Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Devil in the White City: Turns out in 1893, Chicago hosted a much celebrated and acclaimed World’s Fair. The book tells two parallel story lines; that of the construction, development, and execution of the World’s Fair, and the serial killer who preyed on the young women flocking to Chicago during the same time period. I’ve had a bit of a history with this actual book before I just read it. My friend Elizabeth lent me this book; she brought it to me on a girl date at a Mexican place. I didn’t finish my enchiladas, so I through her book into my to-go bag. We walked around shopping (and drinking) for awhile afterwards. By the time I got home and went to retrieve the book, my enchilada juice had leaked everywhere and the book was ruined. I bought a replacement book for E, and another copy for myself to keep, since I obviously can’t be trusted to borrow books. I put my copy on my shelf and never got around to reading it. Then Lovey’s roommate’s girlfriend brought it over to their place and RAVED about it. Remembering I owned it, I told her I’d read it and started it promptly once I got home.
Eh, not such a fan. The concept was awesome, but the mundane details about the background of the fair was tedious. Not being an architectural guru, I cared a lot less about building plans and construction than the author probably would have liked. I’m always up for a good serial killer novel, but this mystery contained very few details. There were a lot of cool points about the book: 1. Englewood at the time was a fancy, happening neighborhood. It is now a very rough, poverty stricken, gang and drug infested neighborhood. Anyone other than blacks need not enter. 2. The first Ferris wheel debuted at the fair. 3. Walt Disney’s father worked on construction at the fair, and people say the White City established at the fair inspired construction at DisneyLand, namely Cinderella’s castle. 4. One fair building still standing is now the Museum of Science & Industry, which is an awesome building. 5. The fair also inspired architectural geniuses Frank Lloyd Wright (who was fired by the Fair architect), and Mies van der Rohe. 6. Apparently the fair changed America’s viewpoints on electricity, transportation, and architecture. People began to realize Europe did not have to have a monopoly on architecture, and American cities could, and would, benefit from architectural advances. Some architects for the fair went on the design Central Park and the Flatiron building in New York, the Washington Monument and the Mall in DC.