May 2: Books: The Devil in the White City
Well, it's been quite a while since I announced with much ado that I'd be starting to discuss the books I've read. So, I guess I should get off my butt and do it then.
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (click link for book info and excepts)
Twenty-two years after the 1871 fire that destroyed much of Chicago, that city hosted a World's Fair that many believe bested any before or since. The Devil in the White City is really two stories told in alternating chapters: the story of the creation of the fair and the story of a serial killer operating in Chicago at the same time.
The story of creating the fair is almost unbelievable when you consider the enormous scale of the fair, the nearly insurmountable natural obstacles, and the time constraints that the Fair's creators labored under. In just about two years (at least I think it was two years, it's been a while since I read they book) they transformed a barren, muddy patch of land into a wonderland filled with beautiful gardens and ponds; displays, exhibitions and acts from all over the world; and some of the most magnificent buildings ever built. One of the buildings, I think it was the Manufacturing and Arts building, had something like 32 acres of uninterrupted space: not a column or wall in 32 acres! It could hold upwards of 200,000 people at a time. And that was only one of many buildings, each designed by one of the premeire architects of the day.
One of the great sub-stories to the World's Fair story was the competition to build something more amazing than the Eiffel Tower, which had been the centerpiece of the Paris World Fair a few years earlier. The Eiffel Tower had amazed all who saw it, and the Americans took it as a personal challenge to present something more amazing at the Chicago's World Fair. What resulted was the first Ferris Wheel; it measured something like 300 feet in diameter, so when you were at the top, there was nothing taller in all of Chicago, except the Manufacturing and Arts building. It could seat more than 2000 people at a time. By all accounts, it easily answered the challenge.
At first, I found the serial killer story to be pretty interesting and/or gruesome, but overall entirely secondary to the story of the Fair itself. But, as I've thought about it more I've come to view the book more as two sides to the same story: the two sides of the time and of human nature. On the one hand, people were creating new and amazing things that would change the world, but on the other, the darker side, there were people who were commiting heinous acts and causing much suffering. The serial killer was able to operate undetected for a long time in a large part due to the massive expansion happening in Chicago brought on by the fair.
When I look back on the book the things that stick out to me are the descriptions of the Fair buildings. The whole time I was reading the book, I was thinking about how I'd love to go and see which of the buildings are still there, to try to capture a little bit of the amazement that the Fair's visitors told of. Sadly, within a year or so of the fair's closing, most of the buildings were destroyed in an arson's fire. I believe that there's only one still standing today.
It's a great book; I highly recommend it. It may seem as if I've said too much above, but it won't diminish the book at all. There's so much that I haven't even touched on.
On a side note, the book doesn't make mention of the fact that Milton Hershey first tasted chocolate at the Chicago World's Fair, which I thought was a pretty notable thing that should've gotten a line or two.
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Ben, enjoyed the book review. Mark read this book several years ago and really liked it. With two such sterling recommendations, I'll add it to my list. Unfortunately, I'm in a super slump and don't even feel like reading or doing anything really. It will surely pass.
It sounds like a very fascinating book - especially with the alternating chapters. Is the serial killer story fiction or nonfiction?
This sounds amazing, I'm adding it to my list of must-reads.
I read this book and found the story of the fair's creation to be fascinating. I thought the buildings were never intended to be more than temporary. I read it quite a while ago, but I remember being disturbed at the effort it took to create this beautiful white city that would just be destroyed later. Maybe I'm wrong. Like that's never happened before. I could have done without the story of the serial murderer. That was just gross.
Hi Shaneen! Yeah, I think you're right. But, even still I was hoping that some of them would've survived. I think that the one of them that is still standing may have had some work done to it to make it more permanent.
Were you disturbed by it because you saw it as wasted effort? If so, then I have to disagree. Even fleeting beauty is worth creating, especially when so many people did get to enjoy it and it ended up being hugely successful money-wise. Isn't everything temporary anyway?
I think I was mostly disturbed because I would have liked to have seen the White City as it was during the World's Fair. It also seems like a lot of effort and money that could have created something permanent. I did enjoy the story about the ferris wheel. I love ferris wheels so I did get some vicarious thrills from the White City.
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Well, it's been quite a while since I announced with much ado that I'd be starting to discuss the books I've read. So, I guess I should get off my butt and do it then.
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (click link for book info and excepts)
Twenty-two years after the 1871 fire that destroyed much of Chicago, that city hosted a World's Fair that many believe bested any before or since. The Devil in the White City is really two stories told in alternating chapters: the story of the creation of the fair and the story of a serial killer operating in Chicago at the same time.
The story of creating the fair is almost unbelievable when you consider the enormous scale of the fair, the nearly insurmountable natural obstacles, and the time constraints that the Fair's creators labored under. In just about two years (at least I think it was two years, it's been a while since I read they book) they transformed a barren, muddy patch of land into a wonderland filled with beautiful gardens and ponds; displays, exhibitions and acts from all over the world; and some of the most magnificent buildings ever built. One of the buildings, I think it was the Manufacturing and Arts building, had something like 32 acres of uninterrupted space: not a column or wall in 32 acres! It could hold upwards of 200,000 people at a time. And that was only one of many buildings, each designed by one of the premeire architects of the day.
One of the great sub-stories to the World's Fair story was the competition to build something more amazing than the Eiffel Tower, which had been the centerpiece of the Paris World Fair a few years earlier. The Eiffel Tower had amazed all who saw it, and the Americans took it as a personal challenge to present something more amazing at the Chicago's World Fair. What resulted was the first Ferris Wheel; it measured something like 300 feet in diameter, so when you were at the top, there was nothing taller in all of Chicago, except the Manufacturing and Arts building. It could seat more than 2000 people at a time. By all accounts, it easily answered the challenge.
At first, I found the serial killer story to be pretty interesting and/or gruesome, but overall entirely secondary to the story of the Fair itself. But, as I've thought about it more I've come to view the book more as two sides to the same story: the two sides of the time and of human nature. On the one hand, people were creating new and amazing things that would change the world, but on the other, the darker side, there were people who were commiting heinous acts and causing much suffering. The serial killer was able to operate undetected for a long time in a large part due to the massive expansion happening in Chicago brought on by the fair.
When I look back on the book the things that stick out to me are the descriptions of the Fair buildings. The whole time I was reading the book, I was thinking about how I'd love to go and see which of the buildings are still there, to try to capture a little bit of the amazement that the Fair's visitors told of. Sadly, within a year or so of the fair's closing, most of the buildings were destroyed in an arson's fire. I believe that there's only one still standing today.
It's a great book; I highly recommend it. It may seem as if I've said too much above, but it won't diminish the book at all. There's so much that I haven't even touched on.
On a side note, the book doesn't make mention of the fact that Milton Hershey first tasted chocolate at the Chicago World's Fair, which I thought was a pretty notable thing that should've gotten a line or two.
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (click link for book info and excepts)
Twenty-two years after the 1871 fire that destroyed much of Chicago, that city hosted a World's Fair that many believe bested any before or since. The Devil in the White City is really two stories told in alternating chapters: the story of the creation of the fair and the story of a serial killer operating in Chicago at the same time.
The story of creating the fair is almost unbelievable when you consider the enormous scale of the fair, the nearly insurmountable natural obstacles, and the time constraints that the Fair's creators labored under. In just about two years (at least I think it was two years, it's been a while since I read they book) they transformed a barren, muddy patch of land into a wonderland filled with beautiful gardens and ponds; displays, exhibitions and acts from all over the world; and some of the most magnificent buildings ever built. One of the buildings, I think it was the Manufacturing and Arts building, had something like 32 acres of uninterrupted space: not a column or wall in 32 acres! It could hold upwards of 200,000 people at a time. And that was only one of many buildings, each designed by one of the premeire architects of the day.
One of the great sub-stories to the World's Fair story was the competition to build something more amazing than the Eiffel Tower, which had been the centerpiece of the Paris World Fair a few years earlier. The Eiffel Tower had amazed all who saw it, and the Americans took it as a personal challenge to present something more amazing at the Chicago's World Fair. What resulted was the first Ferris Wheel; it measured something like 300 feet in diameter, so when you were at the top, there was nothing taller in all of Chicago, except the Manufacturing and Arts building. It could seat more than 2000 people at a time. By all accounts, it easily answered the challenge.
At first, I found the serial killer story to be pretty interesting and/or gruesome, but overall entirely secondary to the story of the Fair itself. But, as I've thought about it more I've come to view the book more as two sides to the same story: the two sides of the time and of human nature. On the one hand, people were creating new and amazing things that would change the world, but on the other, the darker side, there were people who were commiting heinous acts and causing much suffering. The serial killer was able to operate undetected for a long time in a large part due to the massive expansion happening in Chicago brought on by the fair.
When I look back on the book the things that stick out to me are the descriptions of the Fair buildings. The whole time I was reading the book, I was thinking about how I'd love to go and see which of the buildings are still there, to try to capture a little bit of the amazement that the Fair's visitors told of. Sadly, within a year or so of the fair's closing, most of the buildings were destroyed in an arson's fire. I believe that there's only one still standing today.
It's a great book; I highly recommend it. It may seem as if I've said too much above, but it won't diminish the book at all. There's so much that I haven't even touched on.
On a side note, the book doesn't make mention of the fact that Milton Hershey first tasted chocolate at the Chicago World's Fair, which I thought was a pretty notable thing that should've gotten a line or two.
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Ben, enjoyed the book review. Mark read this book several years ago and really liked it. With two such sterling recommendations, I'll add it to my list. Unfortunately, I'm in a super slump and don't even feel like reading or doing anything really. It will surely pass.
It sounds like a very fascinating book - especially with the alternating chapters. Is the serial killer story fiction or nonfiction?
This sounds amazing, I'm adding it to my list of must-reads.
I read this book and found the story of the fair's creation to be fascinating. I thought the buildings were never intended to be more than temporary. I read it quite a while ago, but I remember being disturbed at the effort it took to create this beautiful white city that would just be destroyed later. Maybe I'm wrong. Like that's never happened before. I could have done without the story of the serial murderer. That was just gross.
Hi Shaneen! Yeah, I think you're right. But, even still I was hoping that some of them would've survived. I think that the one of them that is still standing may have had some work done to it to make it more permanent.
Were you disturbed by it because you saw it as wasted effort? If so, then I have to disagree. Even fleeting beauty is worth creating, especially when so many people did get to enjoy it and it ended up being hugely successful money-wise. Isn't everything temporary anyway?
Were you disturbed by it because you saw it as wasted effort? If so, then I have to disagree. Even fleeting beauty is worth creating, especially when so many people did get to enjoy it and it ended up being hugely successful money-wise. Isn't everything temporary anyway?
I think I was mostly disturbed because I would have liked to have seen the White City as it was during the World's Fair. It also seems like a lot of effort and money that could have created something permanent. I did enjoy the story about the ferris wheel. I love ferris wheels so I did get some vicarious thrills from the White City.
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