Thursday, January 10, 2013

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

We had our first book club meeting for 2013 tonight.  We went to Ramos for dinner and good conversation.  My dinner actually ended up on the floor (it fell off the server's tray), so I had to wait for a second meal to be cooked.  However, with great conversation the time flew by.

I like our Book Club.  We are trying to read a wide variety of books, some books that I might not pick for myself.  "The Devil in the White City" is one of those books.

This was an interesting book.  It was the story of the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.  There were really two parallel stories happening:  one, the history of the men who built the fair (literally and figuratively) and two, the story of H.H. Holmes, a serial killer that killed people in Chicago during the fair.

The historical part of the fair at times was boring (I'm not really into architecture), but it did get interesting as the fair drew near.  It was also really interesting to see the historical connections to other people famous in American history.  I really loved the part about H.H. Holmes - I could have read a whole book about him!

My intial reaction was not positive, I didn't even know if I would finish the book.  However, the more I delved into the book, the more excited I got.  I gave it three stars today, but I really think I might bump it up to four stars.  It's one of those books that keep you thinking and analzying.  I've even gone back and reread parts again.

So do I recommend this book?  Yes, but be patient and keep reading - I think it's worth it.

Our next Book Club meeting is February 21.  We are going to read "Julia's Chocolates" by Cathy Lamb.  It's a little bit of a lighter read after our last two books - I'm looking forward to it.

Another January Happiness Project goal complete - woo hoo!!!

Mo's Review:
"The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson (2004, 393 pages): 3 out of 5 stars

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