Nonfiction Navigators discussion

In 1893, the United States had the opportunity to host the World’s Fair, but only one question remains- Which city will host it? The tension between New York City, Chicago, St. Louis, and Washington D.C. escalated because these cities were known for their spectacular architecture and design. Chicago won the World Fair and this would be the “single most important architectural assignment in the city’s history” (Larson 29). Daniel Burnham and John Wellborn Root had one of the most successful architectural firms in the nineteenth century, Burnham & Root. Their firm took the reins on the project. This was an immense amount of pressure for the architects as it reflected the nation as a whole. Burnham & Root used a neoclassical style of architecture and all buildings were painted white with the use of lots of lights giving the exhibition the name of “The White City”.
The World Fair was a success, for H.H. Holmes, too. He considered the fair to be perfect as a hunting ground for his prey. Holmes was one of America’s first serial killers and was rumored to have connections with Jack The Ripper. Chicago was perfect for Holmes as it was already known as a place filled with violence, mystery, and chaos. He constructed the World Fair Hotel to be “elaborate and satisfying” (Larson 67). and was later known as the Murder Castle. The interesting part of this hotel was that there were doors with no rooms attached, staircases that lead nowhere, and secret passageways. He supposedly murdered close to 200 people during the time of the fair.
Erik Larson combines the incredible stories of Burnham Root and H.H. Holmes in The Devil In The White City. Erik Larson's descriptive writing and his twist on nonfiction to make it read like fiction kept me interested all the way through the book. I also loved the way the two stories connected not only through the time period and the World Fair but also through “the power of architecture” (Larson 80). Both H.H. Holmes and Burnham exemplified their goals and ambitions, good or evil, through the power of architecture. For someone like myself who is a true crime junkie and wants to be an architect this book was right up my ally. Although it can be slow paced at some moments the switch off of chapters keeps you engaged. He jumps from one story to the other as the chapters go on and connects them both. I specifically loved the style of “two books into one”. The two stories are told together intertwining themselves into the other. It made it easy to read if you're someone who has a hard time staying interested in one story. He combined two stories about two very different men but connected them through an incredible time in history.