
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.
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255 personnes ont trouvé cela utile
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Global5 out of 5 stars
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Interprétation5 out of 5 stars
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Histoire5 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 26/05/2012
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.
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160 personnes ont trouvé cela utile
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Global5 out of 5 stars
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Interprétation5 out of 5 stars
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Histoire5 out of 5 stars
- Kelly
- 18/06/2014
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.
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78 personnes ont trouvé cela utile
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Global3 out of 5 stars
- Ed
- 21/06/2011
Cold blooded Architectural Digest
I'm sure people who loved this book will disagree with me but my expectations were far from met after wading through 15 hours of listening. I thought the connection between H.H. Holmes and the Chicago World's Fair was tedious at best. Larson might have done just as well to insert a photo of a scantily clad girl from the gay '90s every 25 pages or so. Of course, that would have proved problematic for Audible customers. If you like "architectural talk" and the behind-the-scences motivations of those involved in the trade, then this is a book for you. That's especially true if you also like a sprinkling of "serial killer story" with your description of building and landscape architecture. This book was well researched and well written, hence the three stars. It just wasn't for me. (The last 50 minutes summarized the first 14 hours and would have sufficed.)
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73 personnes ont trouvé cela utile
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Global5 out of 5 stars
- PKsweets
- 27/10/2009
Entrancing historical thriller
In reading some of the lower rated reviews, I was hesitant to make this pick but now
I cannot think of a better way to tell the two intertwined stories presented here. They are the yin and yang of the event, and with the wonderful narration, and engrossing detail, the story flew along.....well, as fast as you can listen to those 14+ hours. Unlike other long downloads, this one kept me in the story, and I did not have to 'back-up' to remember the place....
The amazing scope of this Fair is awesome, and for the time history-making on so many fronts, from the Labor movement, to engineering, and sanitation, we can still see this Fair's footprint on our daily lives! Concurrently,
the gruesome serial-killer who took advantage of the circumstances is a potent reminder that there is always evil lurking just under the beautiful surface, and we cannot be too vigilant.
The narration was perfect, and this story will please the history buff, mystery or thriller reader in you.
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69 personnes ont trouvé cela utile
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Global5 out of 5 stars
- Audra
- 13/10/2003
Couldn't take my earphone out...
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this audible book. The two story lines are both wonderful and either one on their own would have been enough to keep me entertained.
A wonderfully researched and thoughtfully written book that is brought to life by a voice made to be listened to.
Do yourself a favour and get this one.
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67 personnes ont trouvé cela utile
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Global4 out of 5 stars
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Interprétation5 out of 5 stars
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Histoire4 out of 5 stars
- Calliope
- 09/09/2013
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.
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59 personnes ont trouvé cela utile
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Global5 out of 5 stars
- Cayce
- 07/10/2006
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.
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46 personnes ont trouvé cela utile
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Global5 out of 5 stars
- Debra
- 05/11/2003
Fascinating!
I knew very little about the Chicago Exposition and nothing about H.H. Holmes before listening to this book. What a juxtaposition between the two stories - one of great deeds and triumph and the other of such horror and tragedy.
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41 personnes ont trouvé cela utile
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Global2 out of 5 stars
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Interprétation4 out of 5 stars
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Histoire3 out of 5 stars
- The Amester
- 04/11/2016
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.
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29 personnes ont trouvé cela utile
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Global5 out of 5 stars
- folgren
- 05/03/2008
Die Weiße Stadt
Geschickt verbindet Erik Larsson in seinem Roman Die Teufel von Chicago die Geschehnisse um die Weltausstellung in Chicago mit der Geschichte eines Serienkillers, der sich, um seine Perversionen zu frönen, eigens ein Hotel baut. Wer auf den üblich spannenden Aufbau eines Thrillers hofft, wird zwar enttäuscht werden. Es zeigt sich schnell, dass es Larson vor allem um die Weltausstellung geht, und er sich des Genres des Serienkillers bedient, um größere Käuferschichten anzulocken. Nicht jeder würde sonst vielleicht einen Roman über eine Weltausstellung lesen wollen. Das ist ein geschickter Schachzug, schadet dem Roman nicht und schafft Abwechslung im Erzählfluss. Zumal Larson im Stile von John Griesemers Rausch ein Zeittableau vorlegt, dass den nüchternen Stil des Beobachters, durch spannende Einzelgeschichten untermauert. Es geht die ganze Zeit ums Scheitern. Bekommt man das Projekt überhaupt nach Chicago? Wie wird es finanziert? Kann es mit Paris mithalten? Welche Architekten sollen beauftragt werden, hält die Ausstellung das, was man sich von ihr verspricht? Am Ende steht eine weiße Stadt da und eine Thrillergeschichte, die gedehnt wird, um mit der weitaus üppigeren Geschichte einer Weltausstellung mitzuhalten. Ein Architekt und ein Mörder, zwei Männer, die wie Larson im Vorwort vorhersagt, sich nie begegnen werden. Unter dieser losen Verbindung leidet die Konstruktion ein bißchen, was jedoch einen Leser nicht davon abhalten sollte, mehr über das Chicago jener Zeit erfahren zu wollen.
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1 personne a trouvé cela utile
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Global1 out of 5 stars
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Interprétation1 out of 5 stars
- Philipp
- 03/05/2018
The probably most awful reader
I had to stop listening to this audibook. The reader has either absolutely no talent or intentionally tries to bore people. Sorry, the story behind this book might still be worth reading the actual book. But listening to this is just a waste of time...
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